Now that I have had my moments of Schadenfreude followed by sadness at the events that unfolded in Capitol Hill, it is time for some serious reflection. Everyone saw the shameful scenes that unfolded and there is nothing one can add to that. However let’s see what else happened.
1) Capitol Hill should never have been breached but once this happened the citadel of American democracy was secured quickly as soon as law makers were evacuated. Within couple of hours the Capitol Hill was secure again and rioters had been thrown out.
2) US Congress reconvened as soon as they could and certified Joe Biden’s election victory. They sent a strong message that no one is more important than the constitution and they are beholden to the constitution and not to any mob.
3) By and large, Sensible Right is quicker than Sensible left in denouncing all violence without ifs and buts. This is not surprising because left supports the currency of violence and is comfortable with it. Non Left is more about law and order and peaceful dialogue.
4) American conservatism is not dead but it is in crisis. Conservatives need a strong leader who will held them get out of this crisis. Trumpism cannot be an antidote to Wokeism. But going back to Reagan’s sensible politics surely will work in 2021 too. America needs a Reagan.
5)American exceptionalism needs a rethink and Americans need to learn humility. American experiment is the greatest geopolitical experiment of human kind. Net Net America is a positive force in the world. But they need to learn to work with and appreciate other democracies
6) In 2021 the world must understand democracy is a work in progress and West must learn from a civilizational country like India. Democracy and freedom comes naturally with Indian ethos and there is no inherent struggle. Western intellectuals must understand why this is so.
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I have always maintained that @narendramodi ‘s domestic Kashmir policy in the long run will be judged by 3 things 1) Free and fair elections 2) Equal Political representation to Jammu. 3) Safety and rehabilitation of minorities. #DDCElections2020
Weeding out terrorism is a national security issue and topmost priority for any govt in New Delhi. So I will not classify that under domestic Kashmir policy. Free and fair elections to strengthen grassroots democracy post Art 370 has been achieved today #DDCElections2020
A beginning has been made today. I am glad despite high rhetoric, valley based parties have participated in the elections and put their faith in electoral process. Glad that BJP no longer believes valley is out of bounds for the party. #DDCElections2020
I think at this point all negotiations should stop. Zamindari system was long abolished in India. This zamindari system that exists under cover in Punjab must go too in the interest of real tillers of the soil.
I don’t understand Left politics in this country. Haven’t Leftist parties always stood by poor and landless farmers? In this agitation they are standing by absentee landlords/neo zamindars and in a way propagating zamindari system of the yore. What kind of left politics is this?
What rich farmers and absentee landlords of Punjab essentially want is this - They want to keep growing sub- standard grains and then force the govt to buy it at a gun point. This is extortion. Farmer will have to grow what is in demand and will have to produce quality produce.
Do you know that MSPs are transferred through DBTs everywhere except in Punjab, where it goes through intermediaries? myind.net/Home/viewArtic…
Most leftist career rabble rousers won’t tell you this about Punjab-tiller is usually not the landowner. Therefore poor farmer who toils on the field does not even get any benefit of the govt schemes. Check this report from March indianexpress.com/article/india/…
The ‘poor farmer’ image that we get from 50’s and 60’s Hindi cinema is not even applicable in Punjab. Absentee landlordism exists everywhere and most absentee landlords are NRI’s. Poor tillers are too scared to even tell you who their landowners are.
There comes a time- in the life of nation as in the life of an individual, when you must make tough decisions and stand by them. It is time to say coercive religious conversions are human rights violation. No free society should accept forced conversion borne out of intimidation.
This becomes even more important in a society where majority DOES NOT proselytize. There is no point sugarcoating this. Few celebrities in South Mumbai and South Delhi cannot be a template for what is the lived reality of thousands.
Those who stand for Human Rights, those who stand for freedom, liberty and individual rights, must call out forced conversions. Those who stand for gender rights must stand for women having agency to not convert under intimidation.
Thread-Seeing a lot of ‘template articles’ from Indian origin commentators who focus on India-US relationship. Here is the template 1) India-US relationship is beyond whoever occupies the White House 2) lot of progress has been made 3) Biden will ‘question’ India on Human Rights
Half of this commentary is lazy commentary.Other half is working on ‘pressurizing’ India to walk into the US camp because ‘Strategic Autonomy’ is just so ‘Indian’. India must choose a bloc -a commentator writing for a Indian newspaper made it palatable by calling it a system :)
There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that India-US cooperation is not just necessary but inevitable. There is lot of pro America sentiment in India today compared to Cold War era. No politician except loony far left, who will never come to power, promote antagonism with the US
Since French secularism is sham (latest version of ‘I will behead and plead Victimhood’), I think France should be left alone with her sham secularism and those who seek true democracy and respect for all should move to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan and China. Win-Win for all
I have no issue with Islamists as far as communication is concerned. Not once have they professed liberal values, not once have they batted for democracy. Fair enough. My problem is with leftists and faux liberals who argue with me that Muslim countries have every right to be +
Closed Islamic societies because majority wants it. Don’t force modernity on them because they have a right to be Islamic societies. Then why is France being told that their secularism is ‘brutal’. Laicite has strong approval from all French people. Right/left political spectrum