West Bengal, Tamil Nadu show limits of political consulting

The lesson to be learnt, however, is that when parties offload their institutional memory and political judgement to an outsourced consultant, they can come to grief Bharat Bhushan The resounding defeats of parties advised by political consultants in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu may not spell their end, but their role will now be more… Read More West Bengal, Tamil Nadu show limits of political consulting

Bengal was the First Breeding Ground of Hindu Nationalism

NB: A thought provoking essay to which some caveats could be placed. To begin with, Hindutva is not synonymous with Hindu Nationalism, the latter being more widespread and accomodative than Hindutva. The fascination with violence that characterised early militant nationalist groups was something which held sway in Maharashtra and Punjab as well; and the tendency… Read More Bengal was the First Breeding Ground of Hindu Nationalism

Democracy demands a public debate on Great Nicobar’s environmental and strategic costs

The commercial framing of the project by the Narendra Modi government cannot be allowed to avoid parliamentary scrutiny on strategic matters Bharat Bhushan During his visit to Great Nicobar island, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has drawn national attention to the proposed Great Nicobar Holistic Development Project — a deep-sea transhipment port and allied infrastructure valued at around Rs… Read More Democracy demands a public debate on Great Nicobar’s environmental and strategic costs

‘How does one survive?’: Factory protests expose strain in India’s industrial system

International Workers’ Day The day will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you are throttling today… Haymarket Martyrs memorial.. Forest Park Chicago… Mayday Greetings ‘How does one survive?’: Factory protests expose strain in India’s industrial system This Mayday nearly 1100 workers are ncarcerated or kept in illegal custody for demanding… Read More ‘How does one survive?’: Factory protests expose strain in India’s industrial system

Millions in India stripped of vote before critical state election, as government seeks to ‘purify’ electoral roll

Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Aakash Hassan in Delhi Millions of people in the Indian state of West Bengal have been stripped of their vote ahead of a critical state election this week, after a controversial electoral revision described by critics as a “bloodless political genocide” and mass disenfranchisement of minorities. In West Bengal, a total of 9.1 million names… Read More Millions in India stripped of vote before critical state election, as government seeks to ‘purify’ electoral roll

India fails to pass bill to boost women’s representation after delimitation row

Opposition accuses Narendra Modi government of using quotas as cover for redrawing electoral map Hannah Ellis-Petersen The Indian government has failed to pass a bill to increase female representation in parliament after being accused of using the plan as a guise to redraw the country’s electoral map. It was the first time in 12 years… Read More India fails to pass bill to boost women’s representation after delimitation row

‘I see it as trafficking’: the brutal reality of life as a foreign student in the UK

Universities in Britain rely on overseas applicants paying full fees, which has given rise to some unscrupulous recruiters and left many hopefuls and their families deep in debt Samira Shackle hen Sam started looking into studying abroad, it didn’t take long for his phone to start ringing. At 24, he was living with his parents… Read More ‘I see it as trafficking’: the brutal reality of life as a foreign student in the UK

The Tides have Turned

The US-Israel war on Iran marks the decline of the Modi era. These years have shown, at immense cost, what happens when a leader confuses personal brand-building with nation-building. Sushant Singh THE US-ISRAEL WAR ON Iran has exposed, across the board, the limits of state capacity and the hollowness of carefully crafted images. Amid this escalating… Read More The Tides have Turned