No one is asking the right questions about Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s ouster from Ashoka University

No one is asking the right questions about Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s ouster from Ashoka University

Our collective reaction to Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s ouster from Ashoka University is disappointing for more than one reason. A short-lived outrage in a small circle seems to have given way to a quiet acquiescence. Professor Arvind Subramanian’s response was exemplary in its timing and messaging, not the least because he cannot be dubbed as anti-government. The statements by the faculty and the student body at Ashoka showed more courage than you would […]

Jaishankar’s problem is stark – no amount of external PR can cover up India’s truth

Jaishankar’s problem is stark – no amount of external PR can cover up India’s truth

S Jaishankar has an unenviable task. He has been handed over the job to give a liberal gloss to a government that cannot spell l-i-b-e-r-a-l. More than manage external relations, he is here to manage external public relations, to ensure that the Narendra Modi government doesn’t get a bad international image. Now, that’s manifold more challenging than managing domestic media, mostly darbari if not outright sarkari, with a handful of carrots […]

Why MSP is a fraud: Yogendra Yadav

Why MSP is a fraud: Yogendra Yadav

Ballari is famous, or infamous, for many things – Ballari brothers, mining scams, the Sonia Gandhi vs Sushma Swaraj election – but its agricultural produce market is not one of them. Located on prime land in the district headquarter, this mandi is no different from mandis all over Karnataka. Its size, infrastructure, system of auction, and record-keeping is better than […]

Farmers’ movement can’t and shouldn’t be apolitical. That’s not a democracy

Farmers’ movement can’t and shouldn’t be apolitical. That’s not a democracy

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s decision to intervene in the upcoming assembly elections is bound to re-ignite an old debate: Should the farmers’ movement keep away from politics? The demand for apolitical movements, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s derision of andolanjivis, reflects a new low in our rapidly shrinking democracy. Just for the record, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) is not going to campaign for any party or candidate. […]