The January 2010 issue of Pragati discusses India’s options in Afghanistan. While there are a number of options ranging from scaling up training of Afghan national security forces to actually scaling down development projects if the United States quits prematurely, editorially, we argue that it is in India’s interests to send combat-ready troops to Afghanistan. [...]
Let’s find out whether it works
This blog has long argued that for governance to improve more citizens must vote. So what should we make of the Gujarat state’s decision to make voting compulsory in all local body elections?
Constitutional and philosophical reasons apart (see Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s op-ed for this) this is an interesting experiment and [...]
On keeping the republic, getting incentives right and projecting power
For contemplation on Independence Day—the Absent Indian Voter Syndrome; All poor, all backward and the wages of Lax Indica.
From the archive: Three thoughts on on Republic Day 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 and Independence Day 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004.
First register to vote. Then make sure you vote
General elections have been announced. If you are not on the voters list, or are not sure that you are, just go over to Jaago Re and register online as soon as possible. Spread the word. Bug your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours. Nag them until they [...]
There are no shortcuts to good governance. Certainly not negative ones
A group of well-meaning citizens and organisations came together in Mumbai on 11th January and “discussed strategies for networking, shortlisting common activities and adding value to each others’ core competencies”. Among those present were members from Youth For Equality, Yuva, Association For Democratic Reforms (ADR) [...]
Guns and votes are not mutually compatible—an acceptance of one is an implicit rejection of the other.
In today’s Mint, Sushant K Singh and Rohit Pradhan have one of the best analyses of the Jammu & Kashmir state election verdict.
The traditional approach of viewing the state as a monolithic entity must be replaced by one which [...]
(And why we expected nothing else)
Describing the announcement of state assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir as “unfortunate”, the ‘moderate’ Mirwaiz said, “We expected confidence-building measures like release of prisoners and the withdrawal of laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. But they [Indian government] still think that election is the answer.”
What is really [...]
The government we deserve
Lousy infrastructure. Poorly managed public services. Quixotic city planning. The city at the heart of India’s new economy suffers from the worst failings of its old politics.
But the sheer apathy with which the city’s voters treated the recent assembly elections—after several years of frustrating political logjams and venal political leadership—suggests that [...]
Leadership will not go unrewarded
Merely ten years after declaring itself a nuclear weapons state, will India’s nuclear future turn into a grand Greek tragedy? K Subrahmanyam’s analysis of the India-US nuclear deal and the interests and payoffs for political parties and their leaders is brilliant.
Will be remote controlled
The day after Benazir Bhutto’s assassination The Acorn wrote:
There are two front-runners, as of now, and one wild-card. The PML (Q)’s Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, former chief minister of Punjab province and Makhdoom Ameen Fahim, Benazir Bhutto’s deputy and caretaker leader of the PPP all these years, have the best shot at the [...]
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