Articles
Jun 21 2006
NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
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A forum of diminishing value
Two years after being appointed to the National Advisory Council, Aruna Roy has decided to decline a new term. While expressing happiness over some of the work the NAC has been able to do in the past, she now believes that the space for the advisory body to function as a forum for public consultation has diminished.
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Jun 20 2006
LENS ON BT : NEW GROWING SEASON SETS IN
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Bt cotton farmers are alert this year
There seems to be a steady increase in the acceptance of Bt cotton by Karnataka farmers. And, after experiencing the disastrous consequences of spurious seeds, farmers are particular about buying only from authorised sources. But disturbing and worrisome trends remain, reports Keya Acharya.
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Jun 19 2006
DISPLACEMENT
A familiar battle at Tadadi
DISPLACEMENT : A familiar battle at Tadadi
Disregard for local sentiment is now the norm in most large projects. At Tadadi, which has faced a long line of threats of displacement, the latest struggle is against a proposed 4000 MW coal-fired plant. With Coastal Zone regulators not very attentive to the violations of law, the villagers can rely only on themselves. Sudhirendar Sharma reports.
Jun 17 2006
WOMEN'S RIGHTS
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Whose family, whose land?
Many laws on land ownership are discriminatory, and the ones that do speak of gender justice are largely not implemented. While a few exceptional women have overcome these odds, for most women, land rights remain shackled by state and society alike. Puja Awasthi reports.
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Jun 16 2006
WOMEN SARPANCHS
Thwarting women in power
WOMEN SARPANCHS : Thwarting women in power

Thousands of women in Madhya Pradesh were elected in the last panchayat elections; since then, the story has taken a dismal turn. More than 1,300 women sarpanchs face false charges of corruption. About 50 have been removed from office through forced no-confidence motions. They have been threatened and humiliated. Shuriah Niazi reports.

Jun 15 2006
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Slowing down the suicides
There are several immediate steps both the Centre and the Maharashtra Government could take to ease the situation in Vidarbha. These would not solve the long-term crisis, but would surely slow down the farm suicides that continue to rise, writes P Sainath.
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Jun 14 2006
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
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States unhappy with centralised clearances
Environmental clearances in India have always raised questions, as noted in many reports in India Together. For years now, NGOs have opposed the Ministry of Environment, sometimes bitterly. Last year, the Ministry proposed a 're-engineered' regulation, and found a new opposition - the state governments. Kanchi Kohli has more.
Jun 13 2006
TRANSPARENCY
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RTI law turned on its head
A combination of intimidation and mindless application of the letter of the law threatens to dissuade citizens from putting the RTI Act to use. And politicians are only happy to offer solutions that further dilute the law's purpose. Suman Sahai and Swati Gola note examples from Chhatisgarh that point to the need for a program for rights literacy.
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Jun 12 2006
SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT
From plants to plastics
SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT : From plants to plastics
Plastics have become synonymous with modern life, but are difficult to dispose of and have become a significant source of environmental pollution. Biodegradable plastics are now a possibility, and a shift in India's agricultural biotechnology thrust may help put them to good use, says Vaijayanti Gupta.
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Jun 10 2006
HYDEL POWER
Hydro-power guidelines flawed
HYDEL POWER : Hydro-power guidelines flawed
Recent guidelines from the Ministry of Power encourage private sector participation in the development of large hydro projects. But there is little attention paid to past failures, or the possibility that many of those will recur in new projects too, notes Himanshu Thakkar.
Jun 08 2006
ENVIRONMENT
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The Blue Lady anchors, quietly
Yet another ship with toxic waste has recently beached at Alang, Gujarat. The Blue Lady's owner admits that the ship contains asbestos. But the ship carries neither documents required as per international law, nor a complete inventory of its hazardous wastes, says Gopal Krishna.
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Jun 07 2006
OPINION: THE FANAA BAN
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Whose Gujarat?
The violent assertiveness against Aamir Khan is part of a larger trend, marked by politicians who have instilled the language with idioms of aggression. But as they mobilise to silence the 'other' voices in the Narmada struggle, 'we' lose too, for it is only a short step from here to gagging ourselves, says Himanshu Upadhyaya.
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Jun 05 2006
URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
Monsoon worries once again
URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE : Monsoon worries once again
Seven months after last year's disastrous flooding finally ended, residents in low-lying areas southeast of Bangalore are anxious what this year's monsoon rains will bring. With city authorities yet to tackle the infrastructure problems of the area, many can do little more than hope. Padmalatha Ravi reports.
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Jun 04 2006
PRS LEGISLATIVE BRIEF
Seeds Bill 2004
PRS LEGISLATIVE BRIEF : Seeds Bill 2004
Through registration and certification, the draft law seeks to promote quality seeds. But it's unclear if farmers can meet the standards set for commercial seeds. Controversially, the Bill also permits inspectors to carry out search and seize operations without warrants. M R Madhavan and Kaushiki Sanyal present a legislative brief.
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Jun 03 2006
OPINION: COTTON CRISIS
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The rising import of 'suicides'
What is behind the suicides in Vidarbha? Is it drought or lack of irrigation, like some are saying? Why have over 550 farmers ended their lives in the last season? Many factors -- local and global -- have together pushed farmers to the brink here, notes Jaideep Hardikar , but says that lopsided global cotton trade is one major cause.
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Jun 02 2006
WEAVERS
Reviving the cotton-to-cloth chain
WEAVERS : Reviving the cotton-to-cloth chain
The introduction of centralised spinning mills in British times reduced the economic benefit that farmers and weavers could obtain. But now it is being asked, can decentralised cloth-making revive old livelihoods? Surekha Sule reports.
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Jun 01 2006
CONTROVERSY AROUND GM CROP
Understanding the Bt Cotton maze
CONTROVERSY AROUND GM CROP : Understanding the Bt Cotton maze
The Bt Cotton debate is a vexing one. Proponents praise the technology, while NGOs charge that it has failed farmers and is too risky. Dr Ronald Herring teaches political economy and political ecology at Cornell University and has been studying the transgenic movement in India. He talked with India Together's Subramaniam Vincent.
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May 31 2006
OPINION
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Kashmir: Another view
Women's groups around the country may have held back in the sex scandal in Kashmir because it is embedded in the divided politics of that state. Meanwhile, within Kashmir itself voices that were not heard before are now audible through a women's magazine that was recently launched, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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May 29 2006
OPINION: RECORDING GRIEF
Long distance call
OPINION: RECORDING GRIEF : Long distance call
We visited Barshi-Takli because we heard about a farmer who had killed himself there, and then we found out about another farmer suicide there. We made futile little consoling cluck-clucks with bewildered widow, then a weeping mother. Dilip D'Souza visited grief-stricken families in Vidarbha.
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May 29 2006
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Waiting for 'anna' in Vidarbha
The failure of the banks has seen new kinds of creditors emerge in Vidharbha. Some of these now come in from neighbouring States - with a 'home delivery system' of loans. Many farmers owe money to banks, cooperative societies, input dealers, private lenders, close relatives - and 'anna.' Life is about borrowing from one lender to pay off another, writes P Sainath.