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 Trump Effect on India

In his weekly column for The Indian Express, four-time Union Minister of Finance P Chidambaram addresses the most extensively debated global discourse since the result of the 2024 United States presidential election was announced: What would the ramifications of Donald Trump’s – America’s 47th president-elect – accession, or rather, re-accession to the throne be, on the world at the macrocosm, and India at the microcosm?

Finally, what will be Mr Trump’s attitude toward the two wars that are killing dozens of innocent people every day and destroying critical infrastructure like schools and hospitals? Mr Trump has promised to “stop wars”, but he has not spelt out what he will do. His past record and pronouncements indicate that he will support Israel. He may pressure Mr Zelenskyy to conclude a deal with Russia. Any rash step will have consequences and there is no certainty that either war will end and lead to durable peace. On the contrary, if the wars intensified, supply chains will be further disrupted and gravely affect developing countries.

P Chidambaram, for The Indian Express

Chidambaram envisages Trump’s influence through the lens of his prominent attributes – a mercantilist, planning to impose high tariffs; a protectionist, promising to trigger America’s industrial renaissance; a climate sceptic, nominating a climate crisis denier for the role of the Energy Secretary; the nemesis of illegal immigration, having announced plans to deport up to 1 million illegal immigrants in 100 days; and ultimately, the self-consecrated conflict terminator, having promised to end wars.

Preserving India’s Salad-Bowl Diversity

In the lead-up to the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian constitution, Faizan Mustafa, vice-chancellor of Chanakya National Law University, highlights the singular most indispensable strand in India’s DNA – diversity. Writing for Deccan Herald, Mustafa champions for the preservation of diversity, should the nation be committed towards its goal of attaining Viksit Bharat by 2047.

India was divided in the name of religion; yet, the framers of our Constitution had a vision and commitment to protect minorities under the new Constitution. In simple terms, they preferred the preservation of distinct diversities through integration or a ‘salad bowl model’ rather than opting for the regressive, dated model of assimilation of minorities or the ‘melting pot’ model. Thus, special safeguards were guaranteed to the minorities with an intent to instil in them a sense of condence so that their fears about majoritarianism were dispelled.

Faizan Mustafa, for Deccan Herald

Albeit religion was the cornerstone of India’s partition, the writer mentions how the nation’s constitution ensures the protection and survival of the minorities irrespective of their religion, with even Hindus – the religious majority of India – being minorities in some states, and hence being protected by minority rights.

PM Boasts of India Becoming 3rd Largest Economy. Does It Matter if Delhi Still Breathes Poisonous Air?

In her piece for The Indian Express, columnist Tavleen Singh critiques the ostensible welfare schemes that India's populism-embracing politicians have so often been resorting to, a dime a dozen, and their infinitesimal – if anything, at all – propensity for either engendering any bona fide development, or addressing the root causes of poverty. Freebies, Singh argues, have unsurprisingly proven to be vote bank-enticing policies masquerading as means to eradicate deprivation.

There was a time when we accepted that India would always be a poor country but not only do we refuse to accept this now, our Prime Minister boasts about how we will soon become the third largest economy in the world. What difference will that make if the citizens of Delhi are forced to breathe poisonous air. If our sacred rivers continue to resemble drains. And if huge mountains of garbage continue being built on the borders of cities simply because we cannot afford modern methods of waste management. The Beloved Sisters monthly pocket money scheme was designed to defeat anti-incumbency in Maharashtra. But is it truly going to help India?

Tavleen Singh, for The Indian Express

Citing the example of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members indulging in asinine whataboutery whilst addressing Delhi's hazardous air quality index, Singh throws light on India’s sui generis irony – aiming to become the world’s third-largest economy, whilst found wanting in the department of rudimentary living standards.

The Loneliness Epidemic

In The Hindu, Madhumita Sharma and Treya Sinha delve into the staggering rise of global isolation among Gen Z since the COVID-19 pandemic, terming it the "loneliness epidemic." With their horizons constricted by the enclosed walls of technology, and further amplified by the dearth of in-person interactions, teenagers and young adults are finding establishing any meaningful connection nearly unattainable.

Loneliness has come across a public health crisis in the past few years and is often linked with suicide, mental health disorders and substance abuse. Many school and college students are struggling to adjust and reconnect with their peers after two years of online learning. The increasing consumption of social media and digital interactions during the COVID era has left many people, especially the youth feeling a sense of “digital isolation.” WHO estimated that 10% of adolescents and 25% of old people in India are alone. India’s loneliness epidemic is not only a mental health crisis, it has also come across as a societal challenge threatening social connections and bonds among people.

Madhumita Sharma and Treya Sinha, for The Hindu

India’s loneliness crisis, claim Sharma and Sinha, is far from being a trifling mental health issue, and is steadily metamorphosing into becoming a severe societal crisis, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimating 10% of Indian adolescents are alone, whilst another study stating suicide rates among Indian men of 15-29 years of age are approximately twice than that of the global average.

Incessant Fire

Writing for The Telegraph, Sushant Singh critiques Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s apathy towards the Manipur conflict amid growing instability and hostility in the region. PM Modi, mentions Singh, has yet to visit the Northeastern state, which has witnessed more than 20 official deaths since May 2023, despite being urged to do so by many, including Manipur’s former governor Anusuiya Uikey.

If New Delhi’s poisonous air and Adani’s indictment are not serious enough to warrant Modi’s intervention, the same cannot be said about the ongoing violence in Manipur. Over the past few days, more than 20 persons have been killed in violence that erupted in May 2023. The Union home minister, Amit Shah, has taken the pro-forma step of holding some more meetings with bureaucrats and the Central Armed Police Forces. More importantly, he has publicised them so that they are regurgitated by the regime-media to give an impression to the larger public that some concrete action has been taken. Some 90 companies of CAPF have been despatched to Manipur; they will work under the state government. Despatching additional security forces makes little sense after nearly 19 months of continuing violence, especially if the Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments at the Centre and the state have taken no steps to retrieve more than 5,000 lethal weapons from state armouries that continue to be with the majoritarian militia group.

Sushant Singh, for The Telegraph

With the Manipur conflict now spreading like conflagration, affecting the neighbouring states of Mizoram, Nagaland and Assam, the writer urges PM Modi to orchestrate a swift and decisive political solution to subjugate the situation, thereby subsequently alleviating the risk of his government losing its credibility and reliability.  

Ensure Fire Safety Audit at Neonatal Facilities

India was met with two devastating tragedies over the last few months, with the abject lack of fire-safety audit being the culprit on both occasions. In May, a fire at a private Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) caused six deaths in East Delhi. A similar tribulation struck Jhansi’s Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, where a fire led to 10 deaths. Writing for The Tribune, Pushpa Girimaji – a consumer rights and safety expert – highlights the pressing need for safety measures.

Ironically, in March this year, the Union Ministry of Health had issued a directive to all healthcare organisations, emphasising the importance of fire safety. This was followed by an advisory by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers reminding hospitals to take due cognisance of the directive. Following the fire in the Delhi hospital on May 25, the National Neonatology Forum issued an advisory specifically aimed at hospitals caring for newborns on the special fire safety requirements of NICUs. It obviously went unheeded or else we would not have witnessed another distressing tragedy in Jhansi.

Pushpa Girimaji, for The Tribune

With outdated and damaged wires, defective components and overheating being the major drivers of tragic accidents, and NICUs being especially vulnerable owing to their climactic attributes – multiple outdated appliances, oxygen-rich environment and congestion – Girimaji advocates for a plethora of measures. They include, but are not restricted to, the immediate upgradation of types of electrical equipment, regular fire-safety audits, and accountability from the governments involved.

Casinos, Beef, Prohibition: Get Off the Moral Pedestal

In his piece for Deccan Chronicle, Pavan K Varma, former ambassador of India to Bhutan, expounds the stark contrast between India’s public morality and private indulgence, using various examples as testaments to the nation’s hypocrisy. The writer mentions how our Indians despise gambling, whilst it is also experiencing rampant growth, with the Indian cricketers brandishing a ‘fantasy gaming’ company’s logo on their shirts. Another such instance is of vegetarianism attaining a moral high ground in a nation where over 50% of the Hindus eat non-vegetarian food.

The policy of not allowing casinos is motivated by high ethical principles against gambling. But in our country, millions gamble in private, and some even consider it auspicious on Diwali, as an invitation to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Billions are spent by common people in betting on matka, cricket matches, and the results of elections. The networks for unauthorized gambling, are massive, pervasive and organised, functioning without any legal regulatory framework, and with the connivance of enforcement agencies. Indians flock to Kathmandu, London, Macao, Las Vegas — and world over — to casinos, to add to the tourist revenues of those countries, whose ethical standards — incidentally — are often superior to ours.

Pavan K Varma, for Deccan Chronicle

Ultimately, Varma calls for the embracement of pragmatic morality, wherein Indians firstly acknowledge their double standards, and consequently, strive towards the fulfillment of the national motto – Satyameva Jayate (Truth alone triumphs).

The Need Is for Domain Experts, but Within the Civil Service

In his piece for The Hindu, Zubair Nazeer, Assistant Professor (Public Administration) at the Amar Singh College, Cluster University, discusses the importance of having domain experts in civil service, whilst subsequently devising a remedial framework for the impending challenges in ensuring the same. The UPSC has initiated the Lateral Entry Scheme, where domain specialists would be directly appointed to administrative roles. However, the scheme has faced resistance from marginalised communities, who have low representation in higher bureaucratic positions.

There is no denying the reality that there is a need for domain experts in the public sector, as each sector is becoming specialised, requiring close collaboration with technical experts. Civil servants are generally generalists, not specialists. Lateral entry, with or without reservation as it existed, was essentially a short-term solution. The need is for domain experts within the civil service itself. It is these domain experts who would cultivate a resilient and effective civil service. To realise this objective, there is a need to develop long-term strategies that prioritise academic-industry-civil service collaboration, capacity building, and institutional development.

Zubair Nazeer, for The Hindu

Elaborating on the possible solutions, Nazeer argues for a collaborative effort with India’s premier academic institutions, offering specialised courses for civil servants with a singular focus on domain expertise. To ensure fair representation of the agitated marginalised communities, the writer advocates for a transparent and rigorous selection process.

How a Queen Became a Goddess

In her piece for The New Indian Express, cultural historian and environmentalist Nanditha Krishna explores how the mythological Draupadi – a pivotal character in the Mahabharata and wife of the Pandavas – became a revered deity in the southern states of India, most notably Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, despite her origins being traced to the mythological Kampilya in Uttar Pradesh.

When the founder of the Draupadi Dream Trust visited Chennai, she was shocked to learn of the many Draupadi temples in the south. Neither in Kampilya, where Draupadi was born, nor elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh and Nepal are there temples for this redoubtable wife of the Pandavas. Draupadi is the kuladeivam of entire families and villages in this region. There is a Draupadi Amman temple on my street. How did this North Indian queen become a village goddess feted at festivals in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and even Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Reunion and South Africa—wherever the south Indian diaspora lives?

Nanditha Krishna, for The New Indian Express

Exploring the possible reasons behind the sizeable number of Draupadi Amman temples in the South, Krishna suggests that the queen of Tamil Nadu’s Pandya dynasty – who claimed to have descended from the Pandavas of Mahabharata – might have connected her ancestry to Mathura by worshipping Draupadi. The author further elaborates on Vaishnava Alvars calling Mathura the ‘Madurai of North,’ further establishing cultural ties between the two cities with enormous historical significance.

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