Readers’ comments: The Modi government doesn’t understand, or care, about the economy

Matters of the economy

Why only four to five companies have been named here out of all the 35 cases? (CBI searches 169 locations across 17 states in connection with 35 bank fraud cases: Reports) CBI must have registered an FIR, why does it not coming out with all the names and the amounts involved? Besides will CBI investigate the role of bankers also in sanction and their disbursement? – Nainesh Sanghvi

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[Raghuram] Rajan was right, but [Narendra] Modi does not care, as his electorate does not care (Hard Times: How do we know India is facing an economic slowdown – not just a temporary speedbump?). People don’t seem to need jobs. Haryana and Maharashtra were lost due to this reason, but Modi blames in on inexperienced chief ministers. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh will make India like North Korea soon. Strong the military and police will be everywhere but we will have a weak economy. Or like Russia. But not a real economic power. – Manoj Kumar

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I strongly believe that the Indian economy will bounce back. Let us wait and watch patiently. Till now we have been following methods developed by the western world after World War II, based on their needs and cultures. Based on these, they have been playing with the world, using the Rating Agencies methodology.

This game will not last for long. Growth systems have changed and we have to recognise the system that suits our country and public living styles. – SRB Ramesh Chandra

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I really appreciate, being a non-tribal Bengali, what I read just now (Meghalaya to make registration mandatory for visitors staying for over 24 hours). But how can we send this to our prime minister so that we can also learn about what is it that is really going on in this state? I feel like we are still ruled by the British. The way they torture us. We don’t feel safe here. Police officers themselves are not safe then how can we be? If this goes on, day by day then even tourists will be scared to visit. Every day we hear some news that some mischief has occurred somewhere with some innocent people. For how long will this go on? – Supriya Deb

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There has been an exodus of Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants who have infiltrated this country and are diluting the resources of resident Indians and may be attempting to change the demography of India. (Hard Times: Does the Modi government even understand what is going on with the Indian economy?)

These immigrants are known for birthing many children and depending heavily government aid, thus becoming cruses to honest taxpayers. Honest taxpayers only expect the government to spend their money on development instead of supporting the children of these illegal immigrants.

But you disgraceful people are talking about the economy. The problem in this country is with the writers at Scroll.in, the writers of bogus histories, scriptwriters, peddlers of utopian ideas, anti-Indian thinkers, junkies and people of such variety who think they are repositories of knowledge.

These people believe they about the economy but the Modi government is ignorant. Little do they know they are today the discarded ones. Their opinions or lack of opinions on anything is what is sneered at. – Vasu Baliga

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It’s incredibly stupid (How the new financial regulation law will affect the banking sector). Is this another law to make the common man poorer and the traders richer? Where is India heading? There should be an all-party resolution to strike down such draconian proposals and laws. On the contrary, insurance guarantees should be increased to 10 crores per deposit. An act cannot be made to assist fraudulent transactions by defrauding the bank and depositors. Is the principle of beneficial state out of the constitutional guarantee? – Vivek Basu

Cultural trends

What a superb read on Halloween (Open letter to people in India celebrating Halloween). Kudos! Keep them coming. – Savita Fernandes

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With reference to this article, I would like to know your organisation’s view on modesty (SlutWalks and short skirts: When (and how) a woman’s modesty became linked to her clothes). In France and a few other countries, people kiss on the lips to greet one another. In India, people join the hands to greet or they simply shake hands. In UK, there was a nude bicycle race organised where men and women in huge numbers participated with the belief that it is modest to go out naked. In India, women wear saree showing off their stomach or their belly button. They at times wear saree in a manner that their entire back is wide open or deep and it makes many ladies look elegant enough and modest.

Some wear bikinis, some say kurtis and leggings are modest, some say only a burqa with a naqab is modest dress and some are even fine going naked. My question is simple: who decides for us the level of modesty? – Ahmed Mohd Ismail

Miscellaneous comments

Very moving and a tragedy for the family (One morning, returning from visiting his sister, an 80-year-old Muslim man was lynched in Sitamarhi). The administration could have done better. No words can console the family. I support the efforts of the author in bringing forward the reprehensible response of the crowd to the rumours.

While I do appreciate his efforts in putting out the tragic story, I would request him to bring to the fore the tragedy of the Hindu Kashmiri Pandits, as well, who were forced out of Kashmir in an ethnic cleansing mission by Kashmiri Muslims supported by the administration. The pain and ordeal of these Pandits has still not ended. Perhaps the author has not noticed their pain and for that reason, he has never written any story about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits who are still suffering. – Arihant Jain

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Excellent article (Around the world, there’s a battle of storytelling about migrants and Muslims. Populists are winning). However, Mehta simplifies things to a large extent when he blames our immigration on the colonialists. Sure, the colonialists came with evil intentions. Sure, they played intrigue and captured power by aligning with various rulers, took away a lot of our resources, assets, and creations as would any invader including many of our own rulers when they invaded various kingdoms in different parts of South Asia over the millennia.

But they also did a whole lot of good, whether inadvertently or not. They introduced modern thought, knowledge, ideas, unified us in the form of a country which we never were in the first place. They brought English that enabled us to integrate with the world.

The entire way of our polity is owed to the British. We are simply following many of their ways or systems like the economic system, the banking system, governance, technological creations like the railways, electrification, education, healthcare and more.

While the British and other colonialists did cause a lot of ill to us, to simplistically blame them for our migration when we should first blame our governments is sheer stupidity. It’s been over 70 years and we have not been able to do enough to create a liveable urban or rural environment, not been able to create an egalitarian society, not been able to create a vision of utopia.

Hell, we have not even been able to create a good enough polity for ourselves. We don’t really know who we are in the world today. We rely on our past and the achievements of other Indians abroad to give us a sense of accomplishment. Our sports system is in a mess, courts systems are complicated and procedures long-winding. Sycophancy, group-affliliated empathies and corrupt systems where money, politics, caste and religion continue to play a huge role in our society are all shamefully typical Indian traits.

Suketu Mehta shows a typically diasporic mind full of self-sympathy for an idyllic non-existent idea of India. – Rajratna Jadhav

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The BCCI’s recent decision to begin Indo-Bangla test series under floodlights through a pink-ball cricket is most welcome (How the pink ball is holding back India’s entry into the day-night Test cricket club). The decision comes at a time when a former Indian Captain and Ex-President of Cricket Association of Bengal is now at the helm at BCCI, as president.

The quick decision taken by Saurav Ganguly immediately after taking over as the new president of BCCI to host pink-ball cricket with the consent of Bangladesh Cricket Board and the Indan Cricket team has earned well deserved praise. Ganguly’s leadership in bringing the teams and persuasion for the common cause of the first-ever pink ball test match cricket is laudable.

Further, there is a necessity to help cricketers adjust to the new concept of test match cricket under floodlights. An experiment of pink-ball cricket should otherwise begin across all the formats of domestic test cricket including IPL series and T20 or ODI matches. The success of such an event in India will then ensure other test playing nations to test the waters under the floodlights including the Ashes.

BCCI should also strive to ensure players otherwise apprehension to play under pink ball cricket owing to possible dew on the grass accumulated after the sunset. The dew may affect fielding prospects and will also impact batting through a reduced run-rate under floodlights. BCCI can bring in innovation with the help of technology and thus help ensure the success of pink-ball cricket by allaying the players’ fears in D/N conditions. – Varun Dambal