The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
Sometimes major events completely disconnected may be data points for the plans of the different powers around the world. The challenge is to discern what purpose they serve? More critically, what are we moving towards?
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
Lately India has become a “free for all”. Now, there is not even a pretense of being “above board” and impartial. Markandey Katju, the ex-Justice and the present Chief of the Press Council of India has done it again.
He had earlier discussed his disdain for Narendra Modi and a few other leaders. And now he has been canvassing for pardon of sentences for those who have been charged for terrorist acts against people of India.
We will get to the ridiculousness of his argument and those of others, but first things first.
Who the bloody heck is Markarndey Katju?? Why is he still serving as the chief of PCI? If those at the helm of a body that monitors and handles Press organizations is an aggressive evangelist and enjoys taking sides, making comments that are clearly partisan – then how can one ever be sure of non-partisanship of the Indian press?
It is NOT a case of whether there is any merit in his arguments or not, but the fact that he is siding with one party or the other is damning to the very credibility of India’s Press.
The problem is he probably wanted to be an OpEd writer in a daily, and not the head of Press Council of India. He has landed a job that he is clearly (1) not suited for (2) has no idea what it entails. And in all this media organizations seem to be reveling it. These press organizations have obviously lost all integrity and aren’t concerned that they are destroying the very industry that they are in. Because sooner or later, public will create a huge uproar and disruptive technologies will beget some disruptive player into the game.
Now about the ridiculous argument that Sanjay Dutt and Zaibunissa Kazi have “suffered enough” and so should be pardoned. Pardon me, but HOW EXACTLY have they suffered? Were they holed in the jail the whole time? Was Sanjay Dutt going through the whole jail term that he deserves for collaborating with the terrorists who killed so many in Mumbai?
More importantly, how does ANYONE measure the suffering of a victim who has ruthlessly killed hundreds for nothing more than the reason that he was angry with someone .. other than his victims?
We are entering an era, where terrorists need to be treated with Zero Tolerance mindset. At this time, there is no reason why any pardons should be done for anyone who has been implicated with mass murder. Dutt and Kazi did it and they should get the punishment for it. Period. After all, they weren’t remorseful that they had taken so many young, fledgling and wonderful lives down just because of their anger.
The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
This visit of India left me with many questions. Many observations and inputs from different people and sections. Food for thought that I have tried to contemplate on and make sense of. Sharing all that with you.
When you analyze the last 60 years of the economic miracles of Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia versus the continued impoverished Indian economy, you get very interesting lessons. Can Indians have the wherewithal in them to do in one generation so that the coming generations may rise?
Every Sunday AM (US Time)/ PM (India time), we send out a weekly detailed newsletter. We also share other insightful notes during the week. Its free. Do sign up and share with friends!