Insecure National Security
Start your Sunday with a cup of tea, served piping hot by political commentator Tavleen Singh. Singh, in her column for The Indian Express, observes how the spectre of national security has been used, or rather, misused, by the BJP-led government to promote its specific brand of nationalism.
"This supposed concern for national security is mixed up with a poisonous kind of nationalism that allows thugs wearing saffron scarves to decide who and what is anti-national. In Bhopal last week the well-known film director, Prakash Jha, had black ink smeared on his face and his crew was attacked by a mob of ‘nationalists’ who objected to ‘Aashram’ being the title of the drama series he was making. These thugs were not immediately jailed, as they should have been, they had time to give interviews on national television in which they said that ashrams had existed in India for centuries and so it was ‘anti-Hindu’ to make films about them... Anti-Hindu is a synonym these days for anti-national, and it is now the prerogative of the Sangh Parivar’s more violent spawn to decide who should be targeted in the name of national security."Tavleen Singh in The Indian Express
Neither Victory Nor Justice
Former Union Minister P Chidambaram, in his column for The Indian Express, notes that Amit Shah, during his recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir, did not meet any local political or civilian leaders, but that "the only conversation was between the Home Minister and the fawning bureaucrats at the durbar."
Unleashing an attack against the claims of normalcy in the Valley that have been furthered by the BJP, Chidambaram delineates the farcical nature of Shah's visit.
"There can be no meaningful conversation if the Modi government brushes aside history, historical facts, the wars that were fought between India and Pakistan, promises, outcomes of past conversations (including round-table discussions and reports), political aspirations, excesses of the past, repressive government actions, the overwhelming presence of security forces, and continued distortion of the rule of law. The Home Minister did not succeed in stealing any hearts; unwittingly, he may have put steel in the hearts and minds of the people to resist peacefully the defilement of the Constitution and the denial of democratic rights."P Chidambaram in The Indian Express
India Not a Flailing State but Can We Return to 7% GDP?
Economist Swaminathan Aiyar, in his weekly column for The Times of India, contemplates whether the post-pandemic India will be able to make a return to the miraculous 7 percent GDP growth it had recorded a decade ago.
"The best reason for optimism is the clear-cut improvement in state capacity. That should translate into higher productivity. India was investing 28% of GDP even in the pre-COVID slump years, and this could cross 30% now. Higher investments plus higher productivity from improved state capacity may just facilitate a return to 7% miracle growth. Right now, it is too early to be sure either way. Education remains in a terrible shape. Female workforce participation has plunged, denting India's demographic dividend. On the positive side, India is not flailing as before."Swaminathan Aiyar in Times of India
India's Adoption Data: Intriguing, Disturbing
Adoption expert Avinash Kumar, in his piece for The Hindustan Times, considers a disturbing trend in the official figures recording the number of children under the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). Kumar, drawing attention to the unchanged number of children in the CARA pool post the COVID-19 pandemic, worries that the data on COVID orphans has left a number of vulnerable minors unaccounted for.
"It appears that neither CARA, nor the ministry, is looking at the big picture. CARA did not even have a fully functional chief executive for almost a year. There have been inordinate delays in getting children into the legal pool, referring children to parents, and completing adoption formalities during Covid-19. But what is unacceptable is not addressing the deliberate trafficking that is preventing deserving children from entering the adoption pool, administering proper care to children in adoption agencies, and being indifferent to the growing number of children in the special needs category, in an already shrinking adoption pool."Avinash Kumar in The Hindustan Times
Ambedkar & Adivasis: Some Myths, Many Truths
Scholar and poet Madhav Sarkunde, in his piece for The Indian Express, delves into the significance of B R Ambedkar's work for the upliftment of the Adivasi community. Sarkunde defends Ambedkar against the allegations of damaging the Adivasi identity in the drafting of the Constitution, and lists the contributions of the social leader to the tribal community's cause.
"Few know that Dr Ambedkar gave serious thought to developing tribal communities even before the promulgation of the Constitution. He held a conference in Mumbai on May 5-6, 1945, to suggest proper ways to achieve tribal progress. He had advised that a statutory commission based on the South African Constitution be created. Through this commission, an annual contribution of a prescribed amount would be set aside in each province for the protection and advancement of Adivasis. In Annihilation of Caste, Dr Ambedkar has dedicated Chapter 8 to Aboriginal Tribes in India. He relevantly delineated the life of Adivasis in India and pointed out the root causes for their tragic conditions."Madhav Sarkunde in The Indian Express
Don’t Let Domestic Politics Come in the Way of Neighbourhood Ties
In order for India to emerge as a regional leader in South Asia, the leadership of the country has to recognise that domestic politics can distort national interests, argues policy specialist Yamini Aiyar, in her piece for The Times of India. Delving into India's relationships with its neighbours, Aiyar considers the course that India can take to enhance its power in the region.
"For India to emerge as a regional leader, the emphasis has to be on its strengths. It cannot compete, at least in the near term, with China on the “hardware” — physical infrastructure and mega projects. But it can, far better than China, provide the “software” — through regional links, markets, infrastructure and services, especially digital infrastructure. India’s leadership in the region should be built on becoming a source of public goods to its neighbours."Yamini Aiyar in Times of India
How To Increase and Retain More Women in STEM
Gender discrepancies in the streams of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are likely to become more entrenched if no ameliorative measures are taken, argues Lalita Panicker, in her column for The Hindustan Times. Panicker notes how the pandemic has become a major factor in drawing women away from STEM fields, and details the norms that can be put in place to correct the imbalance.
"India’s figures for women graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are impressive at 43% as opposed to the United States (34%) and Canada (31%), and several other countries. But only 14% of Indian women in STEM are employed in research and development institutions. The pandemic has proved a setback for them, and the gains many of them have made could be lost without urgent action. Gender imbalances in STEM are likely to become more entrenched if nothing is done."Lalita Panicker in The Hindustan Times
In Prison, the Right to Read… Everything
Leher Kala, in her column for The Indian Express, makes a case for the provision of quality reading material to prisoners in Indian jails. Observing that Aryan Khan, who had been incarcerated for nearly three weeks, had borrowed religious books from the meagre prison library, Kala opines that jails need to permit a more diverse range of reading in order for the rehabilitation of the inmates.
"A 2014 study by psychologists in the US found that bibliotherapy and access to libraries help ease inmates’ depression and are an important tool for rehabilitation. A lot of people languishing in jails, like Aryan was, for instance, have not yet been convicted and may spend months or years awaiting trial. In this day and age, it’s hard to justify denying prisoners a wide range of reading materials, newspapers and magazines, crucial to keep up with the dizzying pace of development in the outside world."Leher Kala in Times of India
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