The next Prime Minister? The next President? The India Today-ORG Mood of the Nation Poll, conducted in January 2012 gives, as far as it goes, a sense of direction to what India would be looking like in 2014, the year of the next Lok Sabha poll. If an election is to take place today, it…
The future of Indian villages!
Elections and the rural rich! How rich-poor divide will keep Indian villages always exploited! Rich candidates vs. the poor voters and the constant picture of rural India! Agriculture, the largest employer still and yet the rich politicians, the dynastic successors will define the future of the villages and the future of India as well? We…
Election Commission vs the Law Minister
UP Assembly elections critical for the Sonia Gandhi survival So, the Election Commission’s petition to the President goes unresolved on date! So, the Prime Minister won’t interfere! In the Law Minister-Election Commission confrontation? So, Sonia Gandhi calls the shots? See, who are all the decisive spokespersons? All from the same source: 10, Janpath! We don’t…
Bankers fail their mandate!
Agri loan targets/priority lending misses the targets! Pranab Mukerjee is likely to raise farm lending target by a 25% rise! Bankers are seen always big boys. In fact, bad big boys. The man on the street sees the big and massive bank buildings as a sign of their bigness. But this is an illusion. Times…
India and China : The ironies and the realties!
Comparisons, contrasts and a competitive evaluation! China’s 70 rich delegates to Parliament! India’s 36 richest Member of Parliament! China’s richest support the party and the government! India’s richest too support the party and government? Some comparisons of what is happening inside China and in India! Yes, we seem to imagine and feel a bit complacent…
Indian democracy at the cross roads
Supreme Court of India gives a landmark judgement on the PMO. Not on the Prime Minister himself! Future historians would decide what this landmark judgement has for the evolution of democratic practices in India. Will India become a role model for democracies in Asia and the Third World? Just now I read in The Economist…
Why entry of big corporates in agri/horti failed?
There is no rational reason why the big corporates like Tatas and Birlas and Mittal failed. Simply because, they had succeeded in other areas like telecom and oil and gas, there is no obvious link with their strategy to enter agriculture. In fact, it is for the simple naive reason that the next big thing…
Corporate farm ventures failing?
Yes, for the right reasons! You can’t become monopolies overnight! Yes, that is what the men-in-hurry type new corporates try to do in an area where much modern day farming is left neglected. Far too long! See what an average farmer psychology is? An average Indian farmer today is a cellar debtor! He is exploited…