Articles by V Krishna Ananth

Many political leaders and intellectuals have criticised the Anna Hazare campaign on the Lokpal Bill for being anti-democratic and anti-political. But when the political class as a whole has failed to tackle corruption, a campaign that seeks to have a law enacted that will put in place a powerful watchdog is indeed an exercise in democratic politics and within the framework of the Constitution. The critics also forget their history - the 1974 Navnirman movement of Gujarat and the JP movement of 1974-75 were both against corruption.

The Justice Liberhan Commission on the demolition of the Babri Masjid has not only taken 17 years to state the self-evident, it has also, in many respects, submitted a report that is replete with errors both of commission and omission. It has absurdly blamed the Muslim leadership for the demolition and has been completely silent about the role of the Congress Party.

A report on the events leading to the incidents inside the Madras High Court on 19 February when the police went on a rampage. Was the police action driven by motives other than to preserve "law and order"? There are important issues that the Bar also must ponder over - including on how it takes decisions affecting the lawyer community and the work of the courts. But the police action last week was inexcusable and damages the Constitutional scheme of things.

An alliance featuring the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Left Front and motley political parties cannot be termed a viable alternative to the two dominant parties, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, or even as a "third front". That is because most parties in this front have forged the grouping on the basis of plain opportunism. Only a viable democratic socialist alternative envisioned and led by a left that has been suitably transformed can emerge as a platform for change.

Few can defend the demise of the Lalu Yadav raj, but it would be ahistorical to celebrate the victory of the Nitish Kumar-led alliance. The latter has won by participating in a "social-engineering" process, that seeks not empowerment of the lower castes but a reworking of the socio-political agenda to ensure that the upper castes regain their hold on the political establishment by co-opting individual leaders from among the backward castes and even accord them positions of prime importance. And this time the "others" in society - the OBCs and the dalits -will not give up their rights without a fight.