More in IAC
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Key Issues in the Lokpal Debate
I am writing this as a quick primer for dummies on some key issues involved in the Lokpal bill. 1. Appointments: The key question has been whether the political as opposed to the “apolitical” government must have primacy in the selection committee and whether a search committee with civil society...
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Arundhati’s fears
I have just read Arundhati Roy’s lead piece attacking the India Against Corruption movement. If we are to believe what she says then the India Against Corruption movement seeks to overthrow the Indian State much like the Maoists. But we, the mere mortals, are not immediately enlightened as to how...
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Role of a Model Legislator
The parliamentary prerogative versus people’s rights debate has been playing itself out in the media ever since the Anna Hazare movement began. Anna Hazare’s slogan has been that people are the masters and the government exists to serve them; they should therefore listen to the “voice of the people” as...
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Imagining Nilekani’s politics
I have been meticulously following the vibrant intellectual cottage industry that has developed around expert commenting on India’s anti-corruption eruptions and in my assessment political scientist Vinay Sitapathi’s brilliantly done structural analysis of Anna Hazare movement clearly stands out. Although those in the vanguard of the movement spawn the entire ideological spectrum...
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Chesterton’s Fence
In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate...
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Manmohan Singh: Lacking in legitimacy
At the time of writing this it is yet unclear as to how the ugly situation rising out of government’s mishandling Kisan Baburam Hazare’s protest-fast is going to be defused. Whilst speculation on next steps in the government’s crisis management continue to abound in the usual media outlets I should...