Reclaiming the Republic, and the Constitution
In their column for The Hindu, Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey argue that the political nature of the Hindutva effort is to flatten our multidimensional imagination into a two-dimensional vision of “ourselves” and the rest of the world.
Even the somewhat clichéd messages of “unity in diversity” have gone. It is now one nation, one market, one colour, one language, one election, and, of course, one official religion, they write.
They state that to be Indian was once to be complex, to represent differences. Whenever anyone met an Indian, there was anticipation about the context, culture, nuances of language, food, clothes and cultural choices, which weaved together a vibrant and colourful tapestry. Then why do we rush to follow others who do not have the richness of diversity?
They argue that the ones driving this agenda are attracted by the power and the control that centralisation and identity politics helps exercise.
With Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur, the BJP is co-opting social justice agenda
In his piece for The Indian Express, Satish Deshpande reads the announcement to bestow the Bharat Ratna on the late Karpoori Thakur in light of the grand consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on 22 January.
He argues that the juxtaposition of the two events begs the question -- will the campaign to manufacture (and weaponise) a newly homogenised Hindu identity manage to overcome the hierarchical hatreds of Hindu caste?
He states that though Hindutva find following among upper-caste Hindu votes, it is the lower-caste Hindus who have the electoral numbers. Cobbling together such a majority demands at least a minimally credible rhetoric of implicit equality.
Deshpande writes that the Bharat Ratna to Thakur -- a champion for the backward castes in Bihar -- a is a shrewd move because it is costless and yet offers multiple gains.
New norms for coaching institutes: Are we missing the larger point?
In his piece for The Times of India, former IIT Delhi Director Professor V Ramgopal Rao writes that newly-instated guidelines for coaching institutes, though welcome, need to go beyond symptom treatment to be able to tackle anxiety among students.
He asserts that this could be achieved by increasing the number of seats at coaching institutes five-fold over the next five years through study-now-pay-later schemes, develop effective online programmes, invest in teacher training so that students don't have to rely on supplementary coaching; establishing reporting norms where institutes are mandated to disclose median salaries instead of alluring students with exorbitant placement packages received by a fraction of students; and have a transparent exam process, where emphasis is laid on understanding than speed and the tests are more reflective of real-world problem-solving.
In addition, he writes, it is also important to educate students as well as parents on the diversity of career pathways and highlight success stories of individuals who pursued alternative educational paths and achieved success.
What to look out for in Budget 2024
In her column for The Indian Express, CareEdge Chief Economist Rajani Sinha writes about five key aspects to look out for in the interim Budget, which will be presented in Parliament in the coming week.
India’s general government debt to GDP was at 82 per cent of GDP in 2022-23, which leaves limited scope for productive government spending. Hence, she argues, it is very important that the government continues to focus on fiscal consolidation and move towards a sustainable debt trajectory.
Sinha writes that the ruling BJP dispensation needs to continue its focus on capital expenditure and it needs to spur consumption. While GDP is estimated to grow by a strong 7.3 percent this year (as per advance estimates), consumption growth is estimated at only 4.4 percent. At a time when most economies are struggling with ageing populations, India enjoys a diverse working population, and hence it needs to increase spending on human capital. Lastly, she argues that focussed attention on improving rural health is the need of the hour.
With Ram temple consecration, how BJP has undone Nehru, Ambedkar’s legacy — and damaged the Constitution
In his column for The Indian Express, CPI General Secretary D Raja writes that B R Ambedkar would have been deeply worried at the irreparable impairment done to India's constitutional vision. He argues that the consecration of the Ram Temple by the ruling BJP dispensation is an indicator of the fading away of secularism from the values and tenets mentioned in the Constitution and its Preamble.
He recalls how Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, C Rajagopalachari, and S Radhakrishnan had reached out to the then President of India Rajendra Prasad to not attend the consecration ceremony of Somnath temple.
Nehru had then asserted that lending of state’s legitimacy and subscription to one particular religion would set an unfair and dangerous precedent.
Raja argues that not only has PM Modi paid lip service to Ambedkar's ideals but also decoupled him from his ideas of equality, justice, and emancipation.
America: Return of the Don
In his column for The Times of India, Chidanand Rajghatta writes that Donald Trump is on track for a second term in the White House with his lone-surviving opponent Nikki Haley already being written off and the legacy liberal media, unsure of Biden's prospects, discussing Trump's vice-presidential pick and agenda for his next term.
Trump's critics, including dwindling rivals within the Republican party, are hoping that his legal entanglements result in a conviction or two, and derail his election campaign. They are also hoping that Trump may self-distruct.
But the fear among moderate Republican politicians is such that almost entire leadership of South Carolina -- which is Nikki Haley's home state -- had abandoned her for Trump. However, India has little to fear no matter what the result. In the event of a Trump win, the new government - likely headed by the same leadership - will be spared sermons on human rights and minority treatment that the current dispensation finds tedious.
Reflecting on Bilkis Bano’s resilient pursuit of justice
In her column for The Hindu, Stuti Shah writes how Bilkis Bano's case has been a symbol of resilience and an emblem of the larger struggle for justice for survivors of sexual violence and communal violence.
She states that the apex court’s decision to quash the remission of the convicts not only upholds the integrity of the legal process but also underscores the need for a consistent, impartial application of the law, regardless of the socio-political context.
However, Bano’s case also points out disconcerting inadequacies in our legal and penal systems. In that, despite being behind bars for about 15 years, the convicts in the case showed no signs of remorse upon their release, an evident diversion from Plato's notion of prison as a transformative tool, the principal on which the Indian prison system is based.
'Who wants to be a trillionaire': The game show is nearing its climax
In his column for The Economic Times, Atanu Biswas writes about the billionaires of the world now competing for a spot to become a trillionaire.
Isn't a trillion dollars, or one thousand billion dollars -- a lakh crore dollars -- a mind-boggling sum of money that exceeds the GDP of many countries? It may be used to purchase all shares of McDonald's, PepsiCo, and Coca-Cola, and still have billions left over to buy Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich - the world's top six football teams, he argues.
Biswas recalls that it was in 2017 that American billionaire Mark Cuban predicted that the first trills will be entrepreneurs working with Artificial Intelligence or AI. According to a new Oxfam's Inequality Inc. report, the world might witness its first trillionare within a decade. And it's predicted that Elon Musk will likely be the first trill by 2032, if his fortunes keep growing at the same rate.
We can never be woke enough
In her column for The Hindu, Sunalini Mathew talks about how to best represent the thoughts and ideas of minorities -- people, whether from the LGBTQAI+ communities, immigrants, or even those disabled in some way.
She writes that though the powerful have a PR, it is the under-represented that have powerful voices that are often muzzled or simply ignored. She argues that first and foremost, minorities need to be sought out.
Whether by speaking to these communities during a flood, or by tapping into their identities as, say, parents or professionals, we draw them into the mainstream, we help create safe spaces along the highways, so no one is forced to crouch in the alleys. The more we see and hear of ‘them’, the more ‘they’ become ‘us’, and isn’t that what we want? To be surrounded by People Like Us?
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