governance, political economy, institutional development and economic regulation
Prime Minister Modi and scores of democratically elected leaders, must envy Xi Jinping the President and “uncrowned emperor” of China. The serried rows of compliant and attentive members of the People’s Congress, seated, as if pinned, to identical red upholstery; displaying endless patience through Xi’s three and a half hour over-long, speech, without once dozing […]
Read More Xi and Modi – joined at the hipModi enters Parliament for the first time in 2014 in a characteristic “Indian” manner – prostrating himself at the steps of this very British institution. Stooping to assimilate is the Indian way. Photo courtesy Indian Express Three years ago, when Modi’s BJP entered Parliament in May 2014, with a never before majority, the “realtors of […]
Read More Modi: Unassailable at threephoto credit: http://www.morror.uk.co So what did the Silicon dudes, collectively representing around $500 billion in purchasing power, think of the case placed before them by the self-made, roughhewn yet charismatic Indian Prime Minister — the man with a penchant for the dramatic? From the looks of it, they thought he was kosher. Someone they could […]
Read More The San Jose window(photo credit: archives.financialexpress.com) Delhi Assembly election 2015 is beginning to resemble a Greek tragedy for the Bharatiya Janata Party. What a change from the national elections in May 2014 when the BJP shone in comparison to the inept Congress Party. The motley crew of small regional or local parties (like the Aam Aadmi Party) also […]
Read More BJP, take five!(Reposted from the Asian Age January 21- http://www.asianage.com/columnists/bjp-dials-100-bedi-rescue-021) (photocredit: sahilonline.org) The DNA of Kiran Bedi and the Bharatiya Janata Party seem twinned at birth. Bolly-wood films thrive on the “masala” (formula) of twins separated at birth but reunited after an epic struggle with a happily tear-jerking end. The BJP and Ms Bedi finding each other after […]
Read More BJP dials 100, Bedi to the rescueBabus are looking forward to another bonanza, courtesy the 7th Pay Commission, which the previous government constituted just before demitting office. The armed forces, always better organized, are first off-the-mark with an earmarked Pay Cell already created, headed by a two star General, to lobby for better terms and conditions. Other Unions and Associations will […]
Read More Why spend more on babus? 7th Pay Commission(photo credit: post.jagran.com) PM Modi’s external affairs team has hit the ground running; making friends and influencing people in the region. His visit to Bhutan and Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Ministers’ forthcoming visit to Dhaka, build on links forged previously. These are relatively “low hanging fruit” to show that we want to be part of […]
Read More Wooing Pakistan; India’s “less friendly” neighbor(Photo credit: outlookindia.com) The Pak-India affair is almost as tiresome as the Israeli-Palestine impasse. Neither party can pull apart nor do they live together in peace. Successive governments on both sides start a peace initiative at the beginning of their terms, only to lapse into status-quo near the end-defeated by the inertia of […]
Read More Spicing the Pak-India “Punjabi Tango” with Gujarati Dandia could yield results.Hindus, across caste lines, believe that the Modi Sarkar will usher in better times. But there is disquiet amongst the Muslims, in particular, but also amongst Christians. Both religions are of foreign origin and linked to religious regimes located elsewhere. They fear the whip-lash of a possible “India for Hindus” sentiment akin to the “Africa […]
Read More The new Modi fan clubThe saffron deluge has taken everyone by surprise, like an early monsoon. The Modi storm carried away with it, anyone who rode with him and demolished all others, barring regional stalwarts like Amma, Naveen Patnaik and Didi. Is this the end of caste as a political weapon? With Bhenji (Dalit supremo), Netaji (Ahir supremo-UP), Lallu […]
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