Page 16 - The Indian EYE 042922

OP-ED APRIL 29, 2022 | The Indian Eye 16

Bulldozers, minorities and

silent business voices

Views and opinions from the top commentators in Indian media

ulldozers had continued to
raze alleged encroachments in
BDelhi’s Jahangirpuri – scene
of rioting on Saturday – yesterday,
forcing Supreme Court to expedi-
tiously communicate its stay order
to North Municipal Corporation of
Delhi. This is enormously troubling,
even by recent standards. Some au-
thorities seem to have no qualms us-
ing any law or agency for various mo-
tives – here the subliminal messaging
appeared to be payback to “rioters”.
Only SC and high court judges with
their constitutional protections can
ensure that political and permanent
executives apply laws wisely and hu-
manely. Courts must step in to pre-
vent this mindless deployment of
bulldozers; the Constitution is getting
bulldozed as well. Razing of homes
and shops hurts entire families, and
even if there are family members who
allegedly rioted or even if structures A vehicle sprays water as paramilitary and police personnel stand guard after an anti-encroachment drive in the violence-hit Jahangirpuri area,
are illegal, there’s due process – inno-
cent until proven guilty and adequate in New Delhi on Thursday. (ANI)
notice, respectively – to be followed.
From its slums to posh areas, guage of human dignity beyond the Donald Trump’s decision to disman- does not augur well for a strong re-
Delhi is overrun by encroachments, vortex of communal identification? Is tle DACA, that protected children covery.
as are most Indian cities. Bureau- anybody left in that camp? To the Op- of undocumented immigrants from That prices were rising all of last
cratic hair-splitting on illegal struc- position parties who have no courage deportation. Both decisions we year is well-known. But the price
tures was therefore thoroughly un- of conviction or a grammar of politics -- Priya Ramani, The Quint growth had skipped foods; that in
convincing when Jahangirpuri was that can combat majoritarianism? fuels was countered by reduced lev-
singled out. ies and a freeze on price increases
-- Pratap Bhanu Mehta, The Indian Surging inflation
-- Editorial, The Times of India Express last November, while firms absorbed
nflation’s resurgence is a threat more input costs and passed on less
Secularism on trial Tough questions to India’s budding economic re- to the consumers. At the start of the
Ivival. Soaring prices of food, fuels year and until February, when the
riting on communalism has n their as yet unpublished paper and much else have firmly ensconced budget was framed and monetary
become a futile act. Who is titled Comparing corporate Twit- it centre stage, pushing aside other policy reviewed, retail inflation was
Wit addressed to? Certainly Iter engagement on citizenship problems and testing economic man- expected to be moderating during
not the state whose ideological prac- and immigration debated in India agement. At the start of the new fiscal the last quarter itself. Subsequent
tices and power fuel the crisis in the and the United States, authors She- year, growth expectations lie lowered, developments have overridden that
first place. Not civil society, because hla Rashid Shora, Arshia Arya and monetary tightening is on the anvil, understanding. For one, the Rus-
there is not much of civil society left. Joyojeet Pal at Microsoft Research and it is debatable how long fiscal sia-Ukraine war and the related
Not religious groups. To the votaries India compared the Twitter engage- policy can withstand the adjustment economic sanctions have pushed up
of new Hinduism, the only discourse ment of the 50 richest people in India or financing pressures of higher food, the global prices of oil, commodities,
of communalism that matters is one and the U.S. on debates related to fuel and fertilizer prices. The biggest fertilizers, food grains, metals and
they can use in a discourse of revenge. citizenship and immigration. setback is its interruption of the na- more; a fresh round of disruptions to
To Muslims, what reassurance can we Both countries were debating scent upturn in the business cycle. world trade has compounded these.
now give that asymmetry of numbers, contentious citizenship laws around This is a serious risk as households -- Renu Kohli, The Telegraph (India)
state power and ideological zeal will the same time—India was protesting and businesses postpone or scale
not be used in a project of their cul- the Narendra Modi government’s down expenditures even before these Every week, we look at what the top
tural erasure? Those who claim to be unfair Citizenship Amendment Act had resumed properly or taken off. commentators in the Indian media are
secular are bulldozed by the lie that (alongside the National Register for In the backdrop of their emasculated talking about and bring to you a slice
secularism is minority appeasement. Citizens) and in the U.S. there were state, during the pandemic and be- of their opinions and comments
To those who want to speak the lan- deeply polarising debates around fore that, an inflationary resurgence

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