2012

While commenting on the sharply critical Washington Post article on the PM’s performance, and the PMO and government spokespersons’ over-reaction to it, it was written in these columns two weeks ago that such over-reaction exposes the “inherent weakness and infirmity” of the Manmohan dispensation. But, it was also pointed out, there was “a danger: would such sharp attacks on the PM from the side of the US media prompt the Manmohan Singh Government to embark on full-scale reforms to belie the (…)

The Union Government has gone for a slew of ‘reforms’ and drawn strong protests from people and the political parties both in the UPA and outside it. The package consists of raising the price of diesel, restricting the LPG cylinder supply at subsidised prices to six per annum per family and allowing FDI in the aviation sector and multi-brand retail trading (MBRT). The first step is inflationary since it will immediately impact all prices through the cascading effect. In the current scenario (…)

Villagers, mostly women, stood neck-deep in water for 17 days at a village in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh, to draw the attention of the bureaucracy-ridden governments, with absentee Ministers at Bhopal and Delhi, to the sufferings of the satyagrahis. The fertile land of the villagers had been devoured by the impoun-ded water at Omkareshwar dam which was raised to a new height to generate more power and draw more irrigation water. Neither did any Minister, nor a top bureaucrat think even (…)

Aseem Trivedi has cartooned a Western-style flush toilet with the bowl showing pillars similar to those of Parliament House, and titled it “National Toilet”. The distinctive Parliament House building is obviously used by the cartoonist to symbolise the State and Central legisla-tures. Another cartoon showing the Ashoka Pillar capital with wolves in place of the lions, and “Bhrashtameva Jayate” in place of “Satyameva Jayate”, is titled “National Emblem”. Yet another titled “Gang Rape of (…)

At a time when land reforms, and in particular the land rights of the poorest landless people, are being increasingly pushed to the margins, it requires a lot of courage and a firm faith in one’s convictions for any organisation to pour all its efforts and energy into a nationwide movement for land reforms. But this is precisely what Ekta Parishad has done, organising a continuing series of foot-marches in 338 districts, an effort that is ongoing for one year (October 2011 to October 2012). (…)

If the most important factor in the context of poverty, hunger and the related discontent in India has to be identified in just one word, then this world undoubtedly will be ‘land’. It is injustices and distortions relating to land distribution which are the single most important cause of poverty, hunger and rural unrest not only in India but in many other countries as well.
The solution clearly is land reforms, which may be defined here as ensuring proper land rights for all the rural (…)

Ground-Up Understanding Of Land Issue
by P.V RAJAGOPAL
Ekta Parishad and about 2000 other organisations are coming together in October 2012 to organise a Jan Satyagraha, one of the largest non-violent actions seen in recent times. One lakh landless people will begin their 350 km padayatra to New Delhi from Gwalior to draw the attention of the state to the promises that were made to them five years ago by the current Prime Minister and apply moral pressure on the government to formulate a (…)

by B.D.
One of the main reasons why the reduction of rural poverty fell far short of expectations in post-independence India is that the potential of land redistribution among the poorest landless households was aborted by powerful vested interests. A Planning Commission Report says: “It has been estimated that there are about 15 million hectares of cultivable wastelands and 26 million hectares of fallow lands which can be acquired, reclaimed and distributed for providing additional income (…)

P.V. Rajagopal, co-ordinator and inspirational figure for many non-violent struggles for justice and equality, has emerged as one of the most consistent and committed campaigners for broadbased land reforms in India. The struggles of the Ekta Parishad group of organisations which he leads have placed a special emphasis on the land rights of tribal communities. Since the last 10 months P.V. Rajagopal and his colleagues have been organising foot-marches across the entire country aimed at (…)

Amir Khusrau is one of the most amazing personalities of India’s cultural history. For Khusrau, there was absolutely no conflict between being a Muslim and being an Indian. In fact, he quotes Prophet Muhammad to the effect that patriotism is an essential ingredient of religion. As Khusrau saw it, it was Islamic to be a patriot. Such intellectual clarity and moral courage as Khusrau showed as far back as the 13th century would be rare even in our times.
Khusrau loved India in all its (…)