Across the Aisle: Economic Reforms: Act I, Scene I
In his column for The Indian Express, ‘Across the Aisle’, P Chidambaram writes of the economic reforms of 1991 initiated by the PV Narsimha Rao government. He asseses the role of major players in the devaluation, including Dr Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister, S Venkitaramanan as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Dr C Rangarajan as Deputy Governor of RBI. Looking back at the intervening 25 years, he argues that while there have been some achievements, India’s inability to build government’s capacity in taxation and delivery of goods and services still leaves much to be desired.
The public reaction to the first ‘correction’ was muted, but the ‘establishment’ developed cold feet. Narasimha Rao wanted the second step scrapped, but the wily Dr Rangarajan made himself ‘unavailable’ to telephone calls from Delhi (there were no mobile phones), most probably with the concurrence of Dr Manmohan Singh! Thus began, with a bang, what is universally acknowledged as a new era in the economic history of India.
Swamy Plays Spoiler as Modi Woos Diaspora
Subramanian Swamy’s demand to sack Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian since he holds a green card and has made ‘anti-India’ remarks in international conventions has been criticized by Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar in his column ‘Swaminomics’ for The Times of India. Arguing that globalization has erased narrow identity notions, Swamy lists down Non-Resident Indians who have done exemplar work in their chosen field like Amartya Sen to argue that it is insulting to expect the world’s best minds to toe the Indian government line.
It is disgraceful for Swamy to question the patriotism of Indians who have US green cards, have worked for foreign organisations, or have criticized Indian government policies in foreign forums. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, a green card holder, has often castigated Indian policies and worked for agencies like the World Bank. Is he unpatriotic and unfit to advise India?
India’s NSG Attempt Was Well Worth the Risk
Indian diplomacy is generally about playing it safe, but it needs to take well calculated risks to further its own interests like it did with an attempt to obtain membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group in the last week, argues Chanakya in his column for the Hindustan Times. Knowing full well that securing membership in the restrictive technology council would be tricky, Chanakya lauds Prime Minister Modi’s perchance for taking risk in diplomacy; especially when the stakes are high.
The country must seek to influence the making of the rules that govern the world, or find its economy and security potentially compromised. Which is why it makes sense to try and get a seat at the high table of organisations like the NSG rather than being satisfied only with being passively accepted by their existing membership. There is always a difference between being allowed to use a restricted parking lot and being on the committee that decided who gets the parking stickers. In world affairs, multiply the impact by about a zillion.
Out of My Mind: Making History
A referendum is a strange process to gather consensus, but Britain’s vote to leave the European Union has not only shocked the world, but is a deeply divisive and irreversible decision, argues Lord Meghnad Desai in his column ‘Out of My Mind’ for The Indian Express. Furthermore, he writes that with Brexit, not only is the existence of European Union threatened, but the unity of United Kingdom is also under question with Scotland demanding a new Scottish referendum.
The notion that joining a multi-country union is loss of independence is hard to credit. But ultimately that is the message the people have given. They were worried about what they saw as mass immigration from within EU which could not be stopped as free movement of labour is a basic principle of the EU. The EU seemed remote with its technical jargon about institutions, policies and regulations.
European Union: The Unfinished Project
Uniting Europe has been a project with roots as far back as in Ancient Greece, argues Aakar Patel in his column in The Asian Age. Starting from Julius Caesar, there have been many who have in their own ways attempted to unify Europe, including German tribals, Christianity, Protestantism and Adolf Hitler. The European Union, Patel argues, is the latest instance of a historical unification project in Europe.
The project of a united Europe, from Charlemagne to the EU, has constantly been made and remade and the causes have been varied: military expansion, religion and trade. The national borders have changed many, many times and so have the languages. Britain’s exit is only the latest episode in this long history.
Raghuram Rajan’s Departure Is Hardly a Surprise
In his column for the Hindustan Times, Karan Thapar argues that given the political jibes directed at Raghuram Rajan, without any censure from the Prime Minister, Rajan’s exit is not a surprising development. Giving the example of Mark Carney, the Canadian governor of the Bank of England, who spoke against Brexit despite criticism, Thapar argues that if the Indian government keeps meting out shabby treatment to its best and brightest economics and academics, it would be difficult for them to recruit Indians living abroad.
Now, intelligent people who speak well will be asked their opinion and it will matter when they speak out. Dr Rajan knew this and he wasn’t scared or shy to answer questions even if, at times, they were awkward or required careful handling. So, not surprisingly, he spoke about the rising tide of intolerance or the unrealistic euphoria surrounding India’s economic exceptionalism.
Brexit Is Only the Tip of Euroscepticism
In the aftermath of Brexit, there have been calls of referenda in France and Netherlands indicating that suspicion of European Protocols is widespread and deeply entrenched in the Union, writes Ashok Malik in The Asian Age. Furthermore, he argues that this sentiment of Euroscepticism has always been in existence. It has taken the form of a populist feeling after the 2008 economic crisis and the recent influx of Syrian refugees in the continent.
It is understandable that Britons — at least a section of Britons and Londoners — may be pinning hopes on a “compromise” or some manner of “renegotiation” of the EU-UK compact. However, EU leaders themselves, as well as governments in Paris and Berlin, the bedrock of the EU project, will be less than willing. The desire will be for an expeditious cutting off of the UK and the demonstration of a secession that is economically painful. This, it is felt, will deter those voices in other parts of Europe that are calling for individual countries to rethink their EU commitments.
Thin Edge: Signals From 50 Years Ago: An Encounter With Encounters
Leafing through the pages of old issues of the CIA-funded, centre of Left magazine ‘Encounter’, Ruchir Joshi writes in The Telegraph of how history can provide solace in the frenzied present; where news is dominated by end-of-time announcements such as Brexit, Orlando massacre and Donald Trump. Looking forward to 50 years later, he writes that it might be that many of our current fears and triumphalism be reduced to absurdities, especially since issues covered in 1961 in the ‘Encounter’ seem wpefully dated and amusing to read in 2016.
In the short passage of days that began with the massacre at Orlando, that saw the Trump juggernaut picking up further momentum, and ended with Britain voting to leave the EU, phrases like ‘the end of civilization as we know it’ have been bandied about all over the internet. Randomly thumbing through the half-century-old issues of Encounter makes one hesitate to join the chorus of Armagotterdamerungians. Here, the Berlin Wall has just been put up, here the brinksmanship of the Cuban Missile Crisis has just ended with the world still (by a hair’s breadth) intact, here there is a huge debate whether and why Britain should ‘join Europe’.
How I Fall in Love With Nurses, and Other Deep Thoughts
Gazing at geraniums, Ruskin Bond in his column ‘Musings from the Mountains’ in The Times of India wonders over the difference between contemplation and meditation. Furthermore, he reminisces about his encounter with a nurse in a hospital, and how it led him to fall in love with a school nurse among unromantic things like an elderly matron and an unfortunate case of mumps.
It’s so easy to fall in love with a nurse. The gentle touch that most of them possess, and their patience with human frailty and vulnerability wins our gratitude and respect. And they look so smart in their clean white uniforms. As a patient, I was often falling in love with nurses. Some 15 years ago, the local mission hospital had some difficulty in sending me home, although I had fully recovered from minor surgery. I had been well and truly smitten by one of the nurses, and I kept delaying my departure, complaining of vague aches and pains and fevers.
From The Quint:
Tharoor on Brexit: Dangers of Rule by Emotions and Referendum
Brexit Camp’s Win Is the Victory of Feelings Over Facts
Why a Brexit-type Referendum Is a Bad Idea to Replicate in India
Why Are Swamy – and His Antics – Not Being Put To Check?
Why I Don’t Care If Salman Khan Apologises for His Rape Comment
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