No Work, No Welfare, Only Wealth
In his piece for The Indian Express, P Chidambaram casts a glance on some of the most glaring economic challenges facing the country, against the belief that work, welfare and wealth are the "three driving forces that build a progressive, prosperous and plural nation."
As per the former Finance Minister, while shifting economic contexts require distinct and nuanced responses (reflected, especially, in the Union Budget), 'the basic philosophy of promoting work, welfare and wealth ought not to change.'
He notes,
The gravest economic challenge facing India — a young nation where the median age is 28.43 years — is unemployment. Mr Narendra Modi understood this when he bid for power but, over the years, his philosophy seems to have changed....In the last seven years, unemployment has increased. The pandemic and the lockdown brought in their wake more unemployment. 60 lakh MSMEs were closed down. Millions lost their jobs, that included salaried jobs and non-regular jobs. The self-employed (e.g. tailor, electrician, plumber) lost work. Many of those jobs have not come back. The current unemployment rates are Urban: 8 per cent, Rural: 6 per cent.P. Chidambaram
Open Season
In the backdrop of MP Asaduddin Owaisi being shot at, and government colleges in Udupi outlawing the hijab and spurring controversy, 'a Muslim citizen’s default state is not a state of innocence, but a state of culpability', writes Mukul Kesavan for his article in The Telegraph.
As prejudiced sensibilities beleaguer reportages of and responses to incidents involving Muslims – be it in high politics, or education centres – the author writes,
Indians are free to dislike and vigorously express their dislike for Owaisi and the hijab. What they should be careful of doing is blaming Owaisi and the young students for the predicaments they find themselves in. The girls didn’t make their hijabs an issue; the colleges did. Owaisi, it’s safe to say, didn’t ask to be shot at. They were both ambushed and we owe them both solidarity and concern.Mukul Kesavan
Playing Nathuram Godse: Censor as Sensibility
Acclaimed actor Naseeruddin Shah, in his column for The Indian Express, weighs the outrage at NCP's Amol Kolhe playing Nathuram Godse in the recently released film titled Why I Killed Gandhi.
Shah notes:
I don’t know if deep down he, or the filmmaker/writer, consider Godse’s act heroic or not, but they should have known that Kolhe’s party doesn’t, or at least wants to give that impression. I suppose he decided to play the part either because it would be a challenge or because he genuinely felt that Godse’s point of view ought to be heard, and I see nothing wrong with either motivation.Naseeruddin Shah
Condemning the 'cancel culture' wagon that followed the film prior to its release, the actor concludes, "I really think we should hold our judgment on Why I Killed Gandhi till the film comes out, though I have to confess I am not greatly optimistic that it will talk sense."
The Symbolism of Inter-Caste Marriages
Pertaining to the anti-caste movement, a topic remains hotly contested — it is about inter-caste marriages as a way towards the annihilation of caste, writes Suraj Yengde for The Indian Express.
According to The Indian Human Development Survey, 95% of Indians still find partners within their subcastes, however, simply an inter-caste union might not be the driver of social change, Yengde observes through personal anecdotes.
Coming back to Ambedkar’s speech quoted above, he further suggested that to break the caste system, it was pertinent to destroy religious notions, the sanctity of the Shastras on which caste was founded and not occasionally bring about “inter-caste dinner and inter-caste marriages, which were futile methods of achieving their ends”. What Ambedkar is arguing is not against inter-caste marriage, but he is inviting us to go deeper, beyond social sanctions. He wants us to be participants in movements that would upend and eventually change mindsets.Suraj Yengde
The Way We Weren’t
Upala Sen, in her piece for The Telegraph, highlights the BJP’s fraught reaction to Rahul Gandhi’s recent speech in Parliament and laments for a time when civility was valued in a democratic, parliamentary debate.
In 2003, reacting to leader of Opposition Sonia Gandhi’s choice of words to describe the BJP-led NDA government on campaign trail, Vajpayee had reacted in Parliament by advising for close to an hour on the language and style of parliamentary debates. Sonia had called the BJP-led government “incompetent”, “irresponsible”, ”insensitive” and “brazenly corrupt”. Vajpayee’s expression changed from disgust to disgust, his tone from reprimand to anguish as he read a portion of the speech...A decade on, the offensives intensified, the debate got diluted...Rijiju said last week, "I personally don't take Rahul Gandhi seriously. But because he's a leader of his political party and has spoken these words on the floor of the House, I have to take note of this,” as if bestowing a great favour unto democracy. Indeed you have to, Mr Rijiju. Not for nothing is it called the House of the People.
Ukraine Crisis: For Both the Root of the Problem and the Solution, Look to History
As the European crisis involving the US-led west and Russia's huge military deployments around Ukraine unfolds, Nandan Unnikrishnan writes for The Times of India that the present tensions are "not a sudden development but a long-brewing crisis awaiting the right confluence of circumstances to erupt."
From Russia’s perspective, this crisis is not about Ukraine but about renegotiating existing security arrangements in Europe taking on board Russia’s interests, which were significantly impacted by NATO expansions, even if this means curtailing the choices some nations have. Also, Moscow appears clear that it is not willing to discuss this matter endlessly. The West, on the other hand, politically driven by the ideal of a peoples’ right to self-determination, clearly finds Russia’s demands unacceptable. This incompatibility of these two divergent views appears to create an insurmountable obstacle.Nandan Unnikrishnan
However, Unnikrishnan notes "given the unacceptably high cost Russia would have to pay in case of a full-fledged war it appears that the current Russian military build-up around Ukraine seems to be a tactic to push the West towards finding a mutually acceptable diplomatic solution."
Keep Calm and Wordle On
In her article for The Indian Express, Leher Kala writes about the charm of 'Wordle' – a daily word game developed by a Brooklyn-based software engineer that has gained overwhelming popularity across the world.
"As any economist knows, sought-after luxury items are a function of scarcity — the shrewd Wordle developer releases just one game a day, ensuring a hooked audience is anxiously waiting for it to drop", writes Kala.
Would Wordle be such a hit if the world wasn’t in the grips of serious existential boredom? Probably not. Lately, life had reverted back to the lonely cycle of lockdowns and curfews, forcing us to rely on blinking gadgets and aimless scrolling. Play is essential for child development but what’s not acknowledged enough is that games are crucial for adults as well who need something to distract themselves from the harsh realities of their lives... On days when tedium feels overwhelming, these little victories see us through. A game like Wordle provides exactly that.Leher Kala
Warning Signs
In a US Congressional briefing, Gregory Stanton, Genocide Watch president and academic, said on 12 January, “we are warning that genocide could very well happen in India", observes Vivek Katju in his column for The Telegraph.
Delving into the responses this accusation has prompted from civil society members and media critics, as well as supporters of the Narendra Modi government and the 'sangh parivar', he points out:
The Modi government cares for India’s reputation. It does so to attract business and investments but also to project India as a strong country. Additionally, it has focussed on India’s soft power but in the context of India’s ancient achievements, such as yoga or the foreign assistance it extends as, for instance, through supplying Covid vaccines. However, it has overlooked that India’s commitment to fostering a progressive, humane and inclusive polity and society sustained by a democratic Constitution was a powerful component of its soft power. Today, sections of global liberal opinion perceive that this high commitment is weakening.Vivek Katju
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