The Chronology of Subterfuge on Amending the FCRA
Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi admitted on live TV that the repealed FCRA 1976 was amended retrospectively to save BJP and Congress from prosecution. The…
Writing
Columns, essays and commentary by Professor Chhokar.
2018
Simultaneous Elections: Striking at the Roots of Parliamentary Democracy
It has become an article of faith with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that elections must be held concurrently to the Lok Sabha and the…
Encounters as state policy?
How Some States are Subverting the Rule of Law to Drop Criminal Cases Against Politicians
The spate of withdrawal of pending criminal cases against politicians in UP, Rajasthan, MP and Kerala in recent months points at the overpowering stranglehold…
Hidden in Budget 2018, Blatant Subterfuge on Political Funding
The proposed amendment to the already repealed FCRA 1976, tucked away in the last page of the Finance Bill, is akin to trying to…
Jaitley’s Electoral Bonds Are Proof That Political Parties Are Sovereign in India and Not the People
Political parties are often able to exercise supreme power with impunity, even while blatantly defying statutory authorities. A dictionary defines ‘sovereignty’ as “the quality…
Much Ado About Nothing: Electoral Bonds and an Unapologetic Lack of Transparency
The new scheme to buy electoral bonds seeks to ‘cleanse the system of political funding’, but without revealing the names of donors. The day…