Mainstream Weekly

Lok Sabha Poll 2009: UPA Returns to Power

Kamala Prasad — 2009-06-02T08:55:46Z

The election to the 15th Lok Sabha has thrown up some surprises. Predictions have been proved unrealistic. It is time to put the outcomes in perspective.
The leader of the winning coalition has called the outcome “historic”. Manmohan Singh, though not fighting for a seat, has declared it a “massive mandate”. The Congress party General Secretary and in charge of UP State has read in it signals for an end to the era of regional, identity parties. If these readings are valid, then, (…)

- May 2009

Lok Sabha Election 2009: Emerging Trends in National Politics

Kamala Prasad — 2009-05-18T11:06:06Z

Three phases of the five-phase election are over. This extended period of suspense in ushering in a new government is a commentary on the deteriorating standard in political conduct. Barring areas seriously affected by extremism and cross-border terrorism there should hardly have been any need for large police deployment or deployment of Central observers. Political parties, their workers and even candidates have learnt to display conduct that has made elections an expensive exercise. (…)

- May 2009

Politics of the Nuclear Deal

Kamala Prasad — 2008-09-23T12:08:49Z

Even before the Civil Nuclear Agreement between India and the USA is signed, the opinion- makers and partisans have equally displayed euphoria that does not behove a mature democracy. Our partner, the USA, is free from any such display. Sober analysts are looking at the long-term implications behind the “Deal”. That should focus on political outcomes more than just apparent economic and technological benefits that can be realistically evaluated when they come to pass.
The period between (…)

- September 20, 2008

Trust Vote 2008: Indian Political Parties and the "Deal"

Kamala Prasad — 2008-08-10T06:27:12Z

The Trust-Vote debate on July 21 and 22 has generated unexpected political consequences. The ruling UPA won in the number's game but not in terms of the half-way mark through declared voting intentions. The PM and the Foreign Minister focused on the India-USA Nuclear Deal. The Opposition, on the other hand, focused on the entire performance in the context of the general election within eight months. The reply the PM made targeted its allies of four years and two months. To make his point he (…)

- August 9, 2008

Politics of Food

Kamala Prasad — 2008-07-16T03:57:37Z

India is back to the days of looking at the sky. Inflation was stated first to moderate from September 2008 provided the monsoon was normal. Now, hopes are being raised that nine per cent rate of growth of the GDP may still be realised, despite the high oil prices, on the back of good agricultural production as in the last three years. How reliable are these assurances insofar as food is concerned? There is surely a greater emphasis on the immediate prospects. This is needed, too, as any (…)

- July 12, 2008

Causes and Consequences of Food Price Behaviour

Kamala Prasad — 2008-06-02T09:12:49Z

After a long time, the price of basic foodstuffs is centre-stage. The balance of attention still remains on the overall agricultural crisis. The roots of that crisis are structural and deeper. They span structural issues in land, water and human relations. The time seems appropriate to review food prices in an autonomous regime. The economy of all agricultural production, more so commercial and industrial, concerns segments of the population. Price and availability of food concern all the (…)

- May 31, 2008

Inflation Today

Kamala Prasad — 2008-05-08T23:46:04Z

Inflation is back on the government agenda with a bang. This is natural. What is unusual is the scale and speed of rise in the inflation numbers. In the course of just five weeks or so, the wholesale price based inflation not only breached the comfort level of the target projected by the RBI, namely, four to five per cent, but surged to threaten the almost eight per cent hurdle. Going by the recent trend between the provisional and final numbers, the margin may be in excess of a half (…)

- May 3, 2008

Union Budget 2008-09: Dominant Impressions

Kamala Prasad — 2008-03-22T01:08:00Z

The Union Budget for the financial year
2008-09 saw impressive build-up by the media and the powerful lobbies. Some moderation in the growth rate was played up in a sustained manner not only to protect what various industry sectors have got but to corner additional sops in the Budget. The Budget was expected, therefore, to offer stimulus to revive the sagging sectors. This reality merely certified that the Budget has gainers and losers. Among them, there are social biases in gains and (…)

- March 22, 2008

Nuclear Shadow over Democracy

Kamala Prasad — 2007-10-22T16:05:09Z

This article was written before the Congress decided to avert a mid-term poll by not rushing through with the Indo-US nuclear deal. —Editor
The US-India Nuclear Agreement has opened a powerful debate about foreign policy before its implications for energy security. 'Strategic partnership with the USA' was first heard in 2004 at the time of Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee's visit to the USA. It was not paid much attention to since there was no hint of a broadbased sustainable (…)

- October 20, 2007

Growth, Employment and Inclusion

Kamala Prasad — 2007-09-18T19:39:18Z

India celebrates significant GDP growth numbers more recently. This brings the boast of the Central policy-makers that more growth means “more inclusive” growth. This runs contrary to the experience of acceleration revealing “divisive growth”. It is divisive between urban and rural dimensions. It is divisive between coastal and inland States of the Union. It is divisive in terms of location and commitment of Central investments directly by government and indirectly by the public sector (…)

- September 15, 2007