March 1, 2008

On many counts the Padmabibhushan award to Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion of the last Republic Day is likely to influence the course of politics in West Bengal in the days to come. It is also likely to spike the possibility of any Trinamul Congress-Congress as alliance in the forthcoming all important panchayat elections of the State. Although it is too early to say whether the Pranab Mukherjee issue will cast its shadow on the TMC-Congress relationship at the time of the coming (…)

From time to time, the role of Governor has made Indian citizens feel that they are living in a very fragile democratic realm which can be shaken effortlessly by the Governor. It is a well known fact that the Governors have played a dictatorial role many a time and transcended all the democratic limits. Different political parties have misused the role of the Governor at different times for their partisan interests, thus proving that Indian society has yet to achieve the state of political (…)

[(On February 19, 2008, the hero of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruiz, announced his decision to retire from his official positions. In a statement published online by the Communist Party daily in Havana, Granma, the 81-year-old leader decleared: “I communicate to you that I will not aspire to or accept... the position of President of Council of State and Commander-in-Chief” of Cuba (at the country’s National Assembly meeting on February 24, 2008). Subsiquently the National Assembly (…)

Indira Gandhi, whose 90th birth anniversary fell on November 19, 2007, was a contradiction in terms. In one way, a memorable Prime Minister, having a head-turning personality, she was among the most attractive women leaders in the world who strode the international stage with confidence, pride and imperiousness and raised India’s prestige in the comity of nations.
And yet, Indira Gandhi was, arguably, the worst Prime Minister India had the misfortune to have. A prisoner to her wayward, (…)

The Saikia Commission Report investigating the secret killings in Assam between 1998 and 2001 was tabled in the Assam Legislative Assembly on November 16, 2007. The Commission was headed by K. N. Saikia, a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India. This report has heated up the political atmosphere in the State as the issue is one of the most controversial in the history of insurgency in Assam. It has also opened up the debate on the efficacy of the Unified Command structure comprising of (…)

The ability of the Budget to garner votes for the Congress will depend upon whether the Opposition can expose the many holes present therein. Much hope lies in the political impact of writing off the loans of farmers. There is a doubt whether this will deliver. The government had similarly written off the loans of farmers two decades ago under the leadership of Choudhary Devi Lal. That measure did not beget votes then. Perhaps the contradiction is not clear to the readers. The Finance (…)

The Indian Association for Women’s Studies (IAWS), at its general body meeting held on February 9, 2008 during its Silver Jubilee Conference at Lucknow, unanimously passed the following resolution in the context of the ongoing detention of the medical doctor and human rights activist, Binayak Sen:
“The IAWS appeals for the release of Binayak Sen who has been held in judicial custody under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 and the Chhattisgarh Vishesh Jan Suraksha Adhiniyam (…)

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate, Lal Krishna Advani, may be trying to score political debating points over the ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, but his ‘Liaquat Ali’ statements on the Union Budget have left religious minorities deeply disturbed and disappointed.
It is obvious that the BJP’s paranoia has not abated with what should have been increasing maturity in its experience with democratic politics in secular India. Statements such as Advani’s– (…)