Truth about Modi’s Fight against Dynastic Politics: One-fourth of New Ministers Part of Political Families

IN the run-up to the parliamentary election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah went to town on the danger of dynastic politics, thundering that it was being practised by opposition parties against the interests of the country and that the BJP was here to put an end to it. In reality though, the BJP too practises dynastic politics like any other bourgeois party.

Here is the truth – at least one-fourth of the 58 newly appointed ministers have or had close family members in high political positions.

HATE, THREAT & VIOLENCE: Modi Victory Emboldens Right-wing Goons

SOON after the Narendra Modi-led BJP secured an emphatic victory in the parliamentary election, reports about targeting of Muslims and dalits started trickling in from various parts of the country. The second consecutive win for the BJP, riding on a narrative built around communal nationalist jingoism, has emboldened right-wing goons and vigilantes.

Election CamPAYin

EVERY election is followed by an in-depth analysis of the way the elections were contested. The growth of right-wing forces in the period of continuing global economic crisis, has further increased the interest in studying the contributing factors. Apart from who voted for whom and why, analysis of various opinion polls, exit polls and their biases, electoral campaigns too are closely scrutinised to understand the issues raised, the target populace and the reasons behind concentrating only on those issues. The recently concluded elections to our parliament offer us a good example.

Venezuelans Stand Tall

SO the reasons for the US meddling and interference in the internal affairs of Venezuela are finally out, direct from the horse’s mouth. Of course it is about oil, gold, diamonds and all the other natural resources that Venezuela has. But above all, it is about something more, as US president Donald Trump has stated in his State of the Union, ceremonial address to the US citizens.

Struggle to Bridge the Gap

I've got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop
Then the chicken to fry
The baby to dry
I got company to feed
The garden to weed
I've got shirts to press
The tots to dress
The can to be cut
I gotta clean up this hut
Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick.
Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.
Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016: The Ramifications

EVER since the idea of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was mooted in 2016, it was evident that there will be strong reactions in Assam. Right from the introduction of the bill in Lok Sabha on July 19, 2016, movement started in Assam, particularly in the Brahmaputra valley, demanding immediate withdrawal of it. All the political parties and mass organizations except BJP expressed their clear opposition to the bill. Politically BJP was completely isolated on the question of the bill where even its coalition partner AGP had out rightly rejected the BJP’s position on the bill.

Extraordinary Assault on Science and Reason: The Imperative for Policy Reversal

SINCE the Narendra Modi government has assumed office, reason and science have come under continuous threat -- beginning with the prime minster himself suggesting that the elephant-headed Lord Ganesha could be a proof for the existence of plastic surgery during the Puranic ages. Similarly, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had observed that roadside tarot card readers with a caged parrot were far more superior than trained astronomers in anticipating future events. Recently, we had Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath speculating on the possible caste origin of Lord Hanuman.

Bicentenary of Lewis Morgan’s Birth

LEWIS Morgan, who had made great contributions to the study of the evolution of human race and social changes, was born in 1818, the same year in which Karl Marx was born.

That Hand behind Water Privatisation

MONSOONS in our country give rise to varied emotions. Village dwellers will be looking forward to them eagerly and once they arrive, they greet them with great enthusiasm. On the other hand, city dwellers, look forward to them romantically and once they arrive, go on wishing them away, considering the water logging and related problems. In short, it is the management of water that is determining our attitude to rains.

Assamese Reject Citizenship Bill, BJP’s Communal Weapon Falls Flat

THE social life of Assam is in for a boil over Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, a proposition to grant citizenship based on religion, in Assam. Public anxiety became visible when the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) visited the state.

Assam has always been a sensitive place when it came to questions of ethnicity and nationality. However, the intensity with which people reacted to the bill was never seen in the recent history of Assam.

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