Politics & Governance

It's early days!

It is difficult not to raise voice against this seemingly undemocratic move, the recent return of monarchy in Nepal, yet if King Gyanendra's motive of curbing the Maoist showdown holds any truth, I would invest my support for such a move. When the elected representatives are capable to do little, it is futile to justify […]

Debar whom?

These are election times in Maharashtra and a reader of TOI wrote in his letter to the editor that he supports a petitioner who demanded that the pavement encroachers be debarred from voting. This, they think, apart from saving the city would prevent politicians from cashing on their vote bank. There are lacs and lacs […]

Are you for compulsory voting?

Manohar puri made an interesting point in his article*. Should voting be made compulsory? Though I don’t entirely agree with his view that one should snatch away the rights of an individual to criticize government policies and performance if he has not voted, right for expression being one of the foundation stones on which our […]

Ability should be the only criteria

Readers of this blog would recall that I predicted that the Congress (and Sonia Gandhi too) would show some prudence in electing any seasoned politician from its camp (and there are many) to be the next Prime Minister. Sonia could still be the party supremo to act as the “source of inspiration” for the party […]

PSU Disinvestment

The disinvestment card!

My father is a retired public sector undertaking employee. Having grown up in a township within a city scenario where this navratna organisation had created all sorts of facilities for its employees: sector-wise schools, colleges, dispensaries, shopping complexes, recreational facilities, etc. In short – everything the employee and their families would ever need; reason why I […]

Afterthoughts

Few afterthoughts on the Elections 2004 that I must pen down. Tough days ahead for Congress, reorganizing the cadres, dealing with inline power spots and above all running a coalition with a bloated ego. Though leaders like Paswan (who earlier backed NDA) want to be part of the government, many (like CPI(M)) will chose to […]