The dramatic political developments that unfolded in Maharashtra in the second fortnight of November, leading to the swearing-in of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Congress government on the evening of November 28, reflected multiple trends in contemporary Indian politics which are bound to have substantive short- and medium-term implications. Their long-term impact depends on the manner in which the political players from different sides respond to and engage with them.
Indeed, the early acts of the political drama were on show immediately after the announcement of the elections to the State Assembly on October 24, when the Shiv Sena reminded its senior pre-election partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), about the 50:50 power-sharing formula that was agreed upon way back in May 2019. It was the political jousting on this demand that prevented the formation of a Ministry for nearly a month after the announcement of the results. But the twists, turns and aggravation that the political drama acquired between November 22 and 28 were such that it brought to the fore many facets of Indian democracy, from the despicable and deplorable political machinations, blatantly undermining constitutional morality and misusing various offices of power, including that of the topmost administrative functionaries of the country and the State, to the noteworthy interventions by sections of the judiciary to the spirited resistance put up by one of the senior-most opposition leaders of the country, NCP president Sharad Pawar, to the subversion of democratic norms and systems.
Denne historien er fra December 20, 2019-utgaven av FRONTLINE.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 20, 2019-utgaven av FRONTLINE.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. .
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.
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.
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.
