December 1998 Discussion Hail the new world order! In the recent past, two issues have received major media coverage in India – Clinton’s sexual escapades and the rising price of onions. Both of these, in their own ways, illustrate the changes taking place within the Indian society and politics. While the ‘Clinton affair’ underlines the globalisation of information, the ‘onion story’ reflects our union with the global market. The primacy…
September 1998 Discussion What is our Culture? As soon as BJP and its allies came to power, the debate around the issue of culture began once again. This is because the BJP believes that they are the guardians of culture and have taken on to themselves the mantle of preserving its purity and integrity. The I&B Minister, Sushma Swaraj has repeatedly aired her party’s resolution to protect the Indian culture.…
April 1998 Discussion Is this the society we want to build? Recently in America, two teenage boys showered bullets on children in a school. Three girls and a teacher were killed and many injured. One boy rang the fire alarm to call everyone out while the other two shot them down. The boys were between 11 and 13 years. They were angry with a girl who had rejected their love.…
February 1998 Discussion Guardians of democracy? The 12th Lok Sabha will be constituted by the 2nd week of March. And despite the displeasure of a few parties (most of who have gone into opportunistic regional alliances), a coalition government will emerge in India. And if everything goes well, the 13th Lok Sabha will be constituted only in the 21st Century. However, that seems like a distant possibility. Perhaps we will…
October 1997 Discussion Elites of the world, unite! In the past few months, many significant events have taken place. These events, on the one hand, bring out the inherent contradictions of the society, while on the other, they raise new issues and questions. On the 14th of August, while India was busy celebrating 50 years of independence, with crores of investment, the Kutku dam in Palamau burst. Hundreds of adivasis…
July 1997 Discussion State, Institutions and Democracy Whether the state is an instrument of class exploitation or the outcome of a social contract is a subject for a broad-based protracted debate. However, the fact that the role of the modern State is crucial in the life of all its citizens is perhaps indisputable. The present times are witness to an extended dialogue concerning the ‘role of the State in civil…
April 1997 Discussion Broadcast Bill: For Whom? The erstwhile United Front government had prepared a Broadcast Bill which it was supposed to have introduced in the next session of the Parliament. Through this Bill the government plans to organise the prevailing chaos in the area of television broadcasting, so that the private channels can be made to represent and protect Indian culture, its concerns and understanding. Though it may sound…
January 1997 Discussion Technology, Democracy and People It is generally believed that technology is an outcome of the growth and development of human wisdom. From this point of view, technology becomes the criterion to judge whether a community is developed or underdeveloped. This perception of development is used and propagated by the West. The West believes that a country lagging behind in technology is invariably backward and must improve its…
