India needs immediate economic as well as structural reforms. We need to cut down on the fiscal deficit, move our labour force away from agriculture; invest more in healthcare and education. We need large scale privatisation.
It took a pandemic for us to realise that the Health of a nation overrides every other necessity. 137% increase in the Health budget is phenomenal. Fantastic news, this.
Remembering Sir CV Raman, born this day in 1888. Known for discovering the eponymous Raman Effect, his genius was reflected in diverse fields. He had the child's eye.
And here Sir CV Raman struts into @StPaulsLondon and emerges with the now iconic Nature paper, explaining the real reason behind the whispering-gallery phenomena, thereby disproving Lord Rayleigh.
And here is Sir CV Raman doing what he loved most - dress up as a magician on weekends and have children gather round him. His magic shows were all the rage.
He holds in his hand a quartz crystal. (From the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, @iiscbangalore.)
Twitter is like a Public Sector Bank. Its losses mount year on year; the organisation is run by pompous individuals; the rules & regulations are confounding & absurd; the complaints are seldom heard; the decisions go mostly against your wishes; but everyone who hates it uses it.
The threat of censorship is worse than censorship; for it is better to be blind than to be looking constantly over your shoulder.
The Indian courts MUST step in and restore the sanctity of freedom of speech. They must step in and restore @Twitter to being just a platform.
We are living in a world where you believe what you see, but unfortunately what you see is written by those who see what they believe.
Rate of Crime against Dalits (2019, NCRB data; Chargesheet rate: 80%).
UP: 28.6
Kerala: 28.2
West Bengal: 0.6.
Well-done, Bengal. But Now the Kerala communists are in a bind. Do they tell & mock their Bengal comrades that Bengal doesn't report Dalit crimes whereas Kerala does?
Calling out selectivity is important because it exposes nefarious agendas. But it can never be an excuse for wrongful conduct by those calling it out.
1. I am appalled to see @BloomsburyIndia, publisher of two of my books, buckle under threats by fascists and withdraw the book Delhi Riots - 2020. I stand in complete solidarity with the authors.
This is an assault on Freedom of Expression and on those who cherish this freedom.
2. A book is an idea, one you may staunchly agree or disagree with. And an idea cannot be destroyed. It cannot fall victim to threats and blackmail by fascists. Books last because ideas do.
This decision by Bloomsbury should be condemned by ALL writers and readers.
3. If Bloomsbury does not retract its decision, my co-author and I have decided that we will return the substantial advance paid to us by Bloomsbury for our forthcoming book.
We cannot allow our book to be published by a house that does not respect Freedom of Expression.