Articles by Arvind N Das

By adopting General Shankar Roy Chowdhury as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha, the Left Front thinks that it has staged a political coup, even if its cynical choice of candidate represents a symbolic concession to Bonapartism. Curiously, it appears quite unconcerned with the political orientation of the person whose candidature it is endorsing.

Why should there be so much fuss about the prospect of the coming elections not resulting in a parliamentary majority for any single party? Those who peddle the fears of instability and insecurity also undermine the very essence of democracy as it is evolving in India.

Even as storms gather around them, the ostriches in the BJP-led government bury their heads in the sands. Worse, they make clear their utterly cynical attitude towards governance.

Arvind N Das THE ways in which the metropolitan unintelligentsia reacts to Bihar is distinctly odd, Il exhibits greater ignorance about Bihar than about Bosnia and relates to developments in the state as if they have taken place in some strange never, never land. Stereotyping has substituted for sensitivity and caricaturing has replaced understanding. It is no wonder, therefore, that Bihar mystifies economic analysts and political commentators alike.

For India, Brazil provides a case of the possibilities and pitfalls of globalising in haste and repenting at leisure. For Brazil which is just attempting to combine political democracy with economic restructuring, India may hold a lesson or two.