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Surely, comrades, you don’t want Jones back?
Unless introduced as a moral story in middle school, it is unlikely that anyone would have read Animal Farm merely as a fairytale. It is only natural to explore the milieu of the writer, especially if critically acclaimed as in this case, and the context in which he situated the story before picking up a classic. Such an attempt here would reveal that it was a political satire that George Orwell wrote, taking a stab at the political environment in Russia at the time. His attempt was much discouraged since the British media during the time, unquestioningly, almost servilely, supported Russia and whatever it stood for; Russia was an ally to Britain in the war and was strictly not to be upset. To give some context, the book was written by the end of 1943, but wasn’t published till August 1945. What’s worse, the Russian viewpoint was supported and publicized uncritically, as it were, even without the influence of the British government or any pressure groups. “At th...
Promises, Power Play, and Politics; Who Will Deliver?
It has been found that a farm plot smaller than 0.63 hectare does not provide enough income to stay above the poverty line. About 319 lakh agricultural households, average of five members each, have a land holding of 0.01-0.4 hectare, another 331 lakh have less than 1 hectare. The national average monthly household income for farmers in India is Rs. 10,218. To put it in perspective, it is perhaps less than what an average salaried urban citizen spends on wants, not even needs , every month. According to a 2015 study by the eminent agricultural economist Ramesh Chand, Odisha and West Bengal are worse at a farm income of Rs. 5000-6000 per household per month. And yet it’s only the farmers from Punjab protesting for MSP. All the others—mere spectators—from the rest of the country sit and watch, but in the event that MSP does come through, all will reap the reward without even as much as having lifted a little finger. Merely tweaking MSPs will not provide a sustainable solution...
Will it offer any solace: staring at the ceiling— fighting the tear that will soon annoy my ear, and the other one aiming for the pillow? Fight I also people, shooting statements like, “You don’t understand ,” or “You don’t know.... ” Come to think of it, do I know... where it’s going— can I explain... what’s happening, do I know how to stop, if not reverse, the decay?
