Mainstream Weekly

The Bodh Gaya Temple under the Bodh Gaya Temple Act 1949 | A K Biswas

A K Biswas — 2024-09-14T10:52:42Z

Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya symbolizes

- 2024

Equality of treatment in the eye of the law: Viceroy of India Lord Lytton stood for justice by Katwaroo, a Dosadh in 1876 | Atul Krishna Biswas

A K Biswas — 2024-01-05T02:27:27Z

Katwaroo, a victim of violence, inflicted by a high-profile British Barrister Fuller at Agra died instantaneously in 1876. Soon after arrival of Lord Lytton, the Governor-General and Viceroy of India (1876-1880), a vernacular newspaper of Calcutta highlighted this tragedy which caught his close attention. He waded straightway to redress the grievance for the humble victim. The Viceroy caused a letter to be addressed post haste to the North-Western Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) Government (…)

- 2024

Droupadi Murmu - Will She Make for a People's President ? | A K Biswas

A K Biswas — 2022-08-19T18:47:21Z

Her Excellency the 15th President of the sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic of India, sworn in by Justice N. V. Ramana, the Chief Justice of India holds promise for an extraordinary era. Her swearing ceremony was adorned by dignitaries who included, beside others, the outgoing President of India, Ramnath Kovind, the Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, the Prime Minister and the members of his Council of Ministers, Governors and Chief Ministers of various states, etc.
A (…)

- 2022

You are not repeat not allowed to attend Indian History Congress at Aligarh Muslims University - Gagging retired bureaucrats? | AK Biswas

A K Biswas — 2021-07-02T19:32:55Z

In 1994, Government of Bihar in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms refused me permission to attend the 55th Indian History Congress for presentation of a dissertation, captioned “Paradox of Anti-Partition Agitation and Swadeshi Movement in 1905 in Bengal” at Aligarh Muslim University, though it was approved duly by India's highest and oldest historical body.
Part-I
Synopsis of my dissertation captioned Paradox of Anti-Partition Agitation and Swadeshi Movement in (…)

- 2021

Foretaste of Oxygen deficiency: A Personal Account | AK Biswas

A K Biswas — 2021-05-14T15:03:49Z

A harrowing tale of a wife to save her husband
Many newspapers on April 26, 2021 carried a heart-wrenching story under the screaming headline ‘Oxygen nightmare: Desperate wife fails to blow life into dying husband.' Despite such last ditch attempts to resuscitate her dying husband by breathing into his mouth, he succumbed to the coronavirus on his wife's lap. Thus, a solo battle of Renu Singhal of Agra, Uttar Pradesh to save Ravi Singhal ended. The story, no doubt, bears the stamp of (…)

- 2021

CISF Killings in Sitalkuchi In the Backdrop of an old story, I know | AK Biswas

A K Biswas — 2021-04-23T14:41:47Z

The Bihar Assembly Elections, 1995 were conducted in various phases to ensure free and fair poll under adequate security cover. The Election Commission of India, converted into a multi-member body in 1989, comprised three retired IAS officers with T. N. Seshan, a former Cabinet Secretary, as the presiding deity. As the Chief Election Commissioner, Seshan's motto was “to act ruthlessly to ensure free and fair election” in exercise of “the powers vested in me.” And he built up his reputation (…)

- 2021

Orakandi's pilgrim Prime Minister of India: Look London see Paris? | AK Biswas

A K Biswas — 2021-04-10T02:27:34Z

Part-1 Prime Minister's pilgrimage to a shrine of untouchables
Prime Minister Narendra Damodar Modi paid on March 27, 2021 his cherished visit to Orakandi, the seat of spiritual as also social reform movement of Harichand Thakur (1812-1877) and his son Guruchand (1846-1937) in district Gopalganj, Bangladesh. Since over a century, this village located deep in a marshy country was the nerve centre of their activities, focusing principally on access to education, social reform and progress of (…)

- 2021

Mass Education of Bengal: A critique on bi-centennial Birth Anniversary of Vidyasagar | AK Biswas

A K Biswas — 2020-11-13T21:15:07Z

“There is no man, who has not something hateful in him---no man who has not some of the wild beasts in him. But there are few who will honestly tell us how they manage their wild beast.” —Voltaire
Part-I
The role of Lord William Bentinck (14 September 1774 – 17 June 1839) for restructuring the socio-cultural foundation of the Hindus “debased by three thousand years of despotism and priestcraft” [1] can rarely be exaggerated. His bold move to ban and abolish the cruel practice of (…)

- 2020

Crime under cover of pandemic: Plague in Pakur Raj Fratricide | AK Biswas

A K Biswas — 2020-09-04T18:11:33Z

A man injected plague germ to kill his stepbrother
The crime was extraordinary, perhaps, India had no parallel. The elder eliminated his younger stepbrother by injecting plague germs. In a remorseless design, a hired medical professional, as an accomplice, accomplished the job. The scene of the crime selected, of all places, was the busiest Howrah Railway station, on the outskirt of Calcutta. As planned, the crime was committed smoothly. The conspirator perhaps believed to evade detection (…)

- 2020

Surrender of Temple of Jagannath, Puri | Atulkrishna Biswas

A K Biswas — 2020-07-31T06:19:17Z

by Dr. Atulkrishna Biswas “Possession was taken of the town and the Temple of Jagannath by the British on September 18, 1803; the sacred will of the idol having been first ascertained through the medium of the officiating priest.” —J. Melville to Military Secretary to Lord Wellesley, Governor-General, 26 September 1803.
Part-I Jagannath Temple, Puri surrendered to East India Company, 1803!
18th September 1803 marked the black day which saw the launch of a campaign for “occupation of (…)

- 2020