September 2009

REVIEW ARTICLE
Politics of Inclusion: Castes, Minorities and Affirmative Action by Zoya Hasan; OUP, Delhi; 2009; pp. 302 + xiv; Price (Hardback): Rs 675.
Hierarchical inequality in India, as exemplified by a social order based on the caste system, has been a cause of public policy concern. The Constitution, taking cognisance of the entrenched reality of the caste system that breeds ritual inferiority, social disability, political marginalisation and material poverty, envisaged certain (…)

Indian journalism is at a crossroads today. It is caught in the trauma of having to reconcile the traditions of the past as espoused by the many distinguished senior journalists, who currently control the editorial boards of newspapers and periodicals, with the relentless and unyielding realities of the new globalised India that is pushing journalists to cross and breach all limits and constraints prescribed by their elder colleagues.
Can Indian journalists remain true to the past (…)

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) handed down to the Taliban a big political victory as a result of the air strikes in the northern province of Kunduz on September 4, which left over 100 people dead and injured. The Taliban propaganda portrayed the incident as “an intentional massacre”.
However, the political impact is felt on several planes. These include, first and foremost, the sense of shock in Germany, where well over two-thirds of people already favor a withdrawal (…)

The 64th anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day was observed on September 2, 2009. On that occasion the embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam brought out a publication Vietnam-India in Focus. The following article, appearing in the publication, is being reproduced here for the benefit of our readers.
India’s Look-East Policy was initiated in the early 1990s with the specific objective of its economic integration and political cooperation with South-East Asia, resulting from a (…)

Rejoinder
D. Bandyopadhyay has written a short but hard-hitting piece entitled ‘Why We Must Oppose the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill of 2009’. (Mainstream, August 14, 2009) First of all the Bill is still dated 2007. But that is a small matter, of interest only to those who might try to locate it in 2009 and might not find it. What is of interest is Mr Bandyopadhyay’s reasons for opposing the Bill. His main reasons seem to be with regard to the provisions to ‘Company’.
A) The (…)

The massive crowds that accompanied the body of former Andhra Pradesh CM Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash on September 2, when it was brought to Hyderabad and later when it was taken to his village for the last rites have only provided fresh testimony to his unique popularity throughout the State. The number of people who died out of shock or committed suicide on learning about their leader’s untimely demise was also something unprecedented because even when the (…)

No ‘My Lord’, the Chief Justice of India (or should it be ‘your Honour’ reiterating the 1971 decision by the present Supreme Court?), the judiciary does not “impliedly obey” the law passed by Parliament—the judiciary owes allegiance only to the Constitution of India and to their own conscience. That is why I am somewhat sad that the CJI should have indirectly suggested that judges are not willing on their own to file the statement of assets and the same to be made available to the (…)

It never rains but pours. There is a severe drought in large parts of the country, but there is no political drought. The Bharatiya Janata Party is hell-bent on committing political hara-kiri. Such disarray has never been witnessed in our country. An erstwhile colleague of L.K. Advani has woken up after his expulsion from the BJP. What was he doing all these years? The BJP made him the Foreign Minister, Defence Minister and Finance Minister. But strange things happen in politics. Yesterday’s (…)

Jaswant Singh’s expulsion from the BJP for writing a book on Jinnah raises a number of issues. First is the manner it was done. He was conveyed the decision by party President Rajnath Singh on telephone when he arrived at Shimla to attend the chitnan baithak of the party which he was asked not to attend. Could not this have been done before he left Delhi? Or could he not have been dropped from attending the meeting like Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie?
Why were normal courtesies like (…)

Jaswant Singh wrote that Jinnah was a great man. Advani considered that Jinnah was secular. The BJP leaders have been enamoured of Jinnah and his greatness. But, their bete noire is Nehru. He was pseudo-secular. What are the facts?
Jinnah’s reading was limited and he did not understand geo-politics. Nehru had vast reading and his knowledge of the outside world was better than any leader in the world. Based on his vast knowledge, he made many predictions, which came true. Only two are (…)