Pragoti is pleased to publish an interview with P Sainath, renowned journalist (rural affairs editor of the The Hindu) and an expert on rural affairs, development and media by V Sivadasan, All India Joint Secretary, SFI. The interview is wide ranging and delves on various issues such as democratisation of the media, media priorities, ethical journalism, alternate media, agrarian reporting - all passionately dwelt by Sainath, one of the most accomplished journalists in the country.

In 1933 Diego Rivera (1886-1957), completed his Detroit Industry fresco cycle. The abundant, controversial work, considered one the twentieth century’s outstanding achievements of monumental art, covers the four walls of the Garden Court in the Detroit Institute of Art. The murals illustrate the dignity of the worker in relation to the history of technology - from its origins in agriculture to the factory floor of a Ford auto plant. The most intriguing aspect of the murals lies hidden within the outline of a gigantic stamping press on the South Wall: the press intimates a resemblance to the Aztec deity Coatlicue - the goddess of creation and destruction. Through the image Rivera suggests that in the 1930s the deity revealed herself, in all
of her contradictions, as technology. The murals present us with the latter’s dual nature - factories and smokestacks, passenger planes and war planes, vaccines and poison gas - implying that technical progress always offers us the choice between self-immolation or an increase in human flourishing. The obvious question that the Detroit Industry fresco cycle poses to us is what would the eminent artist design if asked to do a contemporary version of the murals? How would he depict the tragedy and possibility of a city and country – with a heroic history of activism – that has been steadily crippled by a generation of neoliberal economic policies?

The Israeli regime has now agreed to lift partially the blockade of Gaza: potato chips, mattresses, washing machines, honey – all of which were banned earlier can now enter Gaza. Predictably, the US and EU Governments have welcomed this Israeli step, without questioning the military significance of the earlier banning potato chips. Nor have these leaders of the “civilized world”, continuously teaching the virtues of human rights and democracy to their more “backward brethren” in the global south, questioned what is the military significance of banning Gaza exports and preventing exit of students to study in the West Bank? How do Gaza’s exports affect Israel’s security? How do preventing Gaza students from studying in the West Bank increase its security?

To frustrated Americans who have begun boycotting BP: Welcome to the club. It's great not to be the only member any more!
Does boycotting BP really make sense?  Perhaps not.  After all, many BP filling stations are actually owned by local people, not the corporation itself.  Besides, when you're filling up at a Shell or ExxonMobil station, it's hard to feel much sense of moral triumph. Nonetheless, I reserve my right to drive by BP stations. I started doing it long before this year's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.