Page 14 - The Indian EYE 052722

OP-ED MAY 27, 2022 | The Indian Eye 14

The West and India,

Quad meet and inflation fears

Views and opinions from the top commentators in Indian media

here is a lesson to be drawn Around the time when Deepika
from this history. When we Padukone was making everyone sit
Tshare values, we become aware up with her “one day Cannes will be
of each other’s deviations from these in India”, Kremlin announced that
values. What makes these deviations the Azovstal steelworks had been fi-
especially painful is hypocrisy — or nally “liberated”. Today, you might
the pretense that the flaws are on say Azovstal who, but tomorrow who
one side only. It was one thing for the knows which spare part you will be
British to describe Indians as “unciv- missing by way of collateral damage.
ilized”, it was quite another to do so -- Upala Das, The Telegraph (India)
while Britain was dismembering Chi-
na and overpowering Egypt. China’s growth
Consider what Bhaskar Pan-
durang Tarkhadkar, one of the first e’ve spent a lot of time
Indians to receive a modern English talking about the U.S. and
education, had to say in the Bom- Wthe return of inflation. That
bay Gazette in 1841, when news of remains an overarching theme. The
the First Opium War reached India: story playing out in China is entirely
“Where is your integrity and good different. Zero tolerance to Covid
sense which you so much boast of — and the strict lockdowns imposed in
ugh! Self-interest is all in all to you, Shanghai have worsened fears of a
and to secure it you would do any- slowdown in the world’s second-larg-
thing”. The British response was to est economy. Bloomberg Economics
send the editor of the Bombay Ga- this week pegged down the growth
zette packing, bringing Tarkhadkar’s forecast for China to 2%.
stinging editorials to an end. Zero tolerance to Covid and the
In recent times we have seen this The Modi government has been under pressure from the West on the Ukraine issue (ANI) strict lockdowns imposed in Shang-
pattern — where India is berated for hai have worsened fears of a slow-
deviating from “civilized norms” and is still as committed to the Quad as The vanished war down in the world’s second-largest
then berated once more for having the previous Liberal government. economy. Bloomberg Economics
the temerity to remind others of their For the Australian PM, this will be o, the rest of the world cannot this week pegged down the growth
deviation from “civilized norms”— a moment to demonstrate that he is be on pause just because there forecast for China to 2%. If the fore-
in full play. different from his predecessor, but Nis a war in one part. Film festi- cast comes true, China will grow less
The charged commentary on In- vals must go on and scams and squab- than the U.S. for the first time since
dia’s nuanced position on Russia and equally committed to the multilateral bling over palimpsests. Australia went 1976, Bloomberg wrote. Not every-
arrangement and to the bilateral rela-
Ukraine, a conflict it neither created tions that have been fostered over the to polls and Biden to South Korea. one is as pessimistic.
nor desired, is the most recent man- last decade, including with India. Depending on which part of the map China is easing financing condi-
ifestation of this trend. Europeans In contrast, Albanese has a you inhabit, the news of the Chinese tions to stem the bleed.
must have natural gas from Russia, low-profile presence and a work- army building a second bridge on the But Jefferies’ Chris Wood, writ-
but India, where inflation threatens Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh ing in the latest ‘Greed and Fear’, ex-
to send millions into poverty, is cas- man-like attitude and is given to a would have elated or alarmed you. presses skepticism over the impact of
considered rather than a brilliant
tigated for wanting the same. Mean- spontaneous response on most issues. And while you were looking away, the these easing measures till China con-
while, those who highlight the West’s Remember that Albanese was a child Russians took Mariupol. tinues to follow the strict Covid-19
self-dealing, are decried as vestiges Important port city and export containment policies that it currently
of the past prone to “anti-American- of deprivation rather than privilege. hub. It used to be home to 4,00,000 has. The data is reflecting the dam-
He was brought up by a single
ism”. before the invasion. Now 1,00,000 age being enforced on the economy.
mother who suffered dreadfully be-
-- Rahul Sagar, The Times of India cause of rheumatoid arthritis while remain; and satellite imagery reveals Retail sales declined 11.1% year-on-
a growing mass grave. Ukrainian year in April; industrial production
living in council housing in Sydney.
Aussies attitude Success did not come easily to him, doctor, Yuliia Paievska, used a body declined by 2.9%.
but whether in the party or the gov- camera to record the war atrocities -- Ira Dugal, The Quint
hen the new Australian ernment, he was seen as a coalition in Mariupol. She was eventually
Prime Minister Albanese captured by the Russians but the Every week, we look at what the top
Warrives in Tokyo to meet builder having the skills and patience data card was handed over to a team commentators in the Indian media are
with other leaders of the Quad, much to generate a consensus. of Associated Press journalists and talking about and bring to you a slice
will be expected of him. The leaders -- Amitabh Mattoo, found its way out of Russia and into of their opinions and comments
will seek reassurance that Australia The Indian Express Ukraine inside a tampon.

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