Selective Conscience
“We are home to all faiths in the world and we celebrate all of them,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said in his address to the joint session of the US Congress. In his article for Telegraph India, Mukul Kesavan critically analyses that remark.
“The first claim is correct; the second, if the ‘we’ in question includes the prime minister, his political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the parent organisation that politically birthed both, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, is laughably untrue.”
The Tragedy of the Titan Underlines the Dangers of Unregulated Private Exploration
“What were five men in a little pod doing so deep in the Atlantic?” Menaka Guruswamy asks and answers, in an article for The Indian Express. Her piece highlights the fact that private exploration — whether into space or into the ocean or to other remote corners of the world — is unregulated. Thereby, she talks about the very real safety concerns such ventures come with.
“It is fuelled by wealthy explorers who want unusual experiences and private companies that cater to this desire. This is in sync with the general desire to explore, discover and tag that has fuelled explorations through human history. Profit provides the incentive to use risky technology. The submersible in question has been criticised for lacking safety markers — for example, the hull, which should have been seven inches thick, was only five inches thick.”
Credit for India-US Bonhomie Goes to Xi Jinping
Writing in the aftermath of the agreements unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, C Raja Mohan analyses the India-US “bonhomie”. In his article for The Indian Express, he refers to it as an attempt to build a multipolar Asia. Further he points out:
“Underlying this is a new US strategy to build a more balanced Asia. That suits Delhi, which is not seeking an alliance with the US but a partnership that will elevate India’s capabilities and help contribute to a stable Asian architecture. For the first time since the Second World War, the US-India security partnership now becomes a new and significant variable in Asian geopolitics.”
Galwan: China’s cultural, Admin Footprint in Border Areas Growing
Jayadeva Ranade, in an article for the Times of India, writes that in the three years that have passed since the Galwan clash, there has only been an increase in China’s cultural and administrative impact in the region. And “there appears to be little likelihood of a change in China’s attitude towards India,” he writes.
“Additionally, there are reports of infrastructure construction and military activity along the LAC. Police and border guards have been noticed going to Demchok village’s Guge Duty Patrol Point. Reports mention that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has increased patrolling activities in the Medog region (opposite Upper Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh).”
Bot a Joke! Why AI Sucks at Humour But Can Fib Like a Neta
In her blog for Times of India, Twinkle Khanna writes about why comedians can rest easy: AI may be able to lie through its metaphorical teeth, but it cannot tell a good joke. Her argument essentially pertains to how humans are just funnier — even when they don’t intend to be.
“Two German researchers further tested ChatGPT’s comedic abilities and discovered that out of the 1,000 jokes it generated, 90% were repetitions of the same 25 jokes. On the other hand, you have human scientists naming a compound that kills fungi ‘Keanumycin as an homage to Keanu Reeves, because ‘he, too, is extremely deadly in his roles’, and a politician who declares that the height of women has increased since the Modi government came to power.”
Lessons from Emergency We Must Not Forget
In an article for The Indian Express, M Venkaiah Naidu laments the Emergency (1975). Thereby, recalling the havoc that ensued over four decades ago, he talks about how it is a reminder of the importance of upholding democratic principles.
“The Emergency serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding democratic principles, protecting civil liberties, and ensuring a robust system of checks and balances. The dark phase also sparked debates on the role of the judiciary, media freedom, and the limits of executive power in a democratic society. Respect for the rule of law is another key lesson the Emergency taught us.”
Remembering K R Parthasarathy: A Life in Numbers
In a piece for The Indian Express, Rajendra Bhatia pays tribute to the life and legacy of K R Parthasarthy or KRP, one of India’s finest mathematicians. Parthasarthy, breathed his last on 14 June. Bhatia writes:
“Apart from his pioneering research work in diverse areas like classical and quantum probability, stochastic processes, information theory, group representations and foundations of quantum mechanics, KRP is well known for several books and lecture notes. He was a scintillating and inspiring lecturer and his talks were universally admired as models of clear exposition. He remained an enthusiastic learner and teacher till the very end of his life, writing his last paper shortly before his death.”
No Vaccine for Spampedimic Virus of Complicit Greed
Prabhu Chawla, in an article for The New Indian Express, delves into the paradox of technology. “The cell phone is an essential evil of the New World,” he writes.
“Mobile calls are invisible invaders, not differentiating between the rich and poor. They have become weapons to steal wealth with stealth. The Spampedimic is the current curse of capitalism sans cure.”
A Land in Trouble
Meanwhile, Walter Fernandes attempts an overview of Manipur’s three-way ethnic conflict. In his piece, published in The Telegraph, he points out that for many years, civil society orginasations from all three — Meitei, Naga and Kuki groups — have attempted to facilitate dialogue. “But they have been sidelined in the last few years,” Fernandes writes.
But not all hope is lost.
“Not all Meiteis are involved in the conflict. Many of their leaders and thinkers have come out against it. Houses of some of them have been attacked in retaliation and they are in hiding. In Churachandpur, when some Kuki men were planning to attack Meiteis, Kuki women formed a human chain to prevent these attacks. In neighbouring Moirang, Meitei parents and students stood near the gate of a Jesuit school to prevent attacks on it by an armed group.”
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