-Mainstream Weekly   We, the concerned citizens, feel deeply disturbed by the continued acrimony, tension and violence in the Junglemahal area of West Bengal. After the change of government in the State it was hoped that a dialogue between the new government and the Maoists in the Junglemahal would commence which would address the real problems affecting the people of the area and lead to their solution. This would set an example...

-IANS   An eerie silence welcomes me as I walk down the row of houses, not a soul in sight. I know that from every tiny window in these little brick-walled units, watchful, suspicious eyes follow my every move. They are assessing me, wondering if I am friend or foe. But then, in these thickly forested parts, the lines of distinction blurred many years ago. And their life could depend on the accuracy...

The anti-corruption movement has enabled the Indian middle class to feel smug about itself. Its members have gone through a vast range of emotions during the last two decades, from self-hatred to self-righteousness. Liberalisation of the economy has created for this class an excitement of many kinds. It has meant the freedom to pursue the quest for wealth without guilt and, at the same time, it has meant feeling set...

Hydropower projects in tribal Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti district are witnessing stiff opposition from local residents. But their protests are going unheard due to lack of political will. Tribals are up in arms to save their fertile lands and natural source of irrigation, but their concerns have gone unheard in government corridors, as the state government is approving projects one after another in Tribal Areas. On Friday, over 200 residents of Tindi...

-The Telegraph   The Bengal government today pulled out of its hat Jagori Baskey, once a feared member of the Maoist action squad and a purported ace shot, saying that the woman and her husband had surrendered this morning. Conflicting versions flew about Jagori’s current status in the Maoist outfit and the actual time of the surrender, the announcement of which at Writers’ this afternoon coincided with a dramatic escalation in hostilities between...