2016

November 27 marks the eighteenth death anniversary of P.N. Haksar, one of the foremost thinkers of twentieth-century India who left an indelible imprint on the administration of this country in the post-independence period. He was the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (December 1971-January 1973) and played a vital role during the India-Pakistan war that led to the liberation of Bangladesh in December 1971. His 103rd birth anniversary was observed on September 4 this year. (…)

Good governance means
That you say it large
But do it small,
Or not at all.
Good governance means
You propitiate with thin skin,
But as your subterfuge bears
Fruit, your skin adds layers.
Good governance means
Nothing you say or do is wrong;
And when caught in the perfidy,
You scream nation in jeopardy.
Good governance means
Prostrating at Parliament door;
But when session is on,
Turn your back and run.
Good governance means
Praising fundamental rights;
But should (…)

From N.C.’s Writings
The concluding functions that brought the curtain down on the year-long celebrations of the golden jubilee of the ‘Quit India’ struggle of 1942, presented in sharp relief the slump in morale allround.
With all the exposures of mega corruption in which the wielders of power have been entangled, and the unashamed buying of MPs so that the reins of the government do not slip out of one’s hand—all the homilies and harangues at the August 9 celebrations sounded so hollow (…)

The first definitive signals are appearing that the American foreign policies are destined to undergo a historic shift under the Donald Trump presidency. The Russia Today (RT) confirmed on November 18 citing a ‘close source’ (without mentioning the nationality) the media reports speculating that Trump has named retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as the National Security Advisor in the incoming Administration. Intere-stingly, the first authoritative report originated from Moscow.
The RT report (…)

Hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees are now returning from Pakistan, with the help of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). By the end the year 620,000 Afghans will have returned. In June the UNHCR had decided to increase their repatriation grant from $ 400 each to double, and it and the IOM are appealing for a combined dollar assistance of 73 million until the year for their return and resettlement.
In (…)

by Diptendra Raychaudhuri
There are many ways to philosophise disgrace. Many ways to eulogise rot. The history of the world abounds with such examples. But what happened in India over decades on the question of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has set new boundaries for people to exploit disgrace and rot.
Since the 1990s, the highest court of the country has issued futile calls to adopt UCC, though not always keeping the totality of the scenario in mind. However, the so-called secular parties, (…)

by Soma Marla
Land is essential for establishing industries and other developmental projects. It is presumed in classical economic thought that the acquired land by dispossession of farmers often serves as a major source for accumulation of primary capital in the hands of industrialists. The present land- grabs of neoliberal India can be viewed as an attempt by the state to redistribute the means of production (from the marginal poor peasantry to corporate and feudal landed classes) giving (…)

by Yasmeena Ara, Riyan Rashid
In the contemporary international relations, the Middle East conflict is one of the core issues. Israel on the one side and Palestine on the other have gone through a severe conflict since 1948 to the present times. From 1948 to 2011, Israel and the Arab states have fought six wars in 1948—1949, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982 and 2006 respectively. Notably Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Yemen are the Arab states which have fought against Israel, (…)

POLITICAL NOTEBOOK
It was heartening to see the entire Opposition in Parliament, barring Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), close ranks in opposing the demonetisation decision of the Modi Government and its fallout throughout the country putting to great inconvenience all sections from farmers to factory workers to the white-collar employees in cities and towns, with the very notable exception of the owners of black money against whom the step is believed to have been taken. It is, indeed, most (…)

The PM’s announcement that high denomi-nation currency notes will soon be worthless paper caught everyone unawares. Even the government departments did not know of it and prepared for its implementation after the TV announcement. It is an attack against the black economy no doubt, but questions will be asked about how effective it would be and at what cost to the economy. There will be an immediate impact and also over time as many unforeseen consequences emerge. It is so complex that (…)