Editorial

Migration and the Politics of Othering

FOR some time now, shock waves have been raging across the country. The issue at hand concerns the large number of Bengali-speaking migrant workers being labelled as Bangladeshis. The combination of being Bengali-speaking and Muslim is perceived as a “lethal” marker, almost automatically branding one as “illegal Bangladeshi infiltrator.”This is, of course, a false narrative. It is the same premise that underpinned the drafting of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been at the forefront of this campaign.

Dark Clouds Over the Future of Electoral Democracy

‘FOREIGNERS Found on Bihar Rolls, Says EC; INDIA Questions Data’ – screamed the lead headline on the front page of a major national daily. It appeared to be simply unbelievable.In an earlier editorial, we had outlined the complete timeline for the Special Intensive Revision, as laid out by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in its press release dated June 24. For the benefit of our readers, let us recall the process: “The BLOs (Booth Level Officers), in turn, must distribute the forms door-to-door, collect the filled forms, and verify them.

Enough is Enough

CRORES of working people hit the streets in the historic strike on July 9. Originally scheduled earlier, the strike had to be postponed by nearly a month and a half following the dastardly attack on innocent civilian tourists in Pahalgam. Yet, the spirit of resistance against the anti-worker policies forced upon the people remained undeterred.This fightback gained momentum when the government pushed through and enacted three key labour codes — the Industrial Relations (IR) Code, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code, and the Social Security Code.

Whither West Asia?

THE events of the last fortnight have been dramatic – some might even call them cataclysmic.The sequence began with Israel’s surprise attacks on Iranian targets, particularly the nuclear enrichment and production sites at Natanz and Isfahan. The third and most crucial site, Fordow, remained untouched. Fordow lies deep within a mountain – approximately 80 meters underground – making it impenetrable to conventional weapons. It is here that experts began suggesting that only the US military’s heavy-duty bunker-buster bombs could penetrate such depth.

Fifty Years On: A New and Deeper Threat to Democracy

IT may appear rather unusual to recall the inglorious sequence of events that began at midnight on June 25, 1975, with the declaration of the Internal Emergency.However, we are reminded of those immortal words of wisdom: ‘those who tend to forget the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them.’ These words compel us to revisit that dark chapter in the history of Indian democracy.The late 1960s had dealt a blow to the Congress party’s monopoly on power, with opposition parties securing victories in several states.

The Reality behind India’s GDP Rankings

THE CEO of NITI Aayog has asserted that India has emerged as the fourth-largest economy. He was at least truthful enough to concede that this was based on the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) projections for 2025-26 in its World Economic Outlook. Through further elaborations, we precisely come to know that India’s nominal GDP is projected to increase to USD 4,187.017 billion ahead of Japan’s USD 4,186,431 billion by a whisker.

Parliament, Not Propaganda, Must Lead India’s Response to Kashmir Attacks

‘NOT blood: But Sindoor Flows Through My Veins’ – these exact words by Prime Minister Modi defined his signature style in launching the post-Sindoor campaign blitzkrieg. What else could he or his government have done in response to the grave challenges the country was faced with. Transparency and introspection have never been the forte for this government.The Modi government’s foreign policy strategy has relied heavily on projecting the prime minister as the central figure, in an apparent attempt to cultivate a personality cult than pursuing coherent diplomacy.

The Theatre of the Absurd

THE cheap political drama currently unfolding in Delhi over the latest decision to refer a Supreme Court judgment to the court itself – at the behest of President Droupadi Murmu – seeking clarification on an earlier order regarding the timeline for governors to either assent to or return bills passed by the state legislature, is nothing short of a theatre of the absurd.

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