2010

I appeared in public life through my human rights work, writings and speeches. However, I reached to a larger audience when I got a chance to appear in CNN-IBN and NDTV-24×7 debates on the issue of Naxalism last year. After these debates, I got immense positive and negative responses from across the country. I was upset for sometime precisely because of the most negative responses I got from the youth who are running behind the market forces unknowingly. They ruthlessly questioned me about (…)

(The following are an appeal to the PM by a group of concerned citizens, their press release, and a letter to the Manipur Assembly Speaker by six Independent Naga MLAs announcing their decision to resign from the legislature in view of the police firing on civilians in the Naga areas of Manipur for having gathered to welcome the NSCN (IM) leader, Th Muivah, who was to visit his native village in Manipur.)
May 5, 2010
To
Dr Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
New Delhi
Fax No. (…)

By now it is as clear as daylight what the Americans are up to in Afghanistan.
In case Talibanisation grips Afghanistan (which is inevitable if the US plan to negotiate with the “moderate” Taliban by using the good offices of its client state, Pakistan, and the Pak intelligence network, the ISI, in particular, bears fruit) and as a corollary Islamic extremism sweeps Pakistan, India should expect more terror attacks from Pakistan-based groups once the Taliban finds sufficient space to (…)

The snowballing of the IPL controversy; the charge of the tapping of phones of several politicians being stoutly denied by the Union Home Minister; the BJP/Left’s allegation of the PM’s breach of Parliament’s privilege for having announced outside (when the House was in session) dismissal of the demand for a JPC probe on the IPL scandal and phone-tapping; the Opposition’s disruption of both Houses of Parliament on a PR lobbyist’s phone being placed under observation as part of a CBI (…)

Applause greeted the Supreme Court’s ruling that Manu Sharma should spend the rest of his life in prison. The man was a cold-blooded killer. His victim’s only fault was that she declined to pour him a drink after the bar had closed. Annoyed, he shot Jessica Lal pointblank and swaggered out.
Arrogance of this kind has marked many high-society crimes in recent years. This murderer was arrogant because of his money and his pedigree as a former Minister’s son. Spoiled rich kids ran their (…)

There are several aspects of the International Labour Day and May Day yet unknown; certain myths need to be clarified and little known facts about them must be highlighted.
It is interesting to know that Labour Day did not originate as ‘May Day’. In fact, the working class movement in the United States had a long tradition of observing Labour Day much before the May Day originated. The workers’ movement in the US was part and parcel of the rising tide of industrialisation in Europe (…)

The death of 76 CRPF police personnel on April 6, 2010 in a Maoist ambush in the Dantewada forest of Chhattisgarh is deeply disturbing not only because it is a loss to the families and the nation, but also because it inevi-tably means upscaling police action, creating more problems for the adivasi people of Chhattisgarh and neighbouring States, already caught in the cross-fire between Maoists and the police.
This is a perspective of conflict situations with particular reference to (…)

‘Socialism’ and ‘revolution’ are two beautiful words which, however, have been distorted beyond recognition by narrow-minded persons and groups.
Let’s first see what these words actually mean and then we’ll examine how these beautiful words have been distorted and by whom. We’ll also examine how these distortions can be checked.
Socialism means a way of thinking which clearly goes beyond selfish concerns so that all our concerns for our own welfare are closely linked to the (…)

REVIEW ARTICLE (1) Bharat mein Loktantrik Samajwadi Andolan—Bhag Ek: Congress Socialist Party (1934-47) by Girija Shankar; Vishwa Bharati Publications, 4378/4D Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi; 2004; pages 465+ix; Rs 750.
(2) Bharat mein Loktantrik Samajwadi Andolan—Bhag Do: Socialist Party (1947-52) by Girija Shankar; Vishwa Bharati Publications, 4378/4D Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi; 2009; pages 395+xv+45 photographs; Rs 950.
Some histories of various phases of the (…)

(This article was sent to us before the seventyninth anniversary of the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh and his comrades on March 23, 1931 but could not be used earlier due to unavoidable reasons. It is now being published in view of the significance of its contents for the benefit of our readers. —Editor)
Among a large number of martyrs—the freedom-fighters who laid down their lives in the struggle—the popularity of Shaheed Bhagat Singh appeared to be of an exceptional order; almost (…)