2017

South-East Asia cannot ignore the Rohingya crisis any longer as it is not only about Myanmar but it has repercussions for the whole regional scenario. Although the issue had been brewing up for quite a few years, the international community realised it in 2015 when thousands of Rohingya refugees were marooned at sea for many days as they were not allowed in neighbouring Thailand’s and Malaysia’s coasts. Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia’s initial refusal to take refugees abandoned in water (…)

The Press Club of India did not have space to even stand yesterday (September 6, 2017). The outpouring of grief and anger in the street as well as on the social media on the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh compelled many veterans to join hands and speak up against the culture of intimidation and violence against those who differ with the current dispensation and their politics of Hindu nationalism. There were political leaders of the Left, though Rahul Gandhi and leaders of other (…)

The Prime Minister’s birthday was celebrated by dedicating the Sardar Sarovar dam to the nation. There are 244 villages and one town that are going to be submerged by this dam. The cost of the dam is nearly Rs One lakh crore. Of this an estimated Rs 1500 crore was embezzled in the process of rehabilitation. An enquiry commission headed by Justice S.S. Jha was established to look into the corruption in rehabilitation. The government is not ready to make the report public.
Because of closure (…)

by Samantak Das
About a month ago, a US-based cousin was driving back home from work when the car in front of her braked in such a way that she was forced to pull over. The driver of the car, a large White woman, got off her vehicle, came up to my cousin, said, “You f***ing black w****, go back to your own country!” then turned on her heel and walked away. In her 20 years in the US, my cousin, a university professor who works with poor, marginalised and dispossessed groups of people (…)

IMPRESSIONS
In the days of Nathuram Godse, things were straightforward and honest. When he shot Mahatma Gandhi there was no attempt to hide his identity. The courage of his conviction emboldened him to say bluntly, “I did fire the shots... I do not desire any mercy to be shown to me.” His final statement before the court was an eloquent defence of the Hindutva view of history.
Courage of conviction similar to Godse’s was seen again in 1984 when Beant Singh and Satwant Singh shot Indira (…)

by Varavara Rao
Shocking news! How much shock it would be for friends of Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru—a friend enquired whether I knew the news tweeted by Rajdeep Sardesai. Immediately I tried to contact Babayya, another friend from Bengaluru. But couldn’t get him on phone, perhaps sharing his agony with other friends. He returned the call after two hours. But what happened is not quite unexpected. Since the destruction of the Babri Masjid, she has been fighting against the saffron brigade. (…)

This article has been sent to us for publication by the eminent Marxist-Maoist thinker, Kobad Ghandy, from the Visakhapatnam Central Jail where he is currently lodged. He started writing it in Hyderabad Jail and completed it at the Visakhapatnam Central Jail. We have already carried its first part (Evolving New World Order) in Mainstream (September 16, 2017); the following is the second and concluding part.
Part II : India’s Growing US Dependency and the Spirit of 1942
India and the (…)

From N.C.’s Writings
The prospect of a new configuration inside the Janata Pary has been advanced by the dramatic developments in UP. It is not just a change of incumbent for the post of Chief Minister that took place with Banarsi Das taking over from Ram Naresh Yadav, but an entirely new scenario for Indian politics with possibi-lities which only the blind can ignore.
Soon after the Janata came to power in 1977, the key development within it was the axis formed between the Jana Sangh (…)

by Arun Srivastava
We are at a time when ideas sale, ideas are used especially for the mobile and hi tech life-style. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a perfect businessman, has been in the business of selling ideas since 2014. During the last three years he sold many ideas and incidentally there is no dearth of buyers. Now he is selling the idea of New India not only inside India but even abroad too.
What has been really interesting is in his hurry he has been pitching his ideas of (…)

In various Assembly elections since its defeat in the 2014 general elections, the Congress has actually improved its strike-rate in terms of number of seats won as against the seats contested, although it has contested fewer seats. Not only that, it has also improved its vote-share.
The Indian National Congress’ humiliating defeat in the recent Assembly elections, particularly in its home State of Uttar Pradesh and the Assembly constituency of its Vice-President, Rahul Gandhi, are symbolic (…)