-The Indian Express The Indian Express tracks how the National Security Act (NSA) is being abused in Uttar Pradesh over the last two years. * District Magistrate passed orders in a mechanical manner, in some cases merely on the basis of police reports. * The procedural safeguard of effective representation for those detained was seriously infringed. * Individual liberty guaranteed by the Constitution cannot be taken away without proper application of mind. THESE ARE some...
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The alchemy of anti-incumbency -Varghese K George
-The Hindu Mamata Banerjee’s assumption that Bengali nationalism could block anti-incumbency and Hindutva may be optimistic The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal is a unique specimen in understanding anti-incumbency. Welfare schemes that usually make incumbents popular have added to the anti-incumbency woes of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as the workers of her party made those the easy and only option for rent-seeking. ‘Cut money’, or the cut for TMC local...
More »In Tamil Nadu, environment is good politics -Nityanand Jayaraman
-The Hindu There seems to be a shift from prioritising expressways and megaports to agriculture and forests Environmental promises have made a visible entry into Tamil Nadu’s politics, along with a guarded valourisation of farmer and fisher rights over big-ticket infrastructure and industrial projects. All key parties in the 2021 Assembly polls barring the AIADMK dedicated a section for “environmental protection” in their manifestos. Setting aside the justified cynicism about fulfillment of...
More »A woman’s place should be outside the home, too -Neetha N
-The Indian Express Acknowledging the burden of housework on women is welcome. But more needs to be done to address their exclusion from employment. At a time when four states and the UT of Puducherry are heading for elections, housework and recognising those who do it have become topics of public discourse. In the poll-bound states in south India, housework has figured in manifestos. In Kerala, the ruling Left government has promised...
More »Going beyond Tamil Nadu’s ‘freebies’ narrative -Reetika Khera
-The Hindu Other important promises that could touch, and likely improve, the lives of millions rarely make headlines Disparaging references to “freebies” are a popular trope of media coverage of elections in Tamil Nadu. This Assembly election is no different: free data, free tabs, free washing machines were in the news as Political Parties released their election manifestos. Electoral promises serve as a road map for elected governments and deserve greater scrutiny....
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