Making Mockery of Panchayati Elections (Published in ‘Kafila’)

Making Mockery of Panchayati Elections

A school teacher in Rayapuram village of Mehabubnagar district (Andhra Pradesh) summed up the sentiment of the village: “Without a sarpanch [an elected village-chief], this village is like a rudderless ship. The implementation of government schemes has gone from bad to worse. The government has appointed special officers, who hardly have any bonding with villagers in each panchayat.” Recently, the state government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) decided to conduct the panchayati elections in April-May 2013, which have been overdue since July-August 2011. What were the reasons for this postponement?

Dispossessed, Gagged and Subdued (Published in Counter Currents )

Dispossessed, Gagged and Subdued (A report on displaced villagers in Andhra Pradesh)

The Relampadu reservoir was inaugurated by Minister for Information and Public Relations D.K. Aruna Reddy on January 3, 2013.

The Nettempadu Lift Irrigation Project (NLIP) is expected to benefit nearly 150 drought-hit villages of 8 mandals in Mahabubnagar district. The NLIP has 9 reservoirs, of which 2 reservoirs—the Relampadu Balancing Reservoir (RBR) and the Chinnonipalli Reservoir (CR)—will displace three villages– Relampadu of Dharur Mandal, Aloor and Chinnonipalli of Ghattu Mandal. These three villages have been notified as “under submergence”. 

Resonance of Afzal Guru’s hanging

Resonance of Guru’s hanging

The hanging of Afzal Guru—who supposedly (I am saying so because of the unfair trial) connived in the parliament attack in December 2002– should shake the collective conscience of the nation and its system: judiciary, executive, and legislative arms. Shoddy investigation, unfair trial, hasty conviction, political interests, secret and selective execution are some of the vexed issues which are related to the Parliament attack case. Not to be seen as an isolated case, the case questions a larger problem of our democratic values in form and substance.

Telangana Problem: A Snapshot

Telangana  Problem: A Snapshot

 

In the wake of seeking more time on the Telangana issue by the Centre, pro-Telangana people protested in Hyderabad against it. The opposition parties have decried the flip-flop on the issue and accused the Congress of “betraying” people.

It is a given that buying time will hardly fetch any dividend for the Congress in the long and short term when there is a groundswell of support for Telangana, cutting across castes, classes, religions, and parties.

“Modi’s government is not pro-poor” (A report on Jan Breman’s lecture in Chennai) (Published in Business Line)

“Modi’s government is not pro-poor”

Chennai: “Deprivation is the major problem in Gujarat where Chief Minister Narendra Modi boasts of growth, and prides himself on Gujarati ashmita (identity). But Modi’s government is not pro-poor, he has different priorities,” said sociologist and anthropologist Jan Breman, emeritus professor at the University of Amsterdam.

“Government hospitals are for the poor” (Published in Business Line, Campus)

Chennai: Outside a maternity ward, rodents scampered from one burrow to other at Kasturbha Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children (KGHWC) in Triplicane. Hiding behind a bin, some rodents were nibbling blood-stained bandages and leftovers.