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Leaflet by Leaflet, a Few Aging Activists Fight India’s Tide of Bigotry https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/28/world/asia/india-activists.html
As politicians stoke religious hatred online, these veterans of social causes deliver their messages in person: “Talk to each other. Don’t let anyone divide you.”
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his deputies have vilified the country’s minorities in a yearslong campaign that has escalated during the current national election, the small band of aging activists has built bridges and preached harmony between religious groups... More than three dozen human rights defenders, poets, journalists and opposition politicians face charges, including under antiterrorism laws, for criticizing Mr. Modi’s divisive policies, according to rights groups..... “Despite a crackdown, they are refusing to cow down, leading them to hold placards, distributing fliers, to revive a message that once was taken for granted.”
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The space for activism may completely vanish, Ms. Verma said, as his party becomes increasingly intolerant of any scrutiny.
For now, she said, activists “are, sadly, just giving proof of our existence: that we may be demoralized, but we are still alive. Otherwise, hatred has seeped so deep it will take decades to rebuild trust.”
'Indian economy has rung 3 alarm bells, the new govt must deal with it within 100 days' https://youtu.be/fFH2No5Ebq0 29th May 2024 Sharad Raghavan
The new government should not be blinded by the strong GDP growth numbers that will come out at the end of this month. There are 3 economic alarm bells ringing, which need urgent attention, Deputy Editor TCA Sharad Raghavan argues in
https://theprint.in/opinion/standard-deviation/indian-economy-has-rung-3-alarm-bells-the-new-govt-must-deal-with-it-within-100-days/2104294/
Modi govt's GDP growth data for 2024-25, expected this month, must not overwhelm the senses of the new government that comes to power in June.
The first alarm bell is the sheer exuberance in the stock markets. Speak to any analyst, and they will tell you it is being driven by investments in small and mid-cap stocks. That is, small investors are putting their money in small — and often volatile — stocks.
second alarm bell. People taking loans for survival. data from the central bank shows that these loans are still growing at strong double-digit rates. These are not loans to buy houses, cars, or appliances. These are also not education-related loans. These are credit card spends, and desperate loans taken for what the RBI classifies as ‘other personal loans’ but which are, in actuality, loans for survival.
third alarm bell, is foreign direct investment into the country.FDI has been falling for a few years now, as has India’s share in global FDI, which shows foreign companies are increasingly choosing other countries. One of the major reasons is difficulty in procuring land and dealing with India’s labour.
The solutions? The first is for the Centre to repair its increasingly fractured relationship with the states. State governments must remember that FDI might be tracked at a national level, but it actually comes to the states. There are huge economic benefits to working cohesively with the Centre on attracting more foreign investment instead of treating it as attracting investment despite the Centre
The other two solutions are to do with land and labour, both issues that have plagued India’s economy for decades. Procuring land needs to be easier, and hiring labour less fraught
21 int'l bodies ask CJI for early resolution of Adani coal imports case https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/21-int-l-bodies-ask-cji-for-early-resolution-of-adani-coal-imports-case-124052400702_1.html 27 May 2024
Contending that they stand firmly against the continued use of fossil fuels, the organisations said the Financial Times report provided fresh and detailed evidence of the passing off of "low-quality coal as far more expensive cleaner fuel" by the Adani Group in transactions with Tamil Nadu's Tangedco.
While the Adani Group has denied all allegations, the news report has been cited by opposition leaders, including former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, to demand a joint parliamentary committee probe into the alleged wrongdoing.
for full text of letter see: https://thewire.in/rights/profits-at-the-expense-of-air-quality-21-global-ngos-urge-cji-to-expedite-adani-case-resolution The letter cited the apex court’s judgment in M.K. Ranjitsinh and Others v. Union of India, saying that India’s commitment to transitioning to non-fossil-fuels was “not just a strategic energy goal but a fundamental necessity for environmental preservation.” It emphasised that the Adani case involves the “dirtiest and most polluting coal being burned, and under false representation by the corporation concerned.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zpacHKacrQ Desh Neeti
- Delhi’s vendors struggle to stay on the street as lasting solutions remain on paper
- Appointments during Elections :
- The misuse of draconian laws for political gain
- Why ex-IAS officer VK Pandian is in crosshairs
- Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control
- PM Interviews: Ravish Kumar
- Towards Tax Justice and Wealth Redistribution in India
- Exploring the nexus of politics and pop culture
- ‘Ayega to Modi hi? But how?
- Dissent, in art and in life, is a tough path to choose. But sometimes it does create magic.