2010

One could ask a question whether a heinous crime like murder be classified as “political”. A crime is generally distinguished by the motive behind it. The Oxford Dictionary of Law defines “political offence” in the following manner: “An offence committed for a political purpose or inspired by a political motive. The act could be a combination of a politically motivated but criminally implemented act, or it may be more narrowly political or it may be criminal activity that resulted from an (…)

If the articles and TV exposé that are dominating the news channels and dailies are true even to some extent then the very essence of holding the CWG to showcase that “India has Arrived” is an absolute nautanki. Just look around—scandals in training camps, inflated budgets and tenders all involving government agencies and the Organising Committee, sub-standard materials and construction (on visuals) and allegations-cum-counter-allegations (not staged by the Opposition this time) by people (…)

The plan of caste enumeration has created confusions in many areas of our public life—political, social, ideal, practical, and so on. It has become so contentious that individuals, groups, industries and political parties are all divided. Once again there are vociferous voices on both sides. Even the Union Cabinet could not reach a consensus and has constituted a GoM under the leadership of Congress veteran Pranab Mukherjee. Thinking people are worried that the caste census will plunge the (…)

Mainstream, in its January 26, 2008 issue, published an article by this author, titled “Why the Nuclear Energy Path is Suicidal”. Below we are publishing its sequel which is also a response to some Indian nuclearists’ campaign for nuclear plants and also to the recent Indo-US deal for reprocessing American nuclear spent fuel in India at the cost of this country. —Editor
At a time when reductionist science holds sway, knowledge systems become fragmented, and scientific-technological (…)

After price rise (on which finally Parliament was able to have threadbare discussion without voting as the government insisted) the scam relating to the Commonwealth Games (based on the UK money trials brought into focus by a private TV channel) has rocked both the Houses as well as the country at large. On both counts the government has been put on the backfoot by a spirited Opposition which appears to be unified in its bid to corner and isolate the Treasury Benches. As allegations of fraud (…)

The leakage of 92,000 secret military intelligence documents is sensational anywhere any time. When the documents pertain to the war against the Taliban-Al-Qaeda, it is also disturbing because it shows (a) that America is in a trap and is unlikely to win this war, and (b) that India is in for trouble, big trouble.
Let’s not forget that the information now leaked is new only to us, the lay public. To the top echelons of the leadership in America, the facts were known all along. They also (…)

The call of former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to the Government of India to hold public consultation on the desirability of retaining death penalty has not received adequate media attention. This is unfortunate because we can no longer play a hide and seek game with the straightforward question of abolition of death penalty.
Great leaders of the world have voiced their opposition to death penalty. Thus Gandhiji said:
I do regard death sentence as contrary to ahimsa. Only He takes (…)

(The following piece appeared in Crest sometime ago. Thereafter it was published in The Other Side and other publications. In view of the latest controversy surrounding the Commonwealth Games and the significance of the contents of the former Union Sports Minister’s article we are reproducing it with the author’s consent and due acknowledgement. —Editor)
Holding the 10-day, Rs 20,000 crore-jamboree reflects a misplaced sense of pride and distortion of national priorities. If not on (…)

FROM N.C.’S WRITINGS
This was the week, fiftytwo years ago, that marked the parting of ways between the Communists and the Congress. It was the Communist opposition to the ‘Quit India’ resolution at the historic AICC session in August 1942 that ultimately led to the expulsion of the Communists from the Congress organisations in 1946. Incidentally, the eviction of the Communists from the Congress marked the beginning of the process of transformation of the Congress from an all-embracing (…)

The discussion paper of the government on FDI in retail trade in India shows that the most important single factor cited in support of permitting FDI in retail trade is the assumed prospect of attracting large and much needed investment in back-end services for value chains and other facilities to reduce post-harvest losses to the farm sector such as cold storages and thus add to total availability of farm goods. Assuming that these investments do take place (by no means a certainty) who (…)