2018

by Mohan K. Tikku
It has been a time of great political uncertainty in Sri Lanka since Friday (October 26) when President Mathripala Sirisena announced the appointment of former President Mahinda Rajapakse as the new Prime Minister of the island-nation. He did this after summarily sacking incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe from the post. Under the Sri Lankan Constitution, the President as the executive head of state and government enjoys untrammelled powers that even exceed (…)

by Mikhail Gorbachev
Over 30 years ago, President Ronald Reagan and I signed in Washington the United States-Soviet Treaty on the elimination of intermediate-
and shorter-range missiles. For the first time in history, two classes of nuclear weapons were to be eliminated and destroyed.
This was a first step. It was followed in 1991 by the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which the Soviet Union signed with President George H.W. Bush, our agreement on radical cuts in tactical nuclear (…)

After N.C.’s demise on June 27, 1998 three pieces were recovered from his notes as evidence that he had started writing his autobiography. Since November 3 this year happens to be his 105th birth anniversary, we are carrying the following piece (written on March 5, 1990) on his birth and childhood.
My Earliest Recollections
What’s the earliest memory I have about myself? I have tried to look back to catch a glimpse of what could possibly be the earliest scene I can remember about my (…)

Former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao was to have released the book India-Pakistan: Themes Beyond Borders—Selections from Nikhil Chakravartty’s Writings (published by Konark Publishers Pvt. Ltd.) at the meeting held in New Delhi on November 3, 2003 to mark N.C.’s ninetieth birth anniversary, but could not do so as he was indisposed. So he sent the following letter to the Mainstream editor and Secretary of the Nikhil Chakravartty Memorial Foundation, which was read out at the meeting. We (…)

TRIBUTE
by Medha Patkar and Sandeep Pandey
The legendary Professor Guru Das Agrawal, who got promoted from a Lecturer directly to Professor at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology at Kanpur after having finished his Ph.D from the University of California at Berkeley in two years and laid the foundation of India’s anti-pollution regimen as the first Member-Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board, ultimately failed to convince the government about his viewpoint on (…)

by Gautam Sen
India’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Ajit Doval, has given a clarion call for a strong and decisive government for at least ten years, while delivering the latest Sarder Patel Memorial Lecture entitled “Dream India : 2030”. The NSA has rationalised his advocacy on grounds of national consolidation, economic growth and international stature. This is unexceptional. However, the NSA, in the course of his lecture, has also dwelt on many issues like requirement of a strong (…)

IMPRESSIONS
As Chief Ministers go, K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) is in a class of his own. He is known as an effective speaker and he is a good tactician. These were factors in the success of his mission to carve Telangana out of the original Andhra Pradesh. His decision to dissolve the Assembly and go for an early test at the hustings was a smart move from his point of view. He is a man of ability and therefore, if he wins, he can do much good for the country. To do that, however, he must (…)

BOOK REVIEW
by H.K. Dua
My Soul Flower, a collection of poems by Lavlin Thadani; published by Authors Press; pages: 287.
In the 21st century India, we the people, are increasingly becoming dots and digits. Only an unanimated table of algorithms governs the behaviour of we the dots and digits who don’t or can’t have emotions or capacity to feel or think. One of the consequences of this civilisational change is the invasion of technology on the human mind and psyche. What used to define (…)

A strong democratic state Must learn from the sultanate; It better know who does what At any hour of day and night.
So, first, the various agencies Must spy on recalcitrant citizen; Then they must do so to each other,— The IB on the CBI, and both on other policemen.
And midnight is the auspicious hour For making surgical strikes On individuals and establishments Who threaten with their dislikes.
Too many cooks spoil the broth, Too many leaders democracy; Strong democracy is best (…)

by Basudev Mazumdar
In the wake of the #MeToo campaign by educated, employed and largely empowered urban women no one should forget the extreme plight of Bhanwari Devi of Rajasthan who worked as a ‘saathin’ for the family welfare programme long ago in 1992. She was very active in stopping child marriage which is the bane of rural society even today. However, this was not liked by many. A conspiracy was hatched. She was raped by a gang of caste Hindu (upper-caste) rapists of the same (…)