All Black or White
Congress leader P Chidambaram, in his column for The Indian Express, deciphers the Black and White papers presented by the Congress and BJP-led government in the Parliament, respectively. Dissecting the two papers, he called Congress' Black paper 'one-sided' while the government's White paper was 'too white,' blacking out many achievements by UPA government. The big difference he writes, was how UPA scored big on the average GDP growth rate over the 10 years as compared to NDA.
"One would have expected that a White paper at the end of BJP's 10-year-rule would be on its tenure but, surprisingly, it was on the UPA's tenure between 2004 and 2014. The White paper's purpose was to paint those 10 years in a single colour — black — but it brought into the discussion the achievements of the UPA as well."P Chidambaram for The Indian Express
Caught in Mumbai, a Spy Who Came in From China
Writing for the Hindustan Times, journalist and author Karan Thapar comments on the pigeon held by Mumbai police for eight months on the suspicion of being an avian agent. He opines that even though some find the situation 'ludicrous,' there has been a history of avian espionage, especially during the World War 1 and 2, wherein they were deployed pigeons with "cameras strapped onto their chests."
"But as I sit by the window and discern the twittering of pigeons, I can’t quite help but feel as if I’m under scrutiny. Could this be how our dear government knows what I’m up to? The pigeons are often on the window ledge and I’m not sure it’s only to leave their droppings behind. Their little eyes stare inward and I suspect they’ve taken in a lot more than they’ve deposited."Karan Thapar for Hindustan Times
Listen to the Farmers
For her 'Fifth Column' in The Indian Express, author Tavleen Singh urges the State to pay heed to the ongoing farmers' protests, stating that almost nothing has changed for the farmers in the villages in BJP's regime. Singh also pointed out attempts by news channels and BJP's 'social media warriors' to trivilise the protests, while she asks: "How does this help? What is even the point of all this?"
"The Prime Minister never tires of telling us in nearly every speech he makes that there is a special place in his heart for farmers. But the last time they sat in protest on the borders of Delhi, he did not bother to meet them to express sympathy and understanding. Instead, he let the protests go on for more than a year and then suddenly withdrew the farm laws that caused the protest."Tavleen Singh for The Indian Express
On Electoral Bonds, a Short-Lived Celebration
In this piece for the Hindustan Times, Milan Vaishnav takes on the Supreme Court's recent judgment of striking down the electoral bonds. Referring to it as the 'blow struck against an Orwellian form of transparency' associated with electoral bonds. As he presents different views on what the order means, Vaishnav asks a pertinent question: "What are the implications of this stunning development for the coming general elections and beyond?"
"In the short term, the SC’s decision is a moral blow to the ruling party. But given the opportunity to frame a new regime for political funding, it can yet snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The party’s 2024 election manifesto could pledge to enact new rules which mandate that all political contributions — irrespective of size — be processed digitally, ending cash contributions once and for all."Milan Vaishnav for Hindustan Times
MSP Procurement Need Not Be an All or Nothing Intervention
In her piece for The Times of India, Associate Professor at Ashoka University, Mekhala Krishnamurthy lays down that farmers of Punjab and Haryana are rising to demand a guaranteed MSP on the basis of a half-century long experience of post-harvest public procurement at MSP rates. Additionally, she writes how some states have made use of the centre's decentralised procurement scheme to introduce and expand MSP coverage and that MSP procurement need not be seen as antithetical to the functioning of dynamic agricultural markets.
"World over, farmers place demands for fair and remunerative prices for agricultural produce on their governments. In this regard, the farmer unions are doing their part. A meaningful response from policymakers must first begin with much greater humility and a spirit of understanding. But the question of MSP also deserves far greater conceptual clarity and then a much more ambitious, co-operative, calibrated and agile approach."Mekhala Krishnamurthy for The Times of India
Loose Ends
Writing for the Telegraph India, researcher and columnist Asim Ali takes the case of the whittled down INDIA bloc. He posits that the complications around seat-sharing arrangements are somewhat understandable, however, less excusable is the coalition's inability to articulate any shared political programme or a clear governance agenda as we approach the precipice of the election.
"INDIA does not appear to pass the smell test of a coherent historical bloc because it emits a plethora of discordant noises, not the singular melody of a well-tuned orchestra. There are no shared friend-enemy distinctions providing a convergent axis of popular mobilisation, or a coherent political project based on an underlying conceptual unity built on evolving socio-economic dynamics."Asim Ali for Telegraph India
Govts a Continuum: Modi, Nehru Face-off Ill-Advised
In this piece for the Asian Age, former Diplomat and writer Pavan K Varma states that absolute comparisons in politics between personalities like Modi and Nehru does more harm than good. While laying down strengths and weaknesses of both the leaders, he writes that when it comes Nehru, "to paint him entirely with a black brush — as some overzealous spokesmen of the BJP do — is a superficial display of ignorance, sycophancy and bias."
"Today, it is all about 'Modi ki guarantee,' where the BJP is not even mentioned. Such a strong emphasis on one leader thrives on absolute obeisance, and summarily deals with those who are even suspected of falling short of it. The combined Opposition also alleges — not without substance — that under Mr Modi’s watch, autonomous institutions have become handmaidens of the government, relentlessly targeting the Opposition and others who don’t fall in line, while whitewashing those very Opposition leaders when they defect to the BJP."Pavan K Varma for the Asian Age
Why Rahul Gandhi’s Politics Is That of the BSP
Author and writer Suraj Yengde in his column 'Dalitality' for The Indian Express juxtaposes BSP and Congress to establish that their wars are against similar issues even though they differ in their methods. Yengde, further posits that Congress has followed Kanshi Ram's steps in their recent take on caste census, demanding representation to SC, ST and OBCs, among other issues, adding that there are savant Dalit leaders currently at the helm of the new Congress.
"Rahul Gandhi's mind has been shaped in recent years in the company of these few Dalit minds. Barring Kharge, the rest of them do not have a public face yet but they are shaping the party's direction, making it an Ambedkarite impulse with Buddhist ethics. Rahul's politics is BSP and his thoughts are Bahujan-waad. He may adorn the attire of the majority, but his sensibility is approachable."Suraj Yengde for The Indian Express
If Only We Knew That We Are All Still Slaves
Journalist Ranjona Banerji in this column for the Deccan Chronicle writes how she grew up in an India where 'Dharna, gherao, michil, juloos, chakka jam' were everyday words for her, across a spread of Indian languages. Banerji states how she hopes something trickles down the public through the small protests. The "other middle class" she writes, is more worried about traffic jams and loss of livelihood. This sounds reasonable because it can affect the less privileged. Or is it really reasonable?
"To protest is a democratic right. It is a way to make your voice heard in a sea of indifference. It is a way to make governments realise that they draw power from you, us, the people, not from systems which they can manipulate. It is a way to put pressure, to get your demands heard. Those days are seemingly gone. We just about vote and that's it. The rest of the time we obey government and political instructions. And call anyone who opposes the elected 'anti-national' shout 'go back to xyz' and so on."Ranjona Banerji for Deccan Chronicle
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