2019

by Mahi Pal
Introduction
In Rajasthan, after the reservation movement, the Gurjar caste became a household name across the country. There were reasons for that in terms of their poverty and unemployment. Besides, they were annoyed with the practice of reservation which was for those who are equal or to some extent better than them. In olden times, Gurjars were warriors and also kings running kingdoms. But on account of the atrocities on them by the Moghuls and later on by the Britishers, (…)

COMMUNICATION
On September 2 Medha Patkar and nine persons affected by the submergence of the Sardar Sarovar Dam ended their nine-day fast after receiving assurances from the Madhya Pradesh Government that the State Government will be giving adequate attention to protecting the interests of displaced persons or persons threatened with displacement. The health of Medha Patkar had deteriorated seriously towards the last days of the fast.
The Madhya Pradesh Government did well to extend (…)

Landlines are up. Normalcy is on the way. Soon other things will follow, As they learn to obey.
Schools are open too. The children may not be there, But no normalcy can be lasting Without an element of fear.
The trust of the people will be won Through propagation. And, if that does not work, Through the pellet gun.
Any child would scream When his toys are destroyed; So, having lost status, they May not be overjoyed.
But they will see how normalcy Will leave them unencumbered When (…)

POLITICAL NOTEBOOK
The BJP Government had been casting covetous glances on the RBI reserve fund for quite some time and the RBI was resisting it. It was mainly on this issue that the former RBI Governor Urjit Patel resigned in December, 2018. During his time as Finance Minister the late Arun Jaitley tried to curb the autonomy of the RBI by amending certain sections of the RBI Act. That effort thankfully did not succeed.
The virtual looting of the RBI reserves by the Modi Government is to (…)

by Ayesha Ray
In a stunningly dangerous, undemocratic and secretive move, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government repealed Articles 370 and 35a of the Indian Constitution using a presidential order. The government failed to involve all stakeholders in the restive State of Jammu and Kashmir before making its move.
What’s known as President’s Rule in India— the suspension of a State Government and imposition of direct Central Government rule in a State—was imposed in Jammu (…)

by Vijay Kumar
The abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and the promulgation of the Presidential Order dated August 5, 2019 superseding all previous Presidential Orders extending the provisions of the Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 (1) (d) from 1950 till date resulting in nullification of Article 35-A, which restricted the right to property to State subjects alone, followed by bifurcation of the State and converting the Valley and Jammu as Union Territory has (…)

by Mustafa Khan
The acerbic tweet of PM Narendra Modi from France and the meeting of G-7 is indicative of what he has made of the Kashmir Valley. What man has made of man! “Leaders from Opposition who shared stage with Tukde Tukde gang member Shehla Rashid now headed to Kashmir to make political capital when J&K needs peace and calm above petty politics! Well Rahul Gandhi must take Adhir Ranjan Chowdhry so he can show him ‘concentration camps’ in JK.” From the meeting place of the (…)

Few “democracies” worldwide can quite match the amoral nimbleness of Indian “mainstream” politics.
What was decried less than an hour ago can find blasé approval within the hour, replete with a brazen package of justifications.
If there is one thing a “mainstream” Indian politician never does, it is to express genuine remorse for a word ill said, a deed ill done, or a volte face effected on the trot on behalf of some thoroughly dishonourable purpose.
An apology is unheard of, with an (…)

by Ram Puniyani
Lynching alone has not been the only fallout of making the Holy cow as central to the agenda of the Hindu nationalist BJP and its co-travellers towards Hindu Rashtra. In the dreaded pheno-menon of lynching the major victims have been the religious minorities and Dalits as highlighted in their letter by 49 eminent film and other personalities. This is just the beginning of the story around the Cow. Much more is in store around the Cow.
Now Shrikant Sharma, a Minister in (…)

The announcement in Colombo on Sunday (August 11, 2019) by former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa that his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, will be his party SLPP’s presidential candidate in the election due to be held before December 8 has electrified the politics in the island-country.
The announcement was expected; but there was an element of uncertainty lingering insofar as the incumbent President, Maithripala Sirisena, also harboured ambitions to seek a second term and Gotabaya (…)