Sunday View: The Best Weekend Opinion Reads, Curated Just for You

In his weekly column for Hindustan Times, senior journalist and author Karan Thapar shares his guide to a competent television interview with the Prime Minister. He states that the most important point to remember is that the interviewer is asking questions on behalf of the audience, and so, they need to be pertinent and persistent."If the interviewer questions the PM about something we all know he said or did but has now chosen to inexplicably deny, the interviewer must be in a position to quote from the particular occasion, specifying the date, location and content. And, let’s be clear, this would be akin to challenging the PM. But that’s a legitimate part of what an interviewer must be prepared to do."Karan Thapar, Hindustan TimesCongress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, in his column for The Indian Express, reflects on the pervasive issues of poverty, inequality, and caste discrimination in India, often overlooked amidst the country's economic growth. He also discusses promises made in the Congress party's manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, aimed at addressing these issues."Of the poor, according to the HCSE, the OBC are near the average level and the SC and ST are the poorest. It is no surprise that the economic hierarchy mirrors the social hierarchy that has been entrenched in the country for thousands of years, and the social hierarchy is based on caste...Unless political parties acknowledge that the two markers of Indian polity and economy are caste and inequality, we cannot strike at the root of poverty, discrimination and oppression."P Chidambaram, The Indian ExpressIn her piece for The Tribune, consumer rights columnist Pushpa Girimaji critiques a recent ruling by the Supreme Court exempting lawyers from professional liability for deficient services under the Consumer Protection Act (CP Act)."What is more alarming is the view expressed in the judgment that the Supreme Court should re-open a much hailed judgment of the apex court in the Indian Medical Association vs VP Shantha case delivered in 1995, holding that consumers can seek compensation from medical professionals for negligence under the Consumer Protection Act...Not many consumers today are aware of the situation that existed before the consumer protection law came into force in 1986."Pushpa Girimaji, The TribuneIn her piece for The Indian Express, columnist Tavleen Singh argues that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's divisive rhetoric that has "become louder and more absurd" could backfire. Using inflammatory language, such as likening the Congress Party manifesto to that of the Muslim League and making claims about 'Hindu wealth being stolen by a Congress government for infiltrators', she says, is not only alienating Muslims, "but also many Hindus who oppose ethnic and communal tensions in India.""Modi has said often that his idea of secularism is that his welfare schemes do not distinguish beneficiaries by their religion. Clearly there is much for him to learn about real secularism and how much it has benefited India."Tavleen Singh, The Indian ExpressWriting for The Times of India Prof Ashutosh Kumar breaks down the many reasons for Punjab's distinct political landscape. The 'Punjab exceptionalism thesis', he argues, is shaped by its competitive party system, its focus on local rather than national issues, the dominance of the Jat Sikh peasantry in politics, the limited success of the BJP despite alliances, the emergence of AAP as a major player, its resistance to right-wing ideologies, and the decline of regional parties like Akali Dal. "The big question is whether Punjab will remain an outlier in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. After a gap of 27 years, BJP is contesting alone. It will be interesting to see its performance, especially in urban constituencies like Ludhiana and Jalandhar where the party will contest for the first time, and which have a significant Hindu presence."Prof Ashutosh Kumar, The Times of IndiaHistorian and social essayist Mukul Kesavan shares his polling day experience in his piece for The Telegraph. He takes us through the sequence of events, while simultaneously sharing his thoughts on the various contesting parties and the rationale behind his choice."Sometimes the things its leaders say make me wonder if I’m living in an eccentric screenplay. Reunited with my phone, I found myself clicking on WhatsApp forwards which led to video clips where Modi is seen saying, variously, that he is convinced that he is a) divinely energised b) not biologically born of a woman c) sent by God to fulfil His works."Mukul Kesavan, The TelegraphWriting for Deccan Herald Ashwin Mahesh asks, what ever happened to the decades-old promise that 'Indian universities will be able to compete with foreign ones'? He examines the causes for "the cycle of higher un-education", as he calls it, its consequences, and what it would take to set things right."If there is one thing to blame above all for this, it is the asymmetry of power in India’s higher education. Governments have dominated the landscape, either themselves offering courses or regulating the private ones. This dominance inevitably resulted in low accountability, despite poor outcomes."Ashwin Mahesh, Deccan HeraldIn his piece for Hindustan Times, Diplomat and Former Rajya Sabha MP, Pavan K Varma, traces the lesser-known history of ancient Bhopal through the many scientific and artistic accomplishments of Raja Bhoj of the Paramara dynasty who ruled over the Malwa region in the 11th Century."As a scholar-king, he (Raja Bhoja) was the role model of later Hindu monarchs like the iconic Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagar dynasty, who chose to call himself ‘Abhinava Bhoja’, the new or modern Bhoja."Pavan K Varma, Hindustan TimesWriting for Decan Chronicle author Shreya Sen-Handley reflects on why betrayal draws such strong emotions in us. Why does it cause us such anguish, more so than other unpleasant instances in our day-to-day lives? She traces some famous episodes of 'backstabbing' to make her point."Would King Lear have been quite so distraught but for the stage of life he was in, and that the architects of his misery were his own family? Our distress is directly proportional to the time and affection we’ve invested in our false friends...But must human nature be a double-edged sword? A two-sided coin that’s flipped and flipped again in this game of life, and you never know whether it’ll land in your favour or to your detriment?"Shreya Sen-Handley, Deccan ChronicleIn Election Ads, Congress Bets on Satire, BJP on Hate and FearAAP and Congress Have Common Vote Banks. Can They Sustain Alliance Beyond 2024?Chennai Mother's Suicide Is a Reminder of How Harsh Society is to New Mothers4 July Will Be Pivotal for UK, Victory Won’t Be Easy for Both Labour & TorySuccess of Either Alliance in Maharashtra Depends on Seamless Transfer of VotesRest in Peace Narayanan Vaghul, the Bhishma Pitamah of India's Banking Industry

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Sunday View: The Best Weekend Opinion Reads, Curated Just for You

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