2012

FROM N.C.’S WRITINGS
This week, thirty years ago, the Chinese Army had mounted a full-scale military attack along the entire length of our northern border. For three years previous to that there were occasional clashes, accompanied by angry polemics and tension over border claims.
What happened on October 20 was entirely different in character. It was a massive aggression into territories beyond the lines claimed as the border by the Chinese themselves. In other words, what the Chinese (…)

The following article, by an acknowledged authority on China’s international relations, appeared on the twentieth anniversary of the Sino-India border conflict in Mainstream (October 30, 1982). Dr Mira Sinha Bhattacharjea, who was born on April 18, 1930, passed away in New Delhi on December 13, 2009.

Since the traumatic story of the brief but brutal border war with China is too well known, having been written in minutest details, and indeed is being retold extensively in the run-up to its 50th anniversary, there is no point repeating it here. Suffice it to say that whoever lived through it, as I did, hasn’t forgotten it half a century later. As Jawaharlal Nehru’s official biographer S. Gopal said succinctly: “Things went so wrong that had they not happened it would have been difficult to (…)

Two new Army armoured divisions will be deployed, one in the northern and another in the middle sector of the India-Tibet border, shortly, according to a recent Defence Ministry announcement. The middle sector lies around the town of Joshimath, where I live. For some time the Army has been looking for land to house the division. At the moment there is just an infantry brigade here. The Ministry did not disclose why it needed the two armoured divisions on this border. Is it because of (…)

IMPRESSIONS
It has become quite easy to celebrate Gandhi Jayanti. Order nationwide newspaper advertise-ments, sport a white cap for a photo op or two, then go home and enjoy the holiday. When ritual replaces duty, life becomes simple. It becomes simpler still when celebrating Rajiv Gandhi is more rewarding than remembering the real Gandhi. Notice the way advertisements increase in size, number and effusiveness when the dynastic hero’s birthday falls due.
The contrast is natural. Rajiv (…)

Parallel Walkers
Here’s a unique land with its unparalleled traditions: its inhabitants are great talkers, everybody talks, and everybody listens only to his (her) own voice, as there is no other choice; tongues are internally linked to their own auditory glands.
They are great walkers too, walking together almost in parallel, and make sure that their paths do not meet, as with parallel lines. Parallel walkers and parallel self-talkers, culminating in a unique cultural blend; long (…)

COMMUNICATION
I would like to thank the editor of Mainstream for allowing me to respond to Mr Anil Rajim-wale’s review (“A Pathetic Defence of Stalinist Repressions”) of my book in the issue of August 4, 2012.
The full title and publication information of my book is:
Furr, Grover, Khrushchev Lied: The Evidence That Every “Revelation” of Stalin’s (and Beria’s) Crimes in Nikita Khrushchev’s Infamous “Secret Speech” to the 20th Party Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union on (…)

by KUSAL PERERA
This article reached us quite sometime ago but could not be used earlier due to unavailable reasons.
In Tamil Nadu, the continuing spate of recent violent, rowdy protests targeting innocent Sri Lankan civilians visiting Tamil Nadu and India on purely private and religious tours, define how empty and extremist and therefore emotional and violent they can turn out to be, when picking on the Sri Lankan Tamil issues. The recent escalation of these violent anti-people mob (…)

COMMUNICATION
Despite all the witch-hunting and persecution of activists like Arvind Kejriwal, Anna Hazare and Swami Ramdev, crores of “mango people” like me would rally behind them, because the aam admi is suffocated by the swindling and loot of national wealth by the politician-bureaucrat-corporate mafia, trying to seize control of the Indian economy. This powerful trinity is threatening the future of millions of Indians and Indian democracy. Their activities could be termed as (…)

After the exposure of Robert Vadra’s land deals, concrete charges against Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid have come to the fore.
India Against Corruption (IAC) levelled serious allegations against Khurshid who was accused of having received Rs 71 lakhs from the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2009-10 for the Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust run by his family (for helping disabled persons) on the basis of forged letters.
Subsequently it was reported that a letter (…)