Just how democratic is 'the world's biggest democracy'? It's a question millions of Indians must be asking in the wake of their election.
The far right BJP government campaigned on its record of privatisation, economic 'liberalisation' and Hindu chauvinism. It was soundly beaten by the Indian National Congress - which claimed to champion the poor who had been left out of the 'economic miracle'.
Review of 'The Majestic', director Frank Darabont
In the US in the 1950s thousands of actors, film-makers, writers and technicians had their lives and livelihoods destroyed by an anti-Communist witchhunt. In an atmosphere of mutual suspicion, many of those accused of Communist sympathies named their friends in order to avoid being blacklisted themselves. The studios willingly joined the frenzy, passing on the names of longstanding staff who then had to face the inquisition. Hollywood's cooperation with the show trials has been a shame from which it has tried to make amends on many occasions. 'The Majestic' is its latest attempt.
Linton Kwesi Johnson spoke to Yuri Prasad about poetry, music and the fight against racism.
What was it like to be a poet and a black political activist in the 1970s? How did the two come together and what kind of issues did you take up?
I came to poetry via politics. I discovered black literature as a consequence of my involvement in the Black Panther movement. We never came across any black literature or literature about blacks at school. When we did history--we did British history, we never did anything about slavery.
