December 1, 2007

In a relatively short time Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, has become one of the most widely discussed political figures in India. Although the discussion around him is mostly in the context of his collusion in the communal massacre in Gujarat in 2002, there have also been laudatory references to efficient administration facilitating high rates of growth. As Modi seeks re-election as the Gujarat CM in December (and later perhaps a wider national role), it is useful to see what (…)

The recent Tehelka expose of the “Gujarat riots” of 2002 demonstrate very starkly that these were neither “spontaneous” nor “riots”, but were in fact mass murder, loot and mayhem orchestrated and organised by the top echelons of the Gujarat units of the VHP, the Bajrang Dal, and the BJP with the full connivance and complicity of the Gujarat Government headed by Narendra Modi. The Tehelka tapes show senior functionaries of these organisations and of the government bragging and confessing to (…)

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is the leading infectious cause of adult deaths in the world. Given the scale of the epidemic, HIV/AIDS is now considered not only a health problem, but also a developmental and security threat. Even if a cure is found tomorrow, the toll of death and suffering by 2010 will far exceed any other recorded human catastrophe, any other previous epidemic, natural disaster, war, or incident of genocidal (…)

In the hurly-burly of day-to-day politics, Tibet has receded quite a distance in our horizon. Even when we talk about the political environment in our neighbourhood, Tibet rarely figures in it.
In the discussions with the Chinese, whether in official or non-official capacity, at the governmental or political level, we have practically ceased to raise the question of Tibet and the Tibetan people. But the Chinese always make it a point to impress upon us the benefit of Chinese rule for the (…)

BOOK REVIEW
Indian Judiciary and Politics: The Changing Landscape edited by B.D. Dua, M.P. Singh, Rekha Saxena; published by Manohar Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi; price: Rs 1195.
The judiciary has become an over-arching public institution in the Indian political domain since the post-Emergency phase. The space vacated by the inefficiency, gigantic corruption, maladministration, lack of political will of the executive and legislature is being taken over by the judiciary. From (…)

The controversy over the last Chief Justice of India, Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, allowing his sons to allegedly further their business prospects by abusing official position has brought to the fore the issue of judiciary indulging in the exercise of policy formulation and thereby trenching upon the executive and legislative domain by negating the very concept of separation of power. I do not wish to go into the correctness or otherwise of the allegation against Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and (…)

The UPA Government of Manmohan Singh is under tremendous pressure to raise the domestic oil prices in view of the rise in global prices. The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Alhuwalia, has already made it clear in no uncertain terms that postponing the increase in the retail oil prices does not make any economic sense. He further argues that the longer the government postpones any such decision in view of the forthcoming elections to some Indian States and continues (…)

Russia is going to polls this Sunday, December 2: the elections to the State Duma, the powerful Lower House of the Russian parliament, are due on that day. Just before these elections the country’s President, Vladimir Putin, has come under severe attack from the West primarily the US, with Washington and its allies launching an anti-Putin tirade based on the time-worn arguments dished out by the fractured pro-West Opposition within Russia. The principal criticism against Putin is that he is (…)