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

Writing for The Indian Express, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram argues that the Indian public has suffered in the past decade, in myriad ways, due to 'demonetization', 'unplanned lockdowns', 'absence of a financial package and credit', and 'the silent blows to reservation'. He bats for change, hoping to reverse the damage caused by the 'weaponisation of laws', and for economic policies to be re-set.Chidambaram says,"India, I believe, needs and deserves change. Ten years ago, there was a clamour for change, and the change of government took place from UPA to NDA. I think India is at such a moment again. There is much that has happened in the last 10 years that must be reversed or remedial action taken."P Chidambaram, for The Indian ExpressChanakya, in his column for Hindustan Times, writes about the exit polls, that, after the polling in all seven phases was completed on 1 June, indicated a clear victory for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the National Democratic Alliance.Looking at the presidential nature of these elections, the issues that parties/leaders brought up, and the exit polls, Chanakya writes,"The fact that the majority of contests in this election are one-to-one is likely to have made the job of the pollsters simpler, though. Ahead of the election announcement in March, it seemed unlikely that the INDIA bloc would be able to field common candidates, but that’s what they have done (...) There are almost 350 constituencies where the contest is NDA vs INDIA. This is a defining characteristic of this election and one that doesn’t get enough attention."Chanakya, for Hindustan TimesIn light of Payal Kapadia's Grand Prix win at this year's Cannes for her film All We Imagine as Light, director Leher Kala delves, for The Indian Express, on how great cinema can not "emerge from institutions controlled by politics of the Left, Right or centre."She says, "Filmmakers have a tough enough job; it’s not a big ask that the establishment not make it harder for the Kapadias’ of India to succeed.""All We Imagine as Light, a film about friendship between three very different women, doesn’t boast of stars or big budgets. That it received a standing eight minute ovation demonstrates that a good story well told, whether it is about someone in Mumbai, Rio or on Mars, will find an audience. But, to create art that resonates internationally, requires going beyond the glitz and glamour that Bollywood does so well. In ways too complicated to dissect, exposure to world cinema at FTII and the grand tradition of evening soirees debating contemporary issues shaped Kapadia’s outlook, or at the very least gave her the confidence to tell a fresh story."Leher Kala, for The Indian ExpressSwaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar, in his piece for The Times of India, critiques a paper by economist Thomas Piketty which claims that a two percent tax on "net wealth above Rs 10 crore", in addition to a 33 percent inheritance tax on "estates of over Rs 10 crore," would "rectify inequalities in one of the world’s most unequal societies."Instead, he suggests, "We need reforms in govt services that are politically difficult. Without them, spending more will mostly mean wasting more." "Draconian taxes drive business into black money without collecting much revenue. Indira Gandhi imposed income-tax of 97.75% plus a wealth tax of 3.5% in the early 1970s. This sank business without producing a tax bonanza. I asked at a postbudget press conference what was the maximum a rich man could earn after income plus wealth tax. An official responded that it depended on the rate of return on wealth. Assuming it was 7%, the rate of return on National Savings Certificates, he said regardless of how many crores a person earned before tax, he could not earn more than Rs 25,000 a year after taxes. On paper, a socialist paradise had arrived! But it was a paper paradise."Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar, for The Times of IndiaIn her column for The Indian Express, Tavleen Singh writes that, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections' campaign, the "coarsened discourse and the hostilities" between political leaders have been very worrying, especially since they "often seemed more like a fight between enemies than democratic opponents."She says, "When our most important political leaders start hurling abuse at each other, the worst thing that happens is that they forget that they should be talking about policies.""There is no question that the level of discourse has plunged to a very low point. But can Modi be entirely blamed? I have vivid memories of the last Lok Sabha election when Rahul Gandhi called the Prime Minister a thief. Remember how many times he repeated 'chowkidar chor hai'? Remember how many times he repeated that Modi had stolen money from the Rafale deal and put it in 'the pocket of Anil Ambani?' Coarsening of political dialogue goes further back to another election when his Mummy called Modi a salesman of death (maut ka saudagar)?"Tavleen Singh, for The Indian ExpressIn his column for Hindustan Times, Karan Thapar writes about an improbable collaboration. But, one that isn't happening for the first time. The former heads of India and Pakistan's intelligence agencies – R&AW's Amarjit Singh Dulat and ISI's General Asad Durrani respectively – have come together to write their second book, Covert: The Psychology of War and Peace.Delving on stories from the book about how this unlikely friendship began, Thapar writes:"Covert doesn’t reveal the inner workings — leave aside secrets — of R&AW and ISI. Nor did The Spy Chronicles. Instead, it “explores the inner lives and motivations of spy chiefs … (it’s) inherently psychological”. Its focus is on the two principals. What sort of men are they? What makes them tick? But it also illustrates the fascinating way they have navigated the pursuit of India-Pakistan peace without the least hint of disloyalty to their countries. And more often than not their views tend to coincide. Spies, it seems, seldom differ."Karan Thapar, for Hindustan TimesMusician and activist TM Krishna, in Deccan Herald, writes about Israel's attack on the Rafah camp where Palestinians, who had been displaced from their homes due to the ongoing war in Gaza, had been forced to take shelter. He says, "This caused such an uproar across the world that even election-frenzied Indians turned their focus towards Palestine, even if briefly (...) The fact that we need a State to do something so outrageous for people to ‘feel’ is worrisome.""As support poured in from across the globe, another common phenomenon unravelled. The attack on the Rafah camp was equated to the killing of another set of people elsewhere in the world. The fact that both sets of people were killed is the commonality, but it stops there. The problem in stating this is the fear that the inference drawn from such a position will be that we are not truly disturbed by the death of one set of people. This is a complete fallacy. We must have the emotional maturity to feel distraught and angry when deaths, especially violent ones, occur, irrespective of the victims’ identity and place. But, this does not mean the two different incidences have to be equated as the same."TM Krishna, for Deccan HeraldRahul Verma, a fellow at Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi, writes for The Times of India that while it's likely that women will be the kingmakers in these Lok Sabha elections, it's naive to assume that they vote as a monolith, "devoid of various identities, interests and ideological positions."According to Verma's hypothesis, welfare schemes, women's safety, representation, an emotional connect, and religion might have been the five large issues that women focussed on this time around."Whether actual crime statistics attest to this or not, the perception of being tough on law and order seems to resonate with women. This was certainly the case in UP, where Yogi Adityanath benefited from this image. This may not be an issue restricted to working women in urban areas, but among women in general. In large parts of India, women’s movement outside the homes is heavily sanctioned and scrutinised, often by older women themselves. To them, constant and harsh police policies are a welcome move as it provides a semblance of security in a precarious world. Will charges of deteriorating women’s safety in West Bengal neutralise TMC’S advantages on welfare policies?"Rahul Verma, for The Times of IndiaPolitical analyst Shankkar Aiyar, writing for The New Indian Express, has some suggestions for the soon-to-be elected government "to install resilience and sustainability" in them, for instance, tracking the welfare 'trail', bringing our education system in alignment with what jobs today demand, ensuring timely justice in cases that have been pending for years, and focusing on bridging the 'thirst gap', among others."This week will witness a newly elected parliament and a new government. They carry the onus of steering the nation through tumultuous times, disruptions in geopolitics and geo-economics. The promised tryst with destiny calls for an agenda which has a buy-in across party lines. Indeed, it would be ideal if President Droupadi Murmu, in the opening address to the new parliament, calls for a special session for the MPs to forge an all-party consensus on critical national goals."Shankkar Aiyar, for The New Indian ExpressWhat is 'Middle' About the 'Middle Class'?What Does a BJP-RSS Separation Signify — If it Exists?Israel's Attack on Rafah, With No Regard for Civilians, is Certainly a War CrimeAndhra's Capital Dilemma As 10 Years of Hyderabad as Joint Capital Comes to EndAll Work and Less Play: Should This Be the Judiciary's Way?In Rajkot & Delhi Fires, Abject Regulation and Degraded Governance Are To BlameTobacco Control a Distant Goal in India: Who Is To Be Blamed for the Epidemic?Attaining Dalit Personhood Essential for Expression of Desire & IntimacyA Cruel Joke is Now Starting to Dawn on India's Biggest News ConglomeratesPM Modi Says Bapu Was an Unknown Entity Till Attenborough's 'Gandhi'. Really?What a Decadal Analysis of FDI Reveals About India’s Macro-Investment OutlookCalcutta HC Cancels 5L Muslim OBC Certificates. Can Mamata Take Advantage?

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