Those Who Sow Hindu Terror Will Reap Muslim Terror
In his column ‘Swaminomics’ in the Times of India, Swaminathan Aiyar, analyses how if not checked quickly Hindu terror will be answered by Muslim terror - a cycle, which won’t be easy to end. This, he says, will impact hugely the countries earned reputation of moderate Muslims who haven’t taken up arms as seen across Western countries. The violence also jeopardises PM Narendra Modi's efforts to project India as a manufacturing hub.
Fifteen years ago, President Bush of the US congratulated India on having 150 million Muslims but no terrorists. That plaudit was an exaggeration, yet it was not unearned. Given the strident rise of militant Islam across the world since 2001, the moderation of India’s Muslims stood out. That moderation owed a lot to strenuous political efforts to check majoritarian violence and persuade minorities that India was their land too. Alas, the rise of lynch mobs could signal the coming end of that phase.
Parsing Murder, Vigilantes and Apologists
In his column for the Telegraph, Mukul Kesavan writes about how Hinduvta has found new ways to normalise violent bigotry. Beginning with calling them statistically insignificant to acknowledging them in passing with no emphasis on the nature of the crime.
The artful suggestion that the sangh parivar‘s campaign against cow slaughter on the one hand, and the lynching of Muslims involved in the cattle trade on the other, are separable projects, is grotesque. It was Narendra Modi’s political campaign against the so-called ‘pink revolution’ during the 2014 general election, and the amping up of this rhetoric by Yogi Adityanath and his vigilante army, that convinced the current crop of freelance cow gundas that they had a licence to kill.
Fifth Column: Wisdom in a Dark Time
In her column, ‘Fifth Column’ in The Indian Express, Tavleen Singh argues that no country needs to be more worried about the rise of Jihadist Islam than India, mainly due to the strong presence of a Muslim population in the country, second largest only to Indonesia. Singh speaks of the turmoil in West Bengal and Kashmir highlighting the need of strong guidance which should come not only from political leaders but religious leaders too.
Most Indians have almost no interest in what happens in other countries, so what happened in Mindanao has barely found mention in our newspapers and news channels. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has been forced to impose martial law on the island because the town of Marawi was taken over by jihadist groups, who did this under ISIS flags. This happened at the end of May and Philippines’ troops are still fighting to get it back. Can something like this happen in India? I believe it has already happened in some districts of the Kashmir Valley and that it can and must be fought and won, but only if we define our values clearly, and do not demean them by trying to imitate exactly those aspects of Islamism that have made it the scourge of our times.
Across the Aisle: 'Shall Not Let Anyone Eat'
In his column, ‘Across the Aisle’ in The Indian Express, P Chidambaram highlights the rampant issues of corruption, leadership and misgovernance in the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. Chidambaram says the Prime Minister had said he would not allow anyone to ‘eat’; if that is true he asks the BJP to explain why they are engaging comfortably with such a party and government?
Meanwhile, the finances of the government are spinning out of control. The total debt at the end of 2017-18 will be Rs 3,14,366 crore, which will be twice as much as the revenue projected at Rs 1,59,363 crore. The state took over the loan of Rs 22,815 crore of the power generation and distribution company (TANGEDCO) that caused the fiscal deficit to soar to a high of 4.58 per cent in 2016-17. The Debt to GSDP ratio has risen to 20.9 per cent. Capital expenditure, as a proportion of total expenditure, has declined in Heath & Family Welfare and in water supply, sanitation and urban development.
How the Indira legacy still drives the Rashtrapati race
In her column for Times of India, Sagarika Ghose writes about the intriguingly amgibuous relationship between the BJP and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Ghose highlights how at the heart of this confusion is BJP’s failure to realise that those who rule with an ‘iron hand’ generally cause havoc.
Ritualistic denunciations of the Emergency aside, there’s growing evidence that Indira Gandhi’s political style is deeply attractive to the contemporary BJP leadership. In fact, BJP president Amit Shah is apparently an admirer of Indira and once even said that a good leader cannot be democratic. The Indira-fication of the presidential elections is perhaps the latest example of how large the former PM’s image looms. The Congress may have chosen Pratibha Patil in its familiar feudal style of rewarding loyalists but when the BJP plucked Ram Nath Kovind out of relative anonymity to be their candidate for Rashtrapati, it was apparent it had the Indira model in mind.
Inside Track: Who Is the Most Democratic of Them All?
In her column ‘Inside Track’ in The Indian Express, Coomi Kapoor writes about dynastic politics that emerged from the Congress and was later aped by multiple parties, guilty of following the same trend. She analyses whether BJP is as democratic in its leadership as it claims to be, with only a powerful handful and the sangh parivar calling the shots.
Amit Shah’s name was announced as party president three years ago in July, well before the actual forum for the election, the national council, gave its stamp of approval. So who actually chose Shah for the post? Prime Minister Narendra Modi, impressed by the organisational skills of his fellow Gujarati that won him the 2014 parliamentary elections. Similarly, in the selection of past BJP presidents, the national council was simply the rubber stamp which ratified the choice. Only the selection process may have differed. Then it was a delicate balancing act between the wishes of the RSS and seniority which decided the names.
Women's Safety Needs Imagination
Is public transport safe for women? In her column in the Hindustan Times, Lalita Panicker analyses the recommendations made on transport and women safety by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy and Safetypin to conclude that a lot more can be done.
Let us take Kerala, supposedly enlightened and educated. A study by Sakhi in 2010 quoted in the draft shows that in Kozhikode, 71% women faced harassment while waiting for public transport while a whopping 69% faced it while using public transport. We only sit up and take notice when this harassment spills over into actual violence like rape. The daily stress and harassment that women in public transport face has become normal now, something we disapprove of but something no one sees fit to tackle.
Gained in Translation: Alice in Predator Land
Are you safe in civilised spaces? In her column ‘Gained in Transaltaion’ in The Indian Express, Vaidehi says you are not. She highlights how nothing much has changed to make commutation safer for girls.
We thought that wild animals exist only in forests. No, we are wrong. Here they roam around in your civilised spaces; on the one hand, rogues and rascals; on the other, culture vultures right before your eyes, the feral creatures hunting down their prey — the clueless girl child, just an object to be used.“Child, be careful!” has become the daily mantra of parents today. Be careful of whom? Of what? She asks no questions, she knows it only too well. Open doors appear to be open but are closed at the other end
It's Been a Momentous Two Decades Indeed
To end this bright Sunday morning on a light note for you, Karan Thapar, in his column ‘Sunday Sentiments’ in the Hindustan Times, writes about the beginning of his column in 1997, 20 years ago. He calls himself a child at heart and says he has written all these years to inform, entertain and rarely preach.
Finally, this Sunday, I want to thank you, my readers, for your loyalty and support. That’s the sole reason why this column has survived for so long. And the day you start turning the page without pausing to read these sentiments I’ll know the end has come.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)