"Honestly and with good conscience"

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More than two years after he imposed a moratorium on the commercial release of BT Brinjal, Jairam Ramesh defends his controversial decision says, "On BT Brinjal, I would not say, from my experience that foreign NGOs influenced the decision". His remarks came against the backdrop of the Prime Minister's comments that some NGOs based in the United States and Scandinavian countries were not "fully appreciative" of the development challenges India faces and were creating controversies on issues like GM food. As environment minister, Jairam held public consultations over seven months which saw the participation of 8000 people, wrote 50 letters to scientists across the world, wrote to all chief ministers only to discover the absence of consensus on BT Brinjal. He spoke to CNN-IBN's Rupashree Nanda in Kochi while on a three-day visit to Kerala. Rupashree Nanda: As environment minister, you imposed a moratorium on BT....

Dr Singh, don't MNREGS workers deserve minimum wages?

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Minimum Wage. Fair Wage. Living Wage "Minimum wage" is different from "fair wage". "Minimum wage" and "Fair wage" are different from "Living wage". Since you and I may differ on definitions, the 1967 SC judgment in the Kamani Metals and Alloys v Their Workmen could be a step towards clarity. In the Kamani Metals and Alloys v Their Workmen, the SC said, "It (Minimum Wage) sets the lowest limit below which wages cannot be allowed to sink in all humanity" and must be paid under all circumstances. Whereas, a "fair" wage must be sufficiently high to provide for food, shelter, clothing, medical care and education. A "living" wage, it said, provides for comfort and ability to tide over old age and bad times. In other words, a minimum wage may not be enough for shelter, or clothing or medical care or education. So....

I don't feel threatened: Sharad Pawar

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Union agriculture minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar was slapped by Harvinder Singh as he was returning from a public function on the 24th of November. Pawar admits that some people could be unhappy with his policies but does not take kindly to Anna Hazare's first reaction, 'just one slap'.

Rupashree Nanda: In your long political career spanning more than 45 years would you say this day was one of the most difficult days for you? Sharad Pawar: It is not difficult. It is the first incident I can say in 50 years in public life and 44 years in parliamentary legislative career...this is the first incident. And, one thing, I always keep excellent relationship with everybody. Whether he belongs to opposition side or ruling side it makes no difference for me. There are many instances where I fought with some people, that was a political fight,....

The claim that sparked a row

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The Planning Commission's affidavit in the Supreme Court claiming that Rs 32 in urban areas, and Rs 25 in rural areas is adequate to meet expenditure towards 'food, health and education' has sparked widespread condemnation, disbelief, outrage. There is a division within the planning commission itself with two members making their displeasure evident. At the end of the two-day politburo meet, Prakash Karat has said said that the poverty line is a starvation line and that any caps on social security should be scrapped. Jairam Ramesh, minister of rural development says India's very approach of estimating poverty needs a re-look, adding that he does not agree with caps either. On the 3rd of October, deputy chairman of the planning commission will meet all concerned members, Jairam Ramesh, Aswini Kumar in an attempt to forge a way forward. Meanwhile, Colin Gonsalves, the lawyer who is arguing the....

Arundhati Roy on Binayak Sen bail

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'Little pinholes of light have come out in this judgement' says author and activist Arundhati Roy on the Binayak Sen bail order by the Supreme Court. In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN's Rupashree Nanda, she also says 'democracy is on a very slippery slope in Chhattisgarh'; that it is important to remember several others who are jailed under similar charges under 'undemocratic laws'. Rupashree Nanda: I remember you'd said that the judgement of the Raipur session court was intended to be a message, as a warning to others. What is the message of the Supreme Court bail order? Arundhati Roy: I think that the Supreme Court granting him bail and the comments that were made in court do suggest that somewhere the Supreme Court is of the mind that it was a vindictive judgment and that he does deserve the benefit of....

Aruna Roy on Binayak Sen's release

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Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan founder, Ramon Magsaysay award winner and National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy welcomed the Supreme Court's order to grant bail to Dr Binayak Sen jailed on charges of sedition and called "the good Doctor" an icon of free speech. Rupashree Nanda: MKSS was one of the organisations that strongly protested the conviction and denial of bail by the Supreme Court. What is your first response to the Supreme Court order of granting bail? Aruna Roy: I am very happy, relieved because the Supreme Court has also commented on the sedition aspect of the charge sheet against him and his conviction. It's a great relief to human rights activists all over the country. It's a great fillip for the fight against injustice and gives us hope that the courts will deliver. Basically, it is faith and hope that Indian democracy will deliver. ....

BJP's Ram slams Raman Rajya

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Chhattisgarh High Court will give its order on the bail plea of Dr Binayak Sen and Kolkata businessman Piyush Guha on Thursday, 10th February. Prosecution wound up its arguments on the 9th taking a little over an hour. Ram Jethmalani and Surinder Singh had argued for almost four hours over two days for suspension of sentence earlier in the end of January. Justice T P Sharma, the senior judge in the two bench court was extremely well- versed with the ins and outs of the case and, did give prosecution a few uncomfortable moments. Justice T P Sharma was also the state law secretary when the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act was formulated. On Wednesday, two members from the European Union, one representative of Amnesty International were also present in the court. As we await for the order, this is the complete interview with eminent jurist....

Binayak Sen on Naxal vs state battle

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Dr Binayak Sen's wife Ilina Sen awaits his upcoming bail appeal on January 24, 2011. She says that even animals live in better conditions in their cages than prisoners in high security cells. That Dr Sen only gets his hands on newspapers once they are scissored of 'sensitive news'. That she wants justice, but not of the kind where it took 35 years for the Supreme Court to acknowledge that the Emergency violated fundamental rights of a large number of people. Exactly a month after he was convicted for sedition and sentenced to life, the Chhattisgarh High Court is going to hear the bail plea of Dr Binayak Sen. We go back in time with this interview that was conducted in 2009. It came just a day after the Naxal attack in Gadchiroli, where more than 15 policemen were killed. The doctor and civil rights activist, then out on....

Arundhati Roy on the trial of Binayak Sen

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The Binayak Sen trial has thrown a lot of questions to the civil society which feels the space to dissent within the Indian democracy - prided as the largest in the world - is shrinking. The state has started the trend of bracketing debate and dissent as seditious. Author-activist Arundhati Roy started the recent sedition debate with her statement on Kashmir. Presenting the full text of my interview with Roy after Binayak Sen was sentenced to life for his alleged Maoist links: What was your first reaction when you heard that Binayak Sen and two others have been convicted for sedition and life sentence has been awarded to them? I was not expecting the judgment to be fair but I was taken aback at the extent of the unfairness. In a sense, it seemed as though the evidence produced in the court and the judgment were just....

Why have a Right to Food

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Abhijeet Sen, Member, Planning Commission talks about the many contentious issues surrounding the Right to Food Act. Does India have enough grain, is it willing to pledge resources, or is it simply anxious to limit its commitments. In fact, why have a Right to Food at all? Rupashree Nanda: Sir, the many drafts of the ambitious legislation "Right To Food", have been disappointing. The Planning Commission note is almost a let down. When so little is promised, why have a "Right to Food" at all? What difference will it make? Abhijeet Sen: The immediate reason why it is being considered is because it was part of the Congress party manifesto and also part of the President's speech in Parliament. There is however one very good reason for some kind of legislation in this matter. Over several years, the Supreme Court has been listening and delivering judgments in....