Courtesy: MPPost.com
India’s economic distress has seen political parties promising a revival of the economy in the ongoing general election campaign. Slowly, the political discourse has turned into a choice between economic growth and secularism which is undermining the basic principles of Indian democracy
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What do the manifestos of the three main parties say about India’s economic challenges – managing inflation, reviving investment growth, and handling the fiscal and current account deficits? To address the country’s serious economic slowdown, these must be the three priorities for the party that comes to power
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Preoccupied with Pakistan’s internal politics, the media has shown little interest in the Indian elections. Nor has the Pakistani establishment expressed concerns about Modi’s ascendancy. But the relationship between Indian Muslims and the BJP led government – if it comes to power – will be a concern for Pakistan
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As India goes to the polls, many in the U.S. and at home will hope that a new government will usher in a new era in the India-U.S. bilateral. Yet, past condemnations of the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate and the Obama administration’s liberal leaning bureaucrats might prove to be stumbling blocks
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The new Companies Act makes it mandatory for all listed Indian companies to contribute 2% of their annual net profits towards corporate social responsibility. Robust participation through CSR has the potential for socio-economic change, but innovative ideas are needed to ensure it is effective and widespread
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In 'Latin America Update' Gateway House lists some of the important events in Latin America over the past month
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If the violence in Syria shifts focus to Damascus, the destruction will be incalculable. Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the world, a cultural and religious centre. It is a collective heritage. Forces on both sides, led by the U.S. and Russia, must get all parties to declare Damascus a weapons-free zone
The Ramayana is multiple narratives, recreated over time, as the story has passed from teller to listener and from place to place. There is no singular text. With the recent decision to withdraw Wendy Doniger’s book, it is time to once again ask: what is the Ramayana? How can it inspire us to counter intolerance?
Gateway House and Sabarmati Ashram hosted a dialogue on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary. The topic of the dialogue was Trusteeship, a Gandhian ideal and how it needs to be looked at as a basis for addressing problems related to environmental distress and income disparities
Courtesy: vm2827 / Flickr
By calling himself an anarchist, Arvind Kejriwal has started a debate among supporters who equate anarchy with a potential breakdown of law and order. But anarchist philosophers believe that the basis of society is self-governing individuals and not a dominating ruler – an idea similar to Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘swaraj’