June 07, 2008

As if the hefty rise in prices of essential commodities keeping pace with the mounting inflation was not enough, the UPA Government has announced a steep hike in the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG even though the poor man’s lighting and cooking fuel, kerosene, has been left untouched. These constitute the highest-ever increases in the country’s oil industry—the rise in petrol being Rs 5 a litre, in diesel Rs 3 a litre and the LPG Rs 50 a cylinder. The PM, in his unusual address to the (…)

COMMENTARY
Barack Obama’s victory over Hillary Rodham Clinton to clinch the Democratic Party’s nomination for the US presidential contest in November has been a truly historic development. By this win and securing the backing of 2118 delegates needed for the purpose, Obama has set a new milestone in the annals of the world’s most powerful democracy.
The campaign for the presidential nomination has revealed the remarkable features of American democracy even as one is acutely conscious of (…)

To the extent that the diplomacy underlying India-Pakistan composite dialogue is paramountly about managing the relationship in the short term, troubles lie ahead. Beguiling rhythms might stealthily approach the centre-stage and the ritualised patterns of the recent years in evidence in the public arena of Indo-Pak diplomacy could come under siege.
Keeping the tensions under check in the Indo-Pak relationship is a challenging task in the best of times. This is more so in an election year (…)

An established democracy like India, even if tainted lately by the holy family, should be happy at the imminent abolition of monarchy in Nepal. We should rejoice at our neighbour to the north joining the comity of republican democracies. It does not matter if the former Himalayan kingdom had been looking askance, for decades, at the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy with adult franchise. Three years after Indian independence, Nehru played host, tentatively and fleetingly, to (…)

IMPRESSIONS
It was a depressing sight: Our nation’s tallest leaders, led by the Prime Minister, standing in line outside the door of 10 Janpath. They were there to offer flowers and express their ‘deep gratitude’ to Sonia Gandhi. For what? For her completing ten years as their boss.
Depressing, too, was an advertisement that appeared prominently in Bangalore newspapers last week: “Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee—Hearty welcome to our Beloved Leader, Symbol of Emerging Vibrant Young (…)

REPORT OF EXPERT GROUP ON “DEVELOPMENT ISSUES TO DEAL WITH CAUSES OF DISCONTENT, UNREST AND EXTREMISM”
[(The following is one chapter of the Report of the Expert Group on “Development Issues to Deal with the Causes of Discontent, Unrest and Extremism”, set up by the Planning Commission, in May 2006. With D. Bandyopadhyay, the architect of ‘Operation Barga’ of West Bengal in the eighties and former Secretary, Rural Development, Government of India, as the Chairman, the Group consisted of (…)

It is a rather ominous commentary on Indira Gandhi’s political manoeuvrings that just at the time when she is going to be arraigned before the Special Courts for some of her Emergency misdeeds she should work up a confrontation with Devaraj Urs, who undoubtedly commands the most stable component of her ramshackle political outfit.
Even at the level of demagogy, the main slogan of her party today is only to condemn the setting up of the Special Courts—an issue on which it had found itself (…)

Cultural diversity is a fact of modern life and it exists now in practically all countries of the world. In addition to conventional elements such as race, religion and language, cultural diversity is accentuated by new factors including globalisation, the breakdown of the traditional moral consensus, the emphasis on individual choice regarding issues like the place of religion in public life, family discipline, relations between parents and children, and other aspects of life today. (…)

Nature has always been very vibrant, giving and resilient to a very large extent. We, as Indians, take pride in our strong cultural heritage. Religion protects and nurtures nature. If we take a look at Hinduism, we worship the sun, wind, land, trees, plants, and water which is the very base of human survival. Likewise, respect and conservation of wildlife—garuda, lion, peacock, and snake—are part of our cultural ethos from time immemorial. Almost the entire living of God Ram and Goddess Sita (…)

[(BOOK REVIEW)]
The Politics of Autonomy by Ranabir Samaddar (ed.); Sage Publications, New Delhi.
The edited volume contains detailed essays on the theme of autonomy. While viewing the dynamics of autonomy in India from various angles, the editor in his introductory essay suggests that the demand for autonomy has been one of the core issues in Indian politics. The essays in this volume invariably paint a dismal picture as far as the realisation of autonomy is concerned since that could (…)