A Republic of Fear

IN the rich tapestry of world literature, carols, hymns, and lullabies occupy a place of pride. Lewis Carroll evolved his nonsense rhymes as a distinct tradition to add sarcasm to the repertoire of this genre. In our own country, Sukumar Ray, an exceptionally talented cultural personality and father of the film maestro, Satyajit Ray, made a distinctive contribution to this tradition through his own nonsense rhymes. One of his rhymes spoke out to power with biting sarcasm. The sharp piece brought out the poser, why are the rulers afraid of laughter?

Back to Ayodhya

RAM and the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya has been the most rewarding campaign for BJP, catapulting it to political hegemony in India’s contemporary political history. Ram, revered by many and attributed with divine quality, was part of the mythology which has been engrained among Hindu households over hundreds of years through the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas.

Class Jihad: A Blueprint for Enslavement of Workers

FOUR Labour Codes have been notified by the Government of India immediately after NDA’s major electoral victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, and the accompanying euphoria. The Codes on wages, industrial relations, occupational safety and social security override in the name of ‘simplification of 29 Labour Laws’.The truth is, the Labour Codes dilute and remove vestiges of labour protection which were enshrined in those laws. On the question of job security, all possible roles of the Labour Department will be dispensed with.

Bihar: Results, Implications and Aftermath

THE Bihar assembly election is a watershed in the electoral history of our country. Conducted against the backdrop of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) announced on June 25, it laid out a new set of ground rules for adult franchise.The debates in the Constituent Assembly, which framed the Constitution, had envisaged a democracy which was to be ‘by the people, for the people and of the people’. Electoral democracy was its cornerstone. It was premised on the legacy of the freedom struggle which underpinned the role of the citizen as its bedrock.

RSS Continues with Evasion and Deceit

A CONTROVERSY and a debate is raging in the country over the bonafides of the RSS. The context is the focus brought to the fore by reference to the unregistered status of the organisation. For the ministers of the BJP led governments at different levels, this was nothing short of blasphemy. The self-proclaimed righteousness that marks the contention of the ruling party cannot tolerate such questions.

Hate Filled ‘Othering’ of RSS-BJP Will Have Diminishing Returns

Lord Curzon must be chuckling in his grave. Recently, in Karimganj district rechristened as Sribhumi in Barak valley, a local Congress leader sang Rabindranath Tagore’s iconic song “Amar Sonar Bangla, Ami tomay bhalobasi”. It immediately drew a sharp reaction from the Himanta Biswa Sarma government. The Chief Minister himself pounced on this seeing ‘an opportunity’ to demonise the opposition and question their loyalty. This song has been adopted as the national anthem of Bangladesh after the triumph of the national liberation movement and formation of the new republic in 1971.

The Danger of Putting All Eggs in the Same Basket

IN the shifting sands of contemporary global economy, India is apparently in trouble. The trouble is most palpable in the sphere of foreign policy and diplomacy. It is worthwhile to understand that in the present times diplomacy and foreign policy are more intractably linked to questions of economy.

Assaults on Dalits are getting more vicious by the day

THE Ekalavya episode in Mahabharata is widely known. But it is sought to be embedded in the narrative of valour of Pandavas and their shining tales of struggle for justice. Dronacharya’s extreme act of cruelty on Ekalavya’s incessant effort to accomplish mastery over martial prowess sticks out as a jarring note in the grand narrative of the timeless epic. The modern exponents of Hindutva, in their pernicious act of reconstructing the Indian past, remain busy in rebranding the grotesque caste driven social hierarchy as ‘mother of democracy’.

Ceasefire and After in Gaza

The ceasefire in Gaza and the end to the Israeli bombardment and hostilities have been a great relief to the long-suffering people of Gaza. With over 67,000 dead and thousands unaccounted for, tens of thousands injured, and much of Gaza reduced to rubble, the ceasefire has come as a welcome deliverance.The release of twenty Israeli hostages still alive and the reciprocal release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, 250 of whom were serving life sentences, have also brought joy to the Israelis and Palestinians.

No Fig Leaf to Salvage Credibility of the Constitutional Body

SHOCKING as it may sound, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiated in Bihar by the Election Commission of India (ECI), when seen contextually, would actually unravel graver implications which have now come out in the open. When the process was initiated on June 25, within a few days it became obvious that the exercise was aimed far beyond the scope of purifying the electoral rolls.Three special features of the exercise stood out. Firstly, the exercise would put the burden of proof on the citizen to prove that he/she is a legitimate voter to appear in the electoral rolls.

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Peoples Democracy

Editorial