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

We sifted through the papers to find the best opinion reads, so you won't have to.

The Quint

Opinion

Published: 06 Oct 2024, 8:22 AM IST

The best opinion pieces from across newspapers this Sunday, curated just for you.

Photo: Canva

Capital Minefield

In her column, Coomi Kapoor, Contributing Editor of The Indian Express discusses the political dynamics in Delhi as the new Chief Minister, Atishi, temporarily takes over for Arvind Kejriwal. While Kejriwal positions himself as a political victim, his image has been tainted. Despite seeking early elections, his confidence in re-election is uncertain given Delhi's unpredictable electoral history.

The article traces the evolution of Delhi’s political landscape from the dominance of the Congress, disrupted by the Jana Sangh in the 1960s, to Sheila Dikshit’s transformative reign, and Kejriwal’s rise in 2013. The BJP, though strong at the national level, struggles with weak local leadership, relying on external candidates like Kiran Bedi in 2015 and possibly Smriti Irani in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, the Congress faces a dilemma on whether to ally with AAP, risking political irrelevance.

While Kejriwal has taken the high moral ground by relinquishing his chief ministership, he is actually simply obeying the Supreme Court order which while granting him bail in the excise matter disallowed him from entering the CM’s office or signing files. Kejriwal has announced that he wants an early election to coincide with Maharashtra polls. He believes that the election will be a referendum on his popularity and channelise public anger against the BJP’s politics of vendetta.

Coomi Kapoor, The Indian Express

Autumn is Here, and So is the Time for Celebration

In his column for Hindustan Times, former Member of Parliament Pavan K Varma explores the onset of the brief autumn season in Delhi and much of northern India, highlighting the change in weather after the monsoons and the anticipation of the festive season. This period is celebrated in Indian tradition with specific emotions and moods, like the romance evoked by the rains or the joy associated with autumn.

Varma delves into Indian aesthetics, explaining that the autumnal season, with its clear skies, lush greenery, and blooming flowers, provides the ideal backdrop for joy and spiritual fulfillment. However, modern life’s distractions prevent people from appreciating nature’s rhythms. While some are preoccupied with everyday concerns, others are struggling with floods and devastation caused by monsoon rains.

Krishna’s raas with the gopis, in which his grace, his madhurya or sweetness, and the irresistible melody of his flute, combine with the resplendence of nature, happens in the brief autumnal spell after the rains, and before winter sets in. At this time, the combination of several elements is entirely in keeping with the principles of Indian aesthetics.

Pavan K Varma, Hindustan Times

60 Years Ago, Shinkansen Blazed a Trail. India Should be a Bullet Train Nation Too

In his article for The Times of India, Kyle Chan, a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University discusses the significance of high-speed rail in transforming transportation in India, drawing parallels to Japan's Shinkansen, which revolutionized rail travel 60 years ago. Chan argues that a bullet train network is not just a luxury but a crucial investment in India's economic and environmental future.

Despite debates around cost and necessity, similar to those Japan faced in 1964, a strong case is made for India to build a national bullet train network, starting with the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor.

But what about the cost? The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train’s revised cost is Rs 1.65 lakh crore, which equates to roughly Rs 325 crore per km. While this may seem like a hefty sum, there are some things to keep in mind. One is that the entire railway network needs a massive expansion anyway. Bullet trains can help free up existing track, particularly for freight trains which was a key motivation behind China’s bullet train program.

Kyle Chan, The Times of India

For Many, Israel Can Do No Wrong. Really?

In his op-ed for the Deccan Herald, Roger Marshall criticizes the actions of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in their operations against Hamas and Hezbollah, highlighting high civilian casualties and damage to critical infrastructure like hospitals, mosques, and schools in Gaza. The piece argues that Israel’s tactics have a far-reaching impact on global security, as digital devices are now seen as potential weapons, complicating international relations and airport security.

Marshall also accuses Israel of historical and ongoing human rights violations, such as the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre, targeting journalists, and disrupting humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The playbook adopted by the US in its global war on terror post-9/11 is the same one that is being used by Israel in its pursuit of Hamas and Hezbollah fighters in Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon, irrespective of public opinion. The dust hasn’t yet settled in Afghanistan or Iraq despite tens of thousands of civilian casualties.

Roger Marshall, Deccan Herald

Breaking News

In his weekly column for The Indian Express, former Finance Minister P Chidambram critiques the current economic state of India under the Modi government, using a recent essay by prominent banker KV Kamath as a reference point. Kamath's review discusses a roadmap for India to become a developed nation by 2047, focusing on four pillars: macro-economic growth, social and economic inclusion, ethical wealth creation, and a virtuous cycle of private investment.

Mr K V Kamath is a distinguished banker. He built the ICICI into India’s leading private bank; he was the first chair of the New Development Bank (the BRICS bank); he is, currently, the Chairman of the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID). In a recent book review, he traced the path that India must take in order to attain the status of Viksit Bharat (Developed India) in 2047.

P Chidambaram, The Indian Express

The Case Against Bans, Including on Cigarettes

In his column for the Hindustan Times, journalist Karan Thapar narrates a personal experience that led to a lasting impression on the author regarding the dangers of smoking. He recalls a powerful anti-smoking advertisement that deterred a family member from smoking further. Reflecting on this, the author argues that effective public campaigns, rather than bans, are the best way to influence behavior. He believes that while people can be persuaded to quit smoking through impactful messaging, imposing a ban infringes on personal choice and autonomy.

There are a thousand good reasons not to smoke; a million good arguments to persuade me against it. But if I still choose to do so, don’t seek to ban me. Don’t preclude my choice. The argument that you do so in my interest is specious and unconvincing. I cannot deny that smoking is bad for my health — no smoker I know would — but so, after all, is overeating, excessive exercising, straining my eyes and drinking too many Cokes. Yet if I like any of these, I — and only I — should be the one to choose whether I can go ahead despite advice to the contrary. If I suffer for my indulgence, so be it. After all, the right to decide includes the right to suffer for my choice.

Karan Thapar, Hindustan Times

Will Haryana, J&K Polls Break Bipolar Pattern?

In his piece for The Times of India, Rahul Verma, a Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research examines the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Haryana, where the main contest is between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress. However, smaller parties and independent candidates could play a pivotal role in government formation if there is no clear majority.

Both states have a history of fragmented verdicts, and with just 90 seats in each assembly, a few independent wins can alter the balance. This is despite a trend of increasing bi-polarity in Indian politics seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where parties outside the BJP-led NDA and Congress-led INDIA performed poorly.

BJP has been in office in Haryana for 10 years, and Congress managed to match it both in terms of vote share and seats won in the 2024 LS elections in the state. This happened even though BJP enjoys a vote premium in LS elections compared to assembly. And, given that BJP fell short of the majority mark in 2019 after winning all LS seats with a huge margin, its best hope would be Congress not winning a majority on its own. BJP can only be in the driver’s seat if it repeats its previous performance in the southern belt of Faridabad-Gurugram-Bhiwani, and Jat votes get divided between Congress and other parties.

Rahul Verma, The Times of India

Fiscal Ruin in Near Future

Tavleen Singh, in her piece in The Indian Express criticizes the growing trend of competitive populism in Indian politics, where political leaders promise excessive welfare schemes to lure voters, turning them into dependent 'supplicants.' It traces this issue back to the socialist decades when the Congress ruled, making citizens rely heavily on the government.

The columnist warns that this will drain funds needed for infrastructure and development, hindering India's progress toward becoming a developed nation.

It was a time when if you bought a foreign car or went on a foreign holiday you could expect to be subjected to an income tax raid. The number of Indians who used Indian Airlines or Air India was so small that there were jokes about how our two airlines employed one person for every passenger. They were gloomy times, and as someone who lived through them, I pray that they never come back. But as a taxpayer when I see our political leaders spend recklessly on populist schemes in the name of welfare, I fear the worst.

Tavleen SIngh, The Indian Express

In London, a Perfect Gandhi Jayanti Day

In his piece for the Deccan Herald, Aakash Singh Rathore reflects on the experience of visiting historic residences of notable figures in London, including Gandhi and Savarkar, marked by Blue Plaques. On Gandhi Jayanti, Rathore explores these homes and other famous residences, drawing parallels between Gandhi's time in London and those of other Indian historical figures like Tagore, Nehru, and Ambedkar. The piece emphasizes the connection to history that these simple, accessible memorials offer, allowing visitors to walk in the footsteps of these iconic personalities.

As someone who thinks incessantly about history, I am absolutely elated visiting these houses. Whenever I have the opportunity, I will spend my weekends trekking from one of these Blue Plaque residences to another. I get transported, walking those same pavements as these persons did a century or so ago. I imagine what their occupants would have been thinking, what they would have said. I lose myself in admiring the buildings around their homes that they themselves also must have taken the time to admire.

Aakash Singh Rathore, Deccan Herald