Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• How Billions of Rupees have been Snatched from Workers

  14 October 2010, by Bharat Dogra

  On September 10 the Supreme Court strongly criticised the government for denying benefits to construction workers for which legislation was enacted as much as 14 years ago. The reality is that as a result of such delayed action on the part of the government, billions of rupees which should have been spent on the construction workers’ welfare and social security have been snatched from them.
  We see them standing precariously at a height of over one hundred feet or perhaps two hundred feet, (…)

• Kashmir Conundrum: A Simple Complexity

  14 October 2010, by Ajay K. Mehra

  BOOK REVIEW
  Identity Politics in Jammu and Kashmir by Rekha Chowdhary (ed.); Vitasta Publishing, New Delhi; 2010; pp. 470; Rs 895.
  “We have decided to work with and die for India…. We made our decision not in October last, but in 1944, when we resisted the advances of Mr Jinnah. Our refusal was categorical. Ever since the National Conference has attempted to keep the State clear of the pernicious two-nation theory while fighting the world’s worst autocracy.”
  —Sheikh Abdullah at a (…)

• The Kashmir Calculus

  14 October 2010, by Uddipan Mukherjee

  To an average high school science candidate in India, the mathematical intricacies of Calculus can appear to be intractable, at least in the preliminary approach. He or she would waste no time indeed to curse both Newton and Leibnitz to eternal perdition for innovation of the subject. Furthermore, it becomes a tormenting exercise to solve problems involving applications of the same.
  And Calculus can turn out to be bizarre as one goes up the ladder in his or her educational enterprise. (…)

• Kashmiris Must Discover The Real India

  14 October 2010, by Amitabh Mattoo

  The visit of the all-party delegation to Jammu and Kashmir has generated hope and the expectation that it may still be possible to redeem the situation. The immediate task is now for New Delhi to move from the symbolic to the substantive, utilising the opportunity provided by the delegation’s visit. And as the Central Government reaches out to build trust and confidence, it is essential that this is matched by the people and their leaders in the State, in word and deed.
  Even cynics will (…)

• Widespread Fraud Mars Afghan Parliamentary Poll

  14 October 2010

  by Riyaz Ahmed
  Elections to Afghanistan’s parliament, that took place on September 18, were marred by widespread fraud which could affect results in a third of the country’s provinces. The elections were successfully held despite the Taliban insurgents’ threat to disrupt the ballot but release of preliminary results has been delayed till the middle of this month (October 17) not only because of allegations of fraud but also due to the need for more verifications and recounts.
  The (…)

• Starve. This is Incredible India

  14 October 2010, by T J S George

  What’s it with these economist wizards— that they can see figures and percentages so clearly and yet are blind to human beings? Food rotting in godowns when people go hungry attracts little or no attention. But the slightest suggestion that foodgrains likely to rot are better given away to the poor makes them throw textbooks at you.
  Montek Singh Ahluwalia was the very picture of wizardry when he said that free distribution of grains would not be good for food security. The implication is (…)

• CWG, Kashmir and Ayodhya Verdict

  6 October 2010, by SC

  While hectic last-minute finishing touches are being given to the Commonwealth Games, all set for a gale opening in the Capital on October 3, and even at this stage an ever-vigilant media is bringing out detailed accounts of deficiencies and poor preparations in different areas, notably at the Games Village, the controversy over who—Prince Charles or President Pratibha Patil—would actually inaugurate the event his hit the headlines in a big way. According to latest reports, however, the (…)

• Economic Ideology of the Congress: Empowering the Poor

  6 October 2010, by Arjun Sengupta

  [(TRIBUTE
  Dr Arjun Sengupta, 73, whom C. Rangarajan, the Chairman of the PM’s Economic Advisory Council, described as a “career bureaucrat” having a “good understanding of social problems” and “deeply touched and involved in finding solutions for people at the bottom of the population pile”, passed away at New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences on September 26 evening after stoically fighting cancer for quite sometime. What was most remarkable was that he never spoke about the (…)

• Was President Ahmadinejad Wrong at the UN?

  6 October 2010, by Shyam Chand

  Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad provoked the Americans when he said at the UN General Assembly that “some segments within the US Government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining American economy and its grip on the Middle East in order also to save the Zionist regime. The majority of the American people as well as other nations and politicians agree with this view.” His speech provoked the US delegation to walk out. Delegations from 27 EU nations, Australia, Canada and Costa (…)

• The Great Betrayal

  6 October 2010, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  FROM N.C.’S WRITINGS October 2 this year marks Mahatma Gandhi’s one hundred and fortyfirst birth anniversary. On this occasion we are reproducing N.C.’s following editorial that appeared in Mainstream (October 5, 1968) and publishing a few relevant articles.
  Indraprastha Bhawan has become a symbol—and not merely because lathi-happy policemen were let loose on meek, unarmed and law-abiding clerks and officials, including many women. Police excesses have not been unknown in the years of (…)