Cover Story
Ascendant Left
West Bengal: Left sweep
Poet in disguise
Interview: Jyoti Basu
Clear choice in Kerala
A cannon's tale
Interview: V.S. Achuthanandan
Left in government
Minority government in Tamil Nadu
Towards an alternative
Pondicherry for Congress
Coalition in Assam

Controversy

Budhia Singh's feat

Sardar Sarovar Project
Dubious record

Space
Deal with NASA

Religion
Islam and reform

World Affairs
Sri Lanka: Straining ceasefire
Sudan: Unwieldly peace
Beijing is game
An alliance to contain China
Bolivia: Nationalising natural resources

Travel
Golden heritage of Myanmar

Reports
UNICEF on malnutrition in children

Business
Tatas' African ventures

Terrorism
Gujarat: Breeding ground

Extremism
Naxalite backlash in Chhattisgarh

Essay
The U.S. will to war

Column
C.P. Chandrasekhar: Fear of an Asian challenge
Praful Bidwai: Policy lessons from the polls
R.K. Raghavan: CIA in a ferment
Bhaskar Ghose: Areas of darkness
Jayati Ghosh: Economy myths and reality

Update
Orissa: Rehabilitation and resentment

Books
A Tirupur story
review by Karin Kapadia
Narcotics and empire
review by Biswamoy Pati
A heroic soldier
review by A.G. Noorani
Silent spectator
review by A.G. Noorani

Also
The English Language
Letters