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.

A curation of essential opinion pieces of the weekend from across newspapers, made just for you.  

(Photo: iStock)

I Am Mohammed Zubair

In his weekly column for The Indian Express, P Chidambaram dissects the accomplishments of the current government and critiques the impact of their policies on the economy.

He particularly stresses on the importance of fact-checking under the current regime, stating that while all governments have inflated their achievements, this government obstinately refuses to admit to any 'deficiency'.

"Achievements, in my understanding, mean facts. What has the government done, in fact. It would be stupid to argue that nothing was done in eight years. Any government in office for a reasonable period of time and that spends public money will have some achievements to its credit. For example, I have maintained that as long there is a government that does not actively do damage, India’s GDP will grow at 5 per cent a year because agriculture is in the private sector, the bulk of the services is in the private sector and a substantial proportion of manufacturing is in the private sector. A government that does little or nothing can do little harm. It is only when a government actively does damage — like demonetisation — that the economy is gravely hurt."

P Chidambaram, The Indian Express

Lalit Modi Loves Sushmita Sen, so Deal With It

In his column in The Economic Times, Indrajit Hazra comments on the barrage of opinions on actor Sushmita Sen and businessman Lalit Modi's relationship.

Hazra calls out everyone's 'inner Auntie' that jumped in curiosity when the couple publicly declared their love. In response to the backlash faced by them, he points out that Sen seems happy and social media has made 'PDA acceptable in our RWA world'.

"The fact that Sen is looking very happy - and beautiful - in all the images with Modi that he tweeted should make all of us realise the beauty of social media: it makes PDA acceptable in our RWA world. In fact, what the 'Modi loves Sen' announcements and photos do are two things. One, they make us reconsider our dogma that Modi is incapable of appreciating life beyond wrist watches, IPL cheerleaders, and neckties. Two, they make us realise that for Sushmita Sen, Lalit Modi hai to mumkin hai. As for those who are dying to say, 'I told you so' if things go from Sardinia to sardonic someday, die another day."

Indrajit Hazra, The Economic Times

Good Heavens!

In his column for The Telegraph, Farhad Manjoo delves into the significance of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope - the largest infrared observatory ever built - and says that it will alter our understanding of the universe.

He sees the stunning new images of the universe taken from the telescope as a symbol of the triumph of the human spirit.

“These first images are so much more than a win for science. The Webb’s success feels like a testament to the cheesy best of us — perseverance, ingenuity, rigour, openness, global cooperation, institutions, a commitment to excellence, exploration and dreamy ambition. In an otherwise dreary time, the telescope is one of those milestones that should bolster your estimation of what our species is capable of. It is low-key a triumph of the human spirit.”

Farhad Manjoo, The Telegraph

Bad Days for Dynasties

Tavleen Singh, in her column for The Indian Express, writes on the Gandhi family's political dynasty and opines that their best contribution to the Congress now would be to 'gracefully become non-executive members' on the party's board.

Calling Rahul Gandhi's attempts to emerge as a powerful leader inadequate, she believes his 'gimmicks' are futile because the smarter voters of today can see through them.

"The family does not need to disappear altogether but simply to step away from leadership. What the Congress needs at the top are full-time politicians who are ready to spend all their waking hours rebuilding the party. We need an opposition party because there are serious weaknesses in the Modi model of development. The absence of proper jobs is something everyone talks about, not just in the villages but even in our towns and cities."

Tavleen Singh, The Indian Express

UK’s PM Race: Who Should Indians Back?

In his column for Hindustan Times, Mark Tully writes on the ongoing prime minsterial race in the UK to replace outgoing PM Boris Johnson. Former British Finance Minister and the son of an Indian doctor, Rishi Sunak, is currently the frontrunner. Tully argues that Sunak is the man the Indians should support and lists out why.

"Who should Indians back? In my view, Sunak is the man who knows India because of his years as Johnson’s finance minister. He needs support, too, because he is receiving such offensive attacks from the tax reducers that have led the former MP, Lord Michael Howard of Lympne, to say, “I am dismayed by some of the attacks being made on Rishi Sunak. He has called for “the contest to be conducted respectfully”. The former Conservative leader of the Opposition, Lord William Howard, has called for “calm reflection”.

Mark Tully, Hindustan Times

I Am 40 and Single. Thank You for Asking

Sanchari Bhattacharya addresses the unending source of horror that being single can be for women in their forties, in her column for The Indian Express.

She opens up about her struggles with societal judgements, which often come with a liberal portion of pity and endless questions about her decision to be single at such a 'ripe age'.

"I am often told that I don’t know what I am missing out on, and that I will bitterly regret my life choices soon. Maybe I will, who knows? But as I see so many friends’ marriages implode, as quite a few exceptional (women) friends settle for ‘bearable’ options for spouses because being single after a certain age is apparently worse than the plague, and as several (male) friends pursue extramarital liaisons, I feel like asking them: “Do you know what you are missing out on?’ I don’t ask that. Instead, I brace myself for the next smorgasbord of questions about my heretic status. As always, I will try to explain, “I don’t think my life is less than anyone else’s. Thank you for asking though.”

Sanchari Bhattacharya, The Indian Express

Salute the Voices of Our Conscience

Karan Thapar’s Sunday column in Hindustan Times pays tribute to three former senior judges - justices Madan Lokur, Deepak Gupta and AP Shah - for voicing their dissent. While justice Lokur commented on the Teesta Setalvad judgment, justice Gupta alleged police prejudice in Mohammed Zubair’s case. Justice Shah called the anti-encroachment drive in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri a ‘clear campaign against Muslims’ and alleged the use of democratic institutions by leaders to ‘kill democracy’.

“These three judges seem uniquely brave and bold. I can’t think of many other leading luminaries who’ve expressed similar disillusionment and defiance. This is why I believe they’re the voices of our conscience, defiantly speaking out when many of us are shrouded in silence. We owe them a big thank you.”

Karan Thapar, Hindustan Times

Where Do Fleeing Leaders Head, and Why

Nirupama Subramanian, in her column for The Indian Express, analyses former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s decision to flee to Singapore from his crisis-hit country. She tries to answer a larger question - what goes behind exiled leaders choosing the country where they seek political asylum - while comparing Rajapaksa to Pakistani leaders Nawaz Sharif, Pervez Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto, who also went into self-exile.

“Gotabaya does not have the political courage of a Sharif or a Bhutto, or even for that matter, a Musharraf, to test the field again. And unlike the Pakistani leaders, he now evokes revulsion even among his one-time fans. His life in exile may not be one of comfort either. For sure, he will not be able to hold court like Sharif does in London. The Tamil diaspora may want to see him punished for alleged war crimes. Like Musharraf, he can at best hope to be forgotten like a bad memory. Or he may hope to find insurance through family left behind in Sri Lanka – brothers and veteran politicians Mahinda and Chamal, and the next generation of Rajapaksas, who in turn are studying the return of the Marcos next-gen in the Philippines.”

Nirupama Subramanian, The Indian Express

Single-Use Plastics: The Next Five Steps

Bharati Chaturvedi, in her column for Hindustan Times, critiques India’s decision to ban single-use plastics (SUPs), its future and the challenges of its implementation. She lists five solutions that can make India the first country to get rid of SUPs-- alternatives, local composting, reliable data, industrial composting and strict implementation.

“On July 1, India banned single-use plastics (SUPs), and pushed a new regulation on plastic bags, requiring them to become thicker over time. These are not nationally prohibited, although states can make stricter provisions. The rules do not apply to SUPs that are made of compostable plastics. Nobody ought to be unprepared to implement the ban. It was announced in 2021, and the public was given 60 days to provide feedback. But the critical challenge now is to implement the ban in letter and spirit.”

Bharati Chaturvedi, Hindustan Times

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