Opinion
Appeal
The legacy of IPA, founded by Nikhil Chakravartty, the doyen of journalism in India, to keep the flag of independent media flying high, is facing the threat of extinction due to the effect of the Covid pandemic. Only an emergency funding can avert such an eventuality. We appeal to all those who believe in the freedom of expression to contribute to this noble cause.The Great Chinese Enigma Continues Despite Narendra Modi’s Bravado
By Sushil Kutty The Chinese have their own idea of immortality. China plans for the next 100 years, if not for the next 1000 years. If that is not immortality, what is? The Middle Kingdom turned communist and Mao Ze Dong took off with a vision, not just for...
Disinvestment Of BEML Faces Resistance From Employees At All Levels
By Rahul Chakraborty The Narendra Modi Government’s move to disinvest the public sector Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BMEL) is getting stiff resistance from both the employees of the company as also the former bureaucrats who are expert in the process of disinvestment. There is widespread anger among the central...
Socialist Cuba Has Withstood Sixty Years Of United States Blockade With Dignity
By Satyaki Chakraborty Sixty years have passed since the then United States President John Kennedy initiated economic blockade against Cuba headed by Fidel Castro which is still continuing now. On February 3, 1962, the blockade was first initiated in the form of embargo on all trade between Cuba and...
Indonesia’s Holocaust Museum Highlights Stakes In Battle For Soul Of Islam
By James M Dorsey Controversy over the opening of Southeast Asia’s first Holocaust museum highlights differences in the Muslim world over the limits of religious tolerance and Muslims’ ability to debate those limits. The controversy over the museum in Minahasa, North Sulawesi, home to one of Indonesia’s two known...
Narendra Modi Government Has No Defence Now In Favour Of Its Stand On Pegasus
By Krishna Jha “… Though the Israeli government’s oversight was meant to prevent the powerful spyware from being used in repressive ways, Pegasus has been sold to Poland, Hungary and India, despite those countries’ questionable records on human rights…” wrote Ronen Bergman and Mark Mazzetti of the New York...
BJP’s Communal Agenda Is On Full Display In Poll Campaign In Uttar Pradesh
By Prakash Karat As the election campaign for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls is in full swing with the first phase of elections be held on February 10 in western UP, it has become clear that the BJP is banking solely on the Hindutva communal plank for mobilising support....
Akhilesh-Jayanta Combine Has Edge In First Phase Of Uttar Pradesh Poll
By Pradeep Kapoor LUCKNOW: The polling in 58 assembly seats during first phase in Uttar Pradesh elections on February 10 will set the mood and trend for rest of the constituencies in UP. BJP is more under pressure to retain its seats as it has won 53 out of...
Health Allocation In 2022-23 Budget Much Below The Needs Of The Present Challenge
By Dr Arun Mitra We have faced serious health crisis in the last two years particularly due to the COVID Pandemic which has cost dearly precious lives, economy and pushed millions of people into joblessness and loss of livelihood adding to the already existing poverty. Large number of population...
Regional Non-BJP Chief Ministers Turning Increasingly Against BJP
By Sushil Kutty If reformation was the goal, the “bigoted” Bharatiya Janata Party would also have been invited to the all-parties’ meet to fight “bigotry and religious hegemony.” However, Joseph Stalin’s namesake, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, didn’t think his call to fight “bigotry and religious hegemony” would...
Kerala Let Down Yet Again By 2022-23 Union Budget
By P. Sreekumaran THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Union Budget has come as a huge disappointment for Kerala once again. The 18-point wish list of the Left Democratic Government , which had pinned great hopes on the Budget remains what it is: a mere wish list! The State’s disappointment is clear from...
Another Bonanza For Corporates
By Amarjeet Kaur The whole exercise appeared to be a farce as it was claimed to be budget vision for 100 years of independence. In 2015 also the budget presentation was claimed to be for 25 years. The Finance Minister failed to give account of what happened to all...
Mexican President Obrador Is Set To Win His Recall Election In April Next
By Kurt Hackbarth The new year 2022 is looking bright for Andrés Manuel LópezObrador and his party, MORENA. Despite a two-year pandemic that has taken its toll on other world leaders, his popularity rating remains high. After months of scuffles with the opposition, the recall election he promised to...
Presidential Poll Campaign Begins In Colombia Amidst Continuing Violence
By W. T. Whitney Jr. Campaigning in Colombia began on January 15 for congressional elections on March 13, and for first-round voting for a new president on May 29. Gustavo Petro, leader of the progressive Humane Colombia movement, will likely be the Historical Pact coalition’s presidential candidate. A former...
Modi Government’s Ninth Budget Proposals To Widen Inequality Further
By Nitya Chakraborty How does one characterize the budget 2022-23 of the Narendra Modi government presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 in Parliament? The budget was presented when the third wave of the pandemic is not yet over, but certainly the intensity is on decline...
Narendra Modi Has Shown No Concern For The Joblosers In Pandemic
By Dr. Gyan Pathak Hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis and mishandling of the situation while implementing the containment measures for the last two years, the workforce in India have been keenly awaiting for relief in the Union Budget 2022-23, but the Modi government has let them down, at...
Dance And Despair For India In Memory Of Murdered Journalist Gauri Lankesh
By Teesta Setalvad Dear Gauri, Two days from today you turn 60. What would we have done to celebrate this key milestone? There would surely have been anger and tears with the joys and spirits of celebration. We would have argued and bickered about how to be together in...
BJP Leaders Finding It Tough To Push 80 Per Cent Plea In Uttar Pradesh
By Arun Srivastava Kairana Mission of BJP top leaders Narendra Modi and Amit Shah has failed to yield the desired result of polarisation of Hindu and Muslim. The back ground materials and the action paper which the saffron think tank and top intellectuals had prepared after putting nearly a...
Govt Wriggles Out Of A Tight Spot By Announcing 30% Tax On Crypto Profits
By Arun Kumar Shrivastav Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made some much-awaited announcements about income from crypto transactions in the Union Budget 2022-23 presented on February 1, 2022. As per the budget proposals, the government intends to levy a flat 30% tax on profits earned on crypto transactions. This is...
