Praful Bidwai
Encyclopedia
Praful Bidwai is an India
n journalist
, political analyst, and activist.
Bidwai's journalistic career spans four decades. His first notable work in journalism was as a columnist for the "Economic and Political Weekly", beginning in 1972. He then worked for magazines and newspapers including "Business India", "Financial Express" and "The Times of India" between 1981 and 1993, eventually becoming its Senior Editor. He was "The Times group's" most published journalist for 20 years, writing analytical and investigative articles on themes including politics and political economy; economic policy and industrialisation strategies; international relations; energy, the environment and sustainable development; religion, ethnicity and politics; social conflict, communalism and nationalism; science and technology; and nuclear weapons disarmament and peace..
Bidwai is currently a columnist whose articles are published regularly in the Hindustan Times
, Frontline
, Rediff.com
, and other outlets. He has also been published in The Guardian (London), The Nation (New York), Le Monde Diplomatique (Paris), and Il Manifesto (Rome).
In July 2011
, US authorities confirmed that Bidwai supported and attended many Pakistan
i ISI
funded anti-India events in the US hosted by illegal Pakistani lobbyist Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai
, who has since been arrested.
with anti-Imperialist moorings. He helped found the Movement in India for Nuclear Disarmament]] (MIND), based in New Delhi
, is a member of the International Network of Engineers and Scientists against Proliferation, and is one of the leaders of the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, India. Along with Achin Vanaik, Bidwai is the author of New Nukes: India, Pakistan and Global Nuclear Disarmament (Interlink, 1999). In 2000, Bidwai and Vanaik were awarded the Sean McBride International Peace Prize by the International Peace Bureau
in recognition of their work opposing nuclear weapons development in South Asia
. Praful Bidwai is a fellow of the Transnational Institute
.
South Asia on a Short Fuse. Nuclear Politics and the Future of Global Disarmament, with Achin Vanaik (Oxford UP, 1999)
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n journalist
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, political analyst, and activist.
Journalist and columnist
Praful Bidwai is an Leftist political analyst and commentator, a social science researcher, and an activist on issues of peace, global justice, human rights and environmental protection.Bidwai's journalistic career spans four decades. His first notable work in journalism was as a columnist for the "Economic and Political Weekly", beginning in 1972. He then worked for magazines and newspapers including "Business India", "Financial Express" and "The Times of India" between 1981 and 1993, eventually becoming its Senior Editor. He was "The Times group's" most published journalist for 20 years, writing analytical and investigative articles on themes including politics and political economy; economic policy and industrialisation strategies; international relations; energy, the environment and sustainable development; religion, ethnicity and politics; social conflict, communalism and nationalism; science and technology; and nuclear weapons disarmament and peace..
Bidwai is currently a columnist whose articles are published regularly in the Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
, Frontline
Frontline (magazine)
Frontline is a fortnightly English language magazine published by The Hindu Group of publications from Chennai, India. Narasimhan Ram is the editor-in-chief of the magazine. As a current affairs magazine, it covers domestic and International news. Frontline gives a prominent place to various...
, Rediff.com
Rediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
, and other outlets. He has also been published in The Guardian (London), The Nation (New York), Le Monde Diplomatique (Paris), and Il Manifesto (Rome).
In July 2011
July 2011
July 2011 was the seventh month of the current year. It began on a Friday and ended after 31 days on a Sunday.- Portal:Current events :This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from July 2011....
, US authorities confirmed that Bidwai supported and attended many Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i ISI
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
funded anti-India events in the US hosted by illegal Pakistani lobbyist Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai
Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai
Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai is an American citizen of Kashmiri origin, from Indian-administered Kashmir, who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on July 19, 2011 for allegedly working secretly for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence to lobby and influence the U.S. government on the...
, who has since been arrested.
Peace activism
Bidwai is also a veteran peace activistPeace activist
This list of peace activists includes people who proactively advocate diplomatic, non-military resolution of political disputes, usually through nonviolent means.A peace activist is an activist of the peace movement.*Jane Addams*Martti Ahtisaari...
with anti-Imperialist moorings. He helped found the Movement in India for Nuclear Disarmament]] (MIND), based in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, is a member of the International Network of Engineers and Scientists against Proliferation, and is one of the leaders of the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, India. Along with Achin Vanaik, Bidwai is the author of New Nukes: India, Pakistan and Global Nuclear Disarmament (Interlink, 1999). In 2000, Bidwai and Vanaik were awarded the Sean McBride International Peace Prize by the International Peace Bureau
International Peace Bureau
International Peace Bureau is the world's oldest international peace federation. It was founded in 1891, and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1910....
in recognition of their work opposing nuclear weapons development in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. Praful Bidwai is a fellow of the Transnational Institute
Transnational Institute
Transnational Institute is an international think tank for progressive politics. It was established in 1973 in Amsterdam and serves as a network for scholars and activists...
.
Books
- "An India That Can Say Yes: A Climate-Responsible Development Agenda for Copenhagen and Beyond" (Heinrich Boell Foundation, New Delhi, 2009)
South Asia on a Short Fuse. Nuclear Politics and the Future of Global Disarmament, with Achin Vanaik (Oxford UP, 1999)
-
- In the US, the book has been published as New Nukes. India, Pakistan and Global Nuclear Disarmament (Interlink Publishing: USA, 1999)
- Testing Times. The Global Stake in a Nuclear Test Ban, with Achin Vanaik (Dag Hammerskjöld Foundation: Uppsala, 1996)
- Religion, Religiosity and Communalism, with Harbans MukhiaHarbans MukhiaHarbans Mukhia is an Indian historian whose principal area of study is medieval India.- Biography :He received his Bachelors in Arts in history in 1958 from Delhi University and then earned his doctorate from Department of History, Delhi University in 1969...
and Achin Vanaik (South Asia Books, 1996) - India Under Siege. Challenges Within and Without, with Muchkund Dubey, Anuradha Chenoy and Arun Ghosh (South Asia Books, 1995)
Selected articles
- ""Atoms for Peace: A Failed Promise" In: Survey of the Environment '99, The Hindu, 1999
- "India's Nuclear Daze. The Domestic Politics of Nuclearization" (With Achin Vanaik) In: Testing the Limits, TNI/IPS Amsterdam/Washington, August 1998
- "Nuclear India: A Short History" In: Out of Nuclear Darkness. The Indian Case for Disarmament, MIND (Movement in India for Nuclear Disarmament), New Delhi, 1998
- "Communalism and the Democratic Process in India" (With Achin Vanaik) In: Jochen Hippler (eds). The Democratisation of Disempowerment TNI/Pluto Press, 1995
- "India and Pakistan" (With Achin Vanaik) In: Security with Nuclear Weapons New York, Oxford University Press, 1991
External links
- Biographical notes
- Biographical information from the Transnational InstituteTransnational InstituteTransnational Institute is an international think tank for progressive politics. It was established in 1973 in Amsterdam and serves as a network for scholars and activists...
- Archive of articles from rediff.com
- IPS Praful Bidwai’s contributions to the news agency Inter Press Service