To discuss current political developments in terms of a conflict between Mahatma Gandhi and Mr Nehru will be to simplify and even distort issues. The two leaders saw themselves not as antagonists but comrades-in-arms in the common struggle for national independence, communal harmony and social justice. Gandhiji in fact named … Read More
For years no politician in India has changed his public image so dramatically as Mr Raj Narain in recent months. While he was a member of the Union Cabinet, he was widely treated like a joker in a bad Bombay movie and as Mr Charan Singh’s hatchet man. All that … Read More
Mr. Charan Singh’s statement in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday on the land deal between a nephew of his and the UP State Warehousing Corporation headed by his son-in-law should silence even his detractors. It leaves little room for doubt that he has in any way used his position to … Read More
Mr. Sanjay Gandhi is back in active politics. Last Saturday’s decision of the Congress (I) Working Committee to grant financial autonomy to its youth wing clearly points in that direction. The C(I)WC’s resolution does not say that the Youth Congress (I) is to be restored to the status it enjoyed … Read More
Last Friday/Saturday we carried in adjoining columns an article arguing that there are clear indications of the Chinese leadership lowering its sights in respect of its modernisation plans on account of lack of resources, especially foreign exchange. Since this article was written, evidence has come to light which suggests that … Read More
Since President Carter’s recent trip to Cairo and Tel Aviv, one of the key questions has been whether Saudi Arabia will cut off aid to Egypt in pursuance of the Baghdad summit resolution which calls for an end to economic assistance to it if and when President Sadat finally signs … Read More
The three service chiefs are said to be elated. During his recent visit to New Delhi, so the story goes, the Soviet Prime Minister, Mr Kosygin, spoke of the new military equipment this country might need to cope with the Chinese threat as he sees it and indicated his government’s … Read More
Mr. Advani’s defence of his ministry’s action in blacklisting a number of MPs, journalists and academicians from participating in political discussions on the government-controlled radio and television cannot convince any fair-minded person. It will clearly be pertinent to recall, as Dr. Rafiq Zakaria did in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, … Read More
It will be ridiculous for anyone to suggest that Mr. Kosygin has pushed India into endorsing the Soviet demand for an “immediate, unconditional and total withdrawal” of Chinese troops from Vietnam. Mr. Morarji Desai had doubtless followed his call for the withdrawal of Chinese troops from Vietnam last month by … Read More
Clearly the dissidents in the UP Janata legislature party have decided to take their fight against the Banarsi Das ministry to the floor of the Vidhan Sabha. Else they would not have opposed the interim budget last Monday and gone so far as to indicate their willingness to vote it … Read More
