FRONTLINE - June 5, 2020

In this issue

DANGERS OF DENIAL

How Not To Handle An Epidemic

The lockdowns were meant to buy time to put in place appropriate health measures and contain the coronavirus’ spread, but they have failed to achieve the objective and heaped immense misery on the marginalised sections of society. India is still in the exponential phase of the COVID-19 infection and community transmission is a reality that the government refuses to accept.

9 mins

An empty package

The Modi regime, which has been unable to control the COVID-19 infection, restore economic activity and provide relief to millions exposed to starvation, trains its sights on Indian democracy, making use of the panic generated by fear and a lockdown that forecloses paths of resistance.

10+ mins

No love lost for labour

Taking advantage of the lockdown and the inability of workers to organise protests, many State governments introduce sweeping changes to labour laws to the detriment of workers on the pretext of reviving production and boosting the economy.

8 mins

Capital's Malthusian moment

In a world that needs substantial reorienting of production and distribution, Indian capital is resorting to a militant form of moribund neoliberalism to overcome its current crisis. In this pursuit of profit, it is ready and willing to throw into mortal peril millions whom it adjudicates as not worth their means—an admixture of social Darwinism born of capital’s avarice and brutalism spawned by Hindutva. .

10+ mins

Waiting for Jabalpur moment

The Supreme Court’s role in ensuring executive accountability during the ongoing lockdown leaves much to be desired. Standing in shining contrast is the record of some High Courts.

10+ mins

Understanding migration

When governments and their plans are found to be blatantly wanting in addressing reverse migration, exercises such as the Ekta Parishad’s survey of migrant workers throughout India can be useful to work out creative long-lasting solutions.

10 mins

Tragedy on foot

As the COVID-19-induced lockdown cuts the ground beneath their feet in Tamil Nadu, thousands of migrant workers are trudging along the highway to the relative safety of their upcountry homes.

10+ mins

New worries

Kerala’s measured approach to the pandemic and lockdown has yielded results. But it still has to grapple with their huge economic impact on its economy, which it feels the Centre’s special financial relief package does little to alleviate.

9 mins

Sarpanchs as game changers

Odisha manages to keep COVID-19 well under control because of the strong participation of panchayati raj institutions and the community at the grass-roots level under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

7 mins

Scapegoating China

As the COVID-19 death rate spikes and the economy tanks in the United States, Donald Trump and his advisers target China and the World Health Organisation with an eye to winning the forthcoming presidential election.

10 mins

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FRONTLINE Magazine Description:

India's National Magazine.

Frontline, the fortnightly English magazine from the stable of The Hindu, has been a distinguished presence in the media world for the past 27 years. As per the Indian Readership Survey (IRS) Q4, Frontline’s average issue readership is 152000. Its journalism is characterised by in-depth, insightful reporting and analysis of issues and events at the regional, national and international levels. It excels in long-form journalism. The topics Frontline covers range from politics, economics and social issues to the environment, nature, culture and cinema. Its cover stories are comprehensive. No other magazine reports world affairs as exhaustively as Frontline does. Its science coverage has won international acclaim. Intellectually stimulating books reviews and informative, exciting photo features are regular items on the Frontline menu. The magazine has remained particularly focussed on people's concerns and has therefore refused to accept uncritically the policies and programmes of successive governments. It has fought, and supported the battles against, social evils. Its fact-based, non-sensational stories with a strong human interest component have had an impact on decision-making at regional and national levels. In the process it has become a "compulsory read" for those who value truthful reporting and analysis. An important factor that sets Frontline apart from other magazines is its progressive orientation: it is unflinchingly secular, democratic and pro-people. Naturally, it has built up a loyal, intelligent and socially conscious readership