First Advance Warning of 2023-24
In his weekly column for The Indian Express, P Chidambaram has a question for the Finance Minister: How will she address economic woes, born out of persisting inflation, in the Budget for 2023-24?
Drawing on unemployment, consumption and other datasets, he charts out a base that can become the foundation for future policies.
He argues:
“Sops or rhetoric will not lift the economy or alleviate the distress caused by inflation, unemployment and global recession. We need clear policies and determined action. Let’s wait for February 1, 2023.”P Chidambaram
Modi Encouraged India to Dream of Becoming a Developed Country, But We May Not Get There Quickly
"Let me begin by applauding Narendra Modi for an achievement that has not been noticed enough. He has succeeded in selling India the dream of one day becoming a developed country," writes Tavleen Singh for The Indian Express.
But, she is quick to add that Prime Minister Modi has skirted around the country's other identity: a totalitarian one.
There is another detail about developed countries that Modi appears not to have noticed. They do not plaster their streets, airports, and railway stations with pictures of political leaders. This is a practice that is common only in totalitarian countries where the ‘dear leader’ needs to be seen staring sternly out of every nook and cranny so that ordinary people remember that big brother is watching.Tavleen Singh
Indira To Dhankar: Not the First Time The Constitution Is Under Attack
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar's dig at the 'basic structure doctrine' has invited criticism from all quarters, and perhaps rightly so.
Lawyer Prateek Chaddha, in his piece for The Times of India, traces the evolution of this principle and tells us why it is absolutely necessary despite all the apprehensions that the executive recently seems to be casting over it.
"From all of this, it appears fairly clear that the Vice-President's criticism is rather unfounded -- this ignores the fact that it is a commitment to ensure that India will always remain true and strive to achieve the vision of founding mothers and fathers."Prateek Chaddha
What Happens in Davos Stays in Davos
As “ideas, intellectuals and a large caravan of global net worth travel” to the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Shankkar Aiyar, argues that the meeting, although fawned over, is only symbolic.
Writing for The New Indian Express, he points out that the discussions and agreements made at Davos do not have any real-world impact and the decisions made there are never binding.
“Does Davos make a difference? While it may seem that the WEF meetings create quantum change in how the world engages with issues, in reality it is at best a venue which brings issues and people face to face.”Shankkar Aiyar
Joshimath’s Lesson: Don’t ‘Over-Develop’ Himalayas
While many have pointed out that the reason for Joshimath sinking is development, Patralekha Chatterjee, writing for Deccan Chronicle takes a more nuanced look.
She argues that it is not development, but “unsuitable development.” According to her, catering to tourists or pilgrims was never the problem, but doing it without taking the region’s geography, geology, ecology, or climate change, into account was.
“To say this loud and clear is not being anti-development but pro-development as development of the wrong kind in a fragile terrain leads to disasters of the kind we have seen and are seeing, and disasters derail development work.”Patralekha Chatterjee
Freebies and Welfare: Time to Define Critical Difference
Adding to the longstanding debate on freebies, Manish Tewari, in his piece for Deccan Chronicle, hints at a need for defining these “short-term measures.”
Once that is done, he points out, that it becomes evidently clear that these are nothing but “reckless.”
Drawing on state finances and RBI data, he concludes:
“When political parties promise the moon and then rely on borrowings to buy the moon, it gives rise to a vicious cycle of debt accumulation and reckless spending. “Manish Tewari
Two Popes: Mohan Bhagwat’s Feeble Attempts to Reassert Himself
RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat’s latest interview has not been lost on anyone.
While many have analysed each word he said, Bharat Bhushan takes a slightly different approach: he questions its purpose at this juncture, in his piece for Deccan Herald.
And in his reflection, stumbles upon perhaps the perfect answer: losing control to the other ‘pope’ in Delhi – the prime minister.
“The present RSS chief, or Sarsanghchalak, no longer enjoys the moral authority over the government as his predecessors once did. Now, the Prime Minister towers over everyone else in the RSS family of organisations of which he is as much of an éminence grise as Bhagwat," he says.
He adds:
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have made it abundantly clear that Mohan Bhagwat cannot be the sole Pope of Hinduism nor the Nagpur headquarters of the RSS a Hindu Vatican, when a more powerful political Pope sits in New Delhi.”Bharat Bhushan
Something’s Afoot
What is the point of Rahul Gandhi marching on for miles on an end?
Political redemption, says Mukul Kesavan in his piece for The Telegraph, as the Bharat Jodo Yatra enters its latest leg in Punjab.
Kesavan suggests that this journey and the message it is promoting is significant because it is a counter-narrative to the divisive discourse that currently grips the country.
"By turning up and literally walking the walk, Rahul Gandhi seems to have sloughed off (for the moment) his reputation as an entitled, non-doing dynast. Since no one gives him any credit for political intelligence or premeditation, he has cornered the small market for political idealism."Mukul Kesavan
Business of Gifts That Matter
In an unusual take, Ritwik Sharma, in his piece for The New Indian Express, points out the desperate need for innovation in corporate gifting.
Sharma stresses upon the importance of developing a gifting strategy that aligns with the company’s values and moves ahead from the Mugs, T-shirts and mementoes.
In doing this, he hints at a massive untapped market -- businesses that come up with thoughtful gifts:
“This is one space where tradition, culture, creativity, design and usability need to come together to come out with gifts that would delight both the giver and the receiver. Wheels that it would turn would include our traditional artists, designers and creative youth apart from the usual supply chain, technology and marketing folks. Time to gift India a thriving Gifting Economy!”Ritwik Sharma
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