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.

Wannabe Chief Ministers

Congress leader P Chidambaram, in his column for The Indian Express, points to several instances where "governors who wish to lord over chief ministers" have crossed the limits even though the "Governor of a state has no real powers" under the Westminster parliamentary system adopted by India.

"But there are people who do not like the Westminster system. By extension, they don’t like states; they don’t like elected legislatures; and they don’t like chief ministers. In sum, they would like to get rid of state governments. If China with 1,426 million people can have one government, why not India with 1,412 million people? The tribe against the Westminster model is growing. Some of the tribe have been appointed Governors of states. A Governor of a state is a titular head (like the British monarch) and the government is run in the name of the Governor."

P Chidambaram, for The Indian Express

‘Bulldozer Justice’ Unjust Under All Circumstances

Writing for the Deccan Chronicle, author-diplomat Pavan K Varma concurs with the Gauhati High Court's recent observations regarding the houses of six accused in a case being bulldozed by the Assam Police. He further urges readers to look "beyond the criminality of the incident."

"In the modern context, “discipline” must include respecting the rule of law, the Constitution, and the fundamental jurisprudential tenet that a person accused of being guilty should have a chance to prove his or her innocence. It is true that justice delayed is justice denied. Our legal system is so tardy, that the guilty go free or unpunished for years taking advantage of the due process of law. But should this mean that we dispense with the law itself? This question should make us pause to reflect, because while summary ‘justice’ has a primitive, macho appeal, unchecked power leaves all citizens vulnerable. Those who celebrate it could it be its next victim."

Pavan K Varma, for Deccan Chronicle

RBI Report Is Welcome but Urban India Still Not a Political Priority

Richard M Rossow, for the Times of India, hails the Reserve Bank of India's ‘Report on Municipal Finances’ as a "positive step," since India-based studies focusing on municipal governance and its role in revenue generation are rare.

"Despite increases in India’s urban population in recent years, according to the World Bank, only about one-third of India’s population lives in cities. The demographic skew in rural and semi-urban areas gives these groups tremendous political clout. Political parties must still focus election efforts and government programs on these areas to shore up voter support. Across India, rural citizens enjoy free or low-cost amenities such as electricity, water, subsidised loans, and more. Cities are treated like piggy banks to fund programs outside the cities, while infrastructure requirements in these cities languish, reducing their growth potential."

Richard M Rossow, for the Times of India

A Letter From New York

In her piece for The Indian Express, Tavleen Singh rejects nationalism in Modi's India as "fake" and "ugly" since "anyone with any connection to Muslims or Islam can be charged with being a Pakistani agent." Singh further writes about how she prefers the American brand of nationalism that was on display in the country during the recently celebrated Thanksgiving holiday.

"As an Indian who remembers well that ‘old India’ that is slowly disappearing, my favourite memories are of festivals like Diwali and Eid that were celebrated by Hindus and Muslims coming together to eat and rejoice. Festivals should bring people together in fun and festivity. This is what Thanksgiving does."

Tavleen Singh, for The Indian Express

Blinkered Morality

Commenting about the outrage in Qatar amid the FIFA World Cup 2022, Mukul Kesavan, for The Telegraph, lays out the possible reasons that have led to the storm of criticism against the Qatari State as well as the international governing body of football.

"There is something to be learnt about football in particular and the world at large by trying to understand the drivers of this outrage regardless of where we might stand on Qatar’s claim to the Cup. One reason for the storm of criticism is the nature of news: any world event is likely to become a lightning rod for people who feel strongly about particular causes. People concerned about global warming will point to the environmental costs of such a massive gathering. Feminists and people committed to gay and trans rights will likewise see in Qatar’s institutionalised misogyny and homophobia an opportunity to campaign for equal rights."

Mukul Kesavan, for The Telegraph

The Green Enthusiasts

Alka Jain reflects in The Hindu about the new-found interest and passion in gardening that many people discovered during the pandemic. She writes that "amidst the chaos in human life, peace lent a helping hand in the form of petals and leaves."

"The roots of many worldly men and women’s interest and passion in gardening can be traced to the onset of the pandemic. A new opportunity was available when all social activities were purged and days and nights merged into isolation. All pursuits of society – work, entertainment, exhibitions, marriages, feasts and travel – suddenly came to a halt. In times of the COVID peril, nature appeared as a saviour for many women, the elderly and the work-from-home generation. Good things come by when we leave room for them, and during this break from the regular clutter of life, the muddy patch of my humble backyard rose to glory.”

Alka Jain, in The Hindu

Of Caste, Privilege and Quotas: A Reality Check

Asang Wankhede, for The Indian Express, reads between the lines of the recent Supreme Court judgment on the 103rd Amendment of the Constitution – also known as the EWS reservation case – and questions "whether the current executive criterion devised to identify EWS is suitable in achieving the egalitarian goal."

"As I found in my research on reservation policy for the dominant castes, the caste privileged have privileges in terms of accumulation of social, economic and human capital – the perception of lagging behind in the race is based on the politics of caste and not empirical indicators. This contradiction has continued in the central government’s devising of the EWS criterion which was critiqued by the Supreme Court in Neil Aurelio Nunes v Union of India for lacking any empirical basis."

Asang Wankhede, for The Indian Express

​​Would You Stick Your (Statistical) Neck Out To Predict This World Cup’s Champion?

In an article in Economic Times, Atanu Biswas, professor at the Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata, weighs in on how far statistics can go in predicting the winner of this year’s FIFA World Cup. Only to conclude by saying that "big data analytics is still in its infancy and available technologies are grossly inadequate" and that he too hopes that data analytics doesn’t reach a point to predict World Cup results.

"In some models, individual player ratings are combined with team performance to create a rating for every international team. A University of Nottingham study also considers economic and climatic factors such as each country's per capita GDP, population, temperature, and home advantage. Argentina is found to be the possible winner in this model. Video game developer EA Sports has used HyperMotion2 technology and the dedicated FIFA World Cup 2022 ratings to simulate all 64 matches. It's predicted a Brazil-Argentina final where Lionel Messi would score the winning goal – apparently his eighth goal of the tournament."

Atanu Biswas, in Economic Times

Nadda, Anurag Sleepless on HP; Shah Lobby Plans To Sideline Raje

Delhi-based journalist Anita Katyal opines in a column in the Deccan Chronicle that the BJP has reason to worry in Himachal Pradesh where "anti-incumbency and the rebel factor have queered the pitch for the ruling party."

"On the other hand, the Congress is convinced it is winning but its leaders privately admit they don’t want to appear over-confident given their past experience in Uttarakhand where they were sure of a victory but suffered a shock defeat. Nevertheless, this has not stopped chief ministerial contenders from lining up in Delhi to lobby their case."

Anita Katyal, in Deccan Chronicle

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