Mainstream Weekly

How to Meet the Caste Challenge in Politics

Chaturanan Mishra — 2010-10-30T02:06:00Z

Caste-based regional political parties have come up because the Central Government did not address the problem of regional backwardness. Such regional parties may appear to give the impression of democracy reaching the people down below. But there is one big danger: such regional parties may lead to the balkanisation of the country if they turn into separatist movements as in Kashmir, the North-East region, Bodoland etc. The threat to national unity springing from this phenomenon should be (…)

- 2010

Is ‘Inclusive Growth' a New Stage before Socialism?

Chaturanan Mishra — 2010-10-14T01:58:58Z

This article is for requesting the readers of Mainstream, particularly those of the Left and Communists, to send their comments on my suggestion that history has created a new stage of ‘inclusive growth' before socialism. I am of the opinion that China and Vietnam are also going through ‘inclusive growth' and not socialism because they are allowing capitalists, including foreign capital, to help in their growth. Simul-taneously they are fighting poverty in their countries in a big way. They (…)

- 2010

Make the Directive Principles of State Policy Enforceable by Court

Chaturanan Mishra — 2010-09-02T15:42:04Z

There is worldwide discussion today about inclusive growth. Our government and Planning Commission have also mentioned it now. To make growth inclusive some measures like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Right to Information Act, Right to Education Bill, Right to Health Bill, Right to Food Bill etc. have been taken but none of these, barring the NREGA and RTI Act to some extent, is being implemented in a way that would help all the people concerned. If the government is really (…)

- 2010

On Sharad Patil's Rejoinder

Chaturanan Mishra — 2010-07-16T09:40:20Z

COMMUNICATION
In criticism of my article “Can the Left become the National Alternative (Mainstream, May 8, 2010), Sharad Patil, the General Secretary of the Satyashodhak Communist Party, has in his rejoinder “Can the Left (Communists) become the National Alternative?” (Mainstream, June 5, 2010) written: “All Lohiaites have formed, according to Mishra, casteist parties.” This is totally false. I have not written in my article anything regarding Lohiaites. Hence this is Asatyam Samarthan. (…)

- 2010

Can the Left become the National Alternative?

Chaturanan Mishra — 2010-05-10T16:09:22Z

The country is heading towards a political vacuum in the sense that the two national level parties—the Congress and BJP—are weakening day by day. The Congress, a secular party, is no longer in a position to mobilise the masses to protect their rights, even the legal rights, and the bureaucracy has become so much anti-people and corrupt that even the funds sanctioned for the public do not reach them. Rajiv Gandhi as the Prime Minister had said that only 16 paise out of one rupee reach the (…)

- 2010

PM Should Rethink

Chaturanan Mishra — 2010-02-08T07:22:25Z

On the foundation day of the Indian National Congress the Prime Minister said that terrorism, communalism, Naxalism and regionalism were the major challenges before the nation. He forgot that the corrupt and anti-people administration is the main cause behind those challenges. After the attack on the World Trade Centre in New York on September 11, 2001 the USA took measures and that is why no second attack became possible. India, on the contrary, has had to face repeated terror attacks. (…)

- 2010

World Communist Meet in New Delhi: My Impressions and Suggestions

Chaturanan Mishra — 2009-12-08T14:56:48Z

The Eleventh International Meeting of the Communist and Workers Parties took place in New Delhi on November 20-22, 2009. At its conclusion there was a public meeting at the Capital's Mavlankar Hall. It took the shape of a mass reception for the delegates who participated in the Meeting. I attended the function. From the dais the slogan—“Workers of the World, Unite!”—was repeatedly raised. On hearing the slogan I told my CPM friends: “….but the workers of India must remain divided!” (…)

- December 2009

Rebuilding the Left and Renewal of Socialism

Chaturanan Mishra — 2009-06-06T16:46:08Z

The heavy defeat of the Left, particularly the Communist Parties, in the general election to Parliament has posed a serious problem of renewal of socialism and rebuilding the Communist Parties. Ordinarily this defeat should lead to thorough and sharp inner-party discussion but it is difficult to say if that would be possible due to the democratic centralism of party functioning which restricts inner-party democracy.
Any big change is possible only when it comes from the top leadership. (…)

- June 2009

Forging National Unity for Security and Ending Recession

Chaturanan Mishra — 2009-03-02T17:53:13Z

Due to the forthcoming general elections political parties are bound to remain heavily engaged in criticising each other in the days ahead. However, the political situation that has developed of late warrants national unity. This is of urgent necessity.
The first point that must be stressed today is that the country is in dire need of strengthening national security. The current head of Pakistan ruling that neighbouring state has declared that it is in danger of being overtaken by Islamic (…)

- February 2009

National and Global Actions: Essential for Inclusive Growth

Chaturanan Mishra — 2009-01-26T12:23:09Z

The present economic crisis is global and has been caused by implementation of free trade as prescribed by the ‘Washington Consensus'. The worst victim of this crisis is the working class. Nevertheless the working class is not out on the streets. International trade unions like the ICFTU, WCL and WFTU are silent except issuing same statements. They have the capacity to intervene but do not use it. One does not know why this is so. In peacetime they exchange delegations, announce unity in (…)

- January 2009