The great revolutionary Bhagat Singh is often remembered as shaheed-e-azam (king of martyrs) not just because of his supreme sacrifice, but also for his ideas. He was one revolutionary who gave a clear picture of his dream of a free India and wrote a lot to explain the philosophy of his organisation, Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. He was not fighting for political freedom only; his
The world over, we are struggling to make healthcare cost-effective, accountable and outcome-driven. But so far, it has been far from success. The Commonwealth Fund Report 2014 (‘Mirror-Mirror on the Wall’) analysed the top 11 healthcare systems. According to the report, the US is number one in healthcare spending but 11th – right at the bottom – in overall rankings. The
Like hundreds of other villages in its vicinity, Khushiyari in Varanasi district, was another village lost on the map of India, until a group of women popularly known as Green Gang brought it to public attention. Dressed in green sarees, these women took the pledge to eradicate drug and liquor addiction from their village. Starting this drive from their homes,
Oppression of the common man at the hands of the high and mighty was a central theme in many of the thought-provoking stories written by literary legend, Premchand. One such story was ‘Thakur ka Kuan’ (landlord’s well). The ambience, in the narrative, is set in a village where a man named Jokhu is shown to be pretty ill and yearning for water. There is a common
She still remembers that warm day in May in 2011, when the unimaginable happened and the bastion of the left rule came crashing down. One woman almost single-handedly achieved this feat. Sharbani, a housewife in south Kolkata, says she could not imagine such a day would ever dawn. For her college-going daughter Mou, that day had been awe-inspiring. “We saw Mamata-di walk, yes, walk all th
Delhi, a city with the foulest air in the world and currently home to an estimated 17 million people, will see a second round of road rationing during April 15-30. However, opinions are sharply divided on whether such a move will actually lead to cleaner air. One group of experts is all for a repeat of the scheme for the relief it gives to people from road congestio
It is a pity that caste even today has its defenders. The defences are many. It is defended on the ground that the caste system is but another name for division of labour; and if division of labour is a necessary feature of every civilized society, then it is argued that there is nothing wrong in the caste system. Now the first thing that is to be urged against this view is that the caste syste
Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) – once a major political force in Tamil Nadu—seems to be losing steam today. With no following at the grassroot level, the party is practically a spent force. Political observers feel that part of the TMC’s current plight comes from having a party president – GK Vasan – who came of age as a hothouse flower.
On March 30, Manipuri activist Irom Sharmila was acquitted by a Delhi court in an attempt-to-suicide case registered against her in 2006 for sitting on fast at Jantar Mantar in protest against a law giving special powers to the armed forces to deal with insurgency in certain parts of the country. While the acquittal needs to be welcomed, Irom may have faced criminal proceedings for about 10 yea
Of late, we’ve been hearing a lot about the charges of sedition, anti-nationalism, anti-democratic, being levelled against the students of JNU commemorating Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon. The question is whether the action of students eulogizing Afzal Guru and others whose actions are inimical to the sovereignty and integrity of the nation is justified. Not merely
Bihar has prohibited alcohol, becoming the fourth state in the country to do so. Slowly yet surely, it seems, India is headed towards going ‘dry’. It is a bold move. One swallow does not a summer make, yet there is a clear trend for barring liquor. With Bihar, one of India’s most populous states, joining this bandwagon, a staggering 20 crore people now will not
The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) suffered a jolt on January 11 when the Modi government decided against supporting its case before the supreme court for minority status. Though during the UPA regime the centre had appealed against the Allahabad high court order stripping AMU of minority status, attorney general Mukul Rohatgi submitted before the apex court that the centre was not inclined to
It was a quirk of fate that made her foray into the tumultuous politics of J&K. Mehbooba has grown into an astute politician and a charismatic leader in 20 years. However, as she renews her vows with the BJP and embarks on a new phase of her career, Mehbooba’s journey is unlikely to be smooth Some of the key challenges for her are: Her image
Urur Olcott Kuppam is the name of a 150-year-old fishing village near Chennai’s Elliot’s beach where the Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha – a unique festival of dance and music – is being held for the past two years. ‘Vizha’ means festival in Tamil. This year the Vizha was scheduled for mid-January, but due to the floods that hit Chennai in December 2015, we postpone
The Indian agriculture is at the verge of a revolution that will modernise the entire food chain in the country. We would not only double the farmer’s income but also increase the country’s food production by many folds and that too in a decade if the much required reforms are carried out. Today there are excellent business prospects and competitive pricing for the agricultur
Aadhaar has faced a volley of criticism for limiting a citizen’s right to privacy. But Aadhaar is not alone in intruding into your life. You can stake a claim to genuine privacy and escape state surveillance only if you opt out of all kinds of identification systems – birth certificate, driving licence, passport, election card and PAN card. And stop using your cell phone. And of cou
In March this year, the Indian government banned Phensedyl (a cough syrup) along with over 300 other drugs. Though the move came as a major setback for a number of pharmaceuticals, it happened to be a long-pending welcome step towards strengthening India-Bangladesh relations. Phensedyl was already banned in Bangladesh but continued to be sold in India. The medicine contains an op
The government brought in the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016, to give statutory backing to the Aadhaar scheme launched in 2009. While the scheme was already under the supreme court scanner for invading privacy, the legislative move led to another controversy. The government’s decision to classify the bill as a money bill to b
As Tamil Nadu gears up for the May 16 assembly polls, it’s raining freebies in the state, yet again. Before the model code of conduct came into effect early this month, politicians ensured to pamper the citizens with goodies. Minister for information and special programme implementation KT Rajendra Balaji distributed free gold in Sivakasi assembly constituency of Virudhunagar district.
On the afternoon of February 25, outside the Allahabad district court, a mob of more than 200 people including men wearing black robes of the lawyer’s uniform attacked a peaceful dharna by the leftist organisations to demand the release of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. They had rods in their hands and were shouting slogans such as “Vande Mataram”, “Go back to Pakistan&
