PRAGOTI

This article is with reference to the article “Cracking the Kerala Myth” by Arvind Panagariya, that appeared in the Times of India, dated 2nd January 2012. It may suit the political convictions of the Columbia Professor to criticise Kerala’s development experience from his free-market perspective; he is also free to argue that Kerala’s is not a “state-led success” and that its “left-of-centre governments” did not contribute to its success. However, while doing so, one expects a modicum of rigour in argument. Sadly, Panagariya’s piece falls flat, both in its historical grasp and statistical rigour, writes R. Ramakumar 

In this article, the second of two articles on the 'Occupy Wall Street' protest in New York, by VIJAY PRASHAD explains why the protests are significant and the need to challenge the class-power equations of finance capital. Both articles were published in Counterpunch, a bi-weekly political newsletter. (Image Courtesy: The Atlantic)

Below is Article Two: The Philosophy Behind 'Occupy Wall Street'

 Anand Patwardhan's documentary film "War and Peace (Jung aur Aman)" was screened at IIT Bombay on 30th August 2009. During and after the discussion session of the documentary film, our editorial team member Anirban Ghatak took a short interview of Anand. Anand answered the questions with equal determination and conviction which we are pretty used to see in his films. Here we present the interview. 

The quest for human freedom requires a transcendence of capitalism. What is important, however, is the overall vision that we have of the socialism that will emerge, one which accords centrality to human freedom, which remains continuously “open” and untainted by ossification in any form, and which constitutes an unleashing of democracy and a perennial engagement of the people with politics.

The article, originally published in the Economic and Political Weekly is attached along with this post. 

Barmeshwar Mukhiya, the self-proclaimed chief of Ranvir Sena, is a free man now. How does it reconcile with the rhetoric of Nitish Kumar? This post analyses the class-caste basis of Nitish-led coalition and attempts to reach an answer.

Films like other performative cultural forms can speak the language of its own times, in which they have been created and situated. As a visual reflection of society in which it is contextualized, it can speak both covertly and overtly about the past and present world, and albeit can articulate politics and reflect upon philosophy as well. James Cameron’s Avatar, a mainstream Hollywood blockbuster is not an exception in this regard. Maidul Islam writes in his review of the film.

Prakash Karat, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) writes on the legacy of Vladimir Lenin on the 140th birth anniversary.