Category: General

Governance norms vs political survival Too many compromises with the legitimate political and governance norms have slowed down much of the effective delivery of social benefits to the farmers and the poor. This political commentary, readers might know, is posted on the weblog and so what I write mostly ,more so on the international issues…

Prime Minister’s musings give no clue to his real beliefs! The benefit of doubt to the PM or to the people? The passing away of Nani Palkhivala (1920-2002), the eminent Constitutional expert, marks an era in Indian politics and society. The many laudatory articles in the press by peers and others only reinforced the importance…

US and Indian democracies: Different values! US has a rightwing, miltarist, authoritarian government. India, with all its economic weaknesses, has a more open society. This is an unequal world. Injustice is the outcome for many weaker countries. I watched the last two debates of the Presidential candidates, George Bush and John Kerry rather very attentively….

That’s why agriculture is stagnating! Do you know what even the respected Hindu newspaper group business daily newspaper calls the Prime Minister’s recent speech at the first national conference of Krishi Vigyan Kendras? “These motherhood sentiments”! These pious hopes create ennui”! The PM called for a Second Green Revolution! If he was not the Prime…

They get new fancy jobs at four times their old salaries! Yes, this is one of the best kept secrets in New Delhi corridors of power! Once you get a government job, you become a new person or become a slave for your life? It all depends on how you look at life. As for…

Critical political judgments await decisions Dr.Manmohan Singh was my Oxford contemporary. He was a research student and I was the undergraduate. Those who know the Oxford academic traditions know the distinction. Dr.Jagadish Bhagawathy was also a contemporary. Prof.Amartya Sen was at Trinity, Cambridge and in fact I knew Sen more intimately as my Santiniketan acquaintance….

Elected Prime Minister, limiting Prime Minister’s terms, establishing democratic norms in parties are critical for sustainable democratic traditions. UK and USA are taken to be the most perfect forms of democratic countries. In the world itself, now it is estimated that out of some 190 odd countries nearly 133 or so countries are democracies, however…

Served notice for election-eve promises! We request Sharad Pawar for some more promises! Sharad Pawar, the Union Agri Minister, is supposed to be a very competent politician. And yet he is held responsible by the Election Commission for violation of election code! The reason? He promised several helps to farmers after the assembly elections! What…