A Post-Truth Government

THE first week of the monsoon session of parliament has revealed a lot about the character of the Modi government.

Pegasus: Cyberweapon for Authoritarianism

The chronology suggests new security collaboration initiated with Israel during NSO Ajit Doval’s visit in March, 2017 preparatory to Modi’s visitTHE Pegasus spyware scandal is not just a case of violation of privacy, or illegal surveillance or snooping by security agencies. It is all that, and much more. The Pegasus is military grade spyware which takes surveillance and hacking to a new level altogether. The bigger picture must not be obscured.The Pegasus usage is part of the larger authoritarian architecture that has been built up over the past seven years.

Afghanistan: India in an Unenviable Position

THE situation on the ground in Afghanistan is changing fast. With the US troop withdrawal more or less complete, the last few weeks have seen the Taliban advancing all across the country. The Taliban have claimed that 85 per cent of the territory is now under their control.

Rafale Scandal Resurrects

THE opening of a judicial probe in France on June 14, 2021, into suspected ‘corruption’, ‘influence-peddling’, ‘money laundering’, ‘favouritism and undue tax waivers’ surrounding the €7.87 billion Rafale-India deal has given new life to a major scandal that the Narendra Modi government has done its best to cover up. The decision of the French National Financial Prosecutor's Office (the parquet national financier or PNF) to support the opening of a judicial investigation into the deal was based on a complaint by Sherpa, an anti-corruption French NGO.

The Persecution of Stan Swamy

THE persecution and eventual death of 84 year old Father Stan Swamy while in judicial custody has brought out many aspects of the perversion of the criminal justice system under the Modi regime.The use of the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against political and social activists; the use of the NIA and central agencies to carry out the political agenda of the ruling party; the role of sections of the judiciary, acting as an “executive judiciary”, conniving in the denial of fundamental rights of citizens and an inhumane jail system which violates basic human rights of pri

The Game Plan in J&K

THE Modi-Shah duo are determined to fulfill their quest to change the essential character of J&K based on their Hindutva convictions.The meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of 14 political parties of Jammu and Kashmir was seen as an unusual step. After August 5, 2019 when the Modi government summarily nullified the special status of J&K under Article 370 of the constitution and dismantled the state into two union territories, a relentless effort was made to discredit the main political parties by detaining their leaders and branding them as corrupt and anti-national.

Editorial: Crushing Price Rise

THE blight of the pandemic which has caused mass suffering and deaths during the second wave is now compounded by the manifold miseries inflicted on the people by the Modi government. The people are experiencing unemployment, falling incomes and hunger. On top of this comes the rising inflation and price rise of essential commodities – a creation of the policies of the government. In the months of April and May, 2.2 crore (22 million) people lost their jobs.

A Command Performance

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi has an inordinate capacity for doublespeak and hypocritical posturing.

Fight This Authoritarian Centralisation

NOT a day passes without some attack on the federal structure and infringement on states’ rights taking place. If one day, the centre unilaterally announced a vaccine policy whereby states are asked to procure vaccines and pay for them, then another day, the chief secretary of West Bengal is summoned to Delhi to report for duty on the day of his retirement. The next time, the centre is stepping in to prevent the Delhi government from implementing its door-step delivery of rations. On another occasion, the Punjab government finds that the centre has stopped the payment under the Rural Deve

Voodoo Science and Voodoo Economics

AS the peak of the second wave of the Covid pandemic begins to slowly recede, the havoc wreaked on lakhs of families has been occupying the attention of the whole country. There is widespread dismay and anger at the way the health emergency caught the Modi government unprepared.

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Peoples Democracy

Editorial