Kusum Choppra

It is the most unlikely and distasteful of matches, IPL versus India; a contest between the primary essence of democracy, elections which have made India the envy of many democratic and autocratic countries, especially our neighbors, and a game spectacle. Should we begin to suspect that there is a suspicious ‘foreign hand’ in the vigorous efforts being made to field the IPL against the elections, using the security issue as an excuse? Regular, free and fair elections are what sets India apart in the world community today; that we are able to move ahead, carrying forward the entire disparate segments of our society is the biggest achievement of the Republic of India to date. But does that status or constitutional niceties matter to the likes of the Modis, the Ambanis and the Mallyas etc the stakeholders in the IPL? The security issue is an obvious concern and a very valid one. Recent happenings in Mumbai and Lahore are pointers. There is also the consideration that the authorities w...

Remember the “Let a hundred roses bloom” of yore? Why not in India? The Lead India campaign is no doubt a welcome initiative. But why are we limiting ourselves to discover one leader for all of India? Is that possible, when our country is so huge with so many disparate elements, each of which presents problems which need solutions specially tailored for them. When we are saluting all these young people, each of whom has attained excellence in the effort they are making within their social ambit, why not endorse their efforts with concrete support. Imagine the India ten years down the road with not one but eight or ten energetic young leaders working in their respective arenas and coordinating with each other. Such efforts go out in concentric circles of development and we may just see such leaders emerge not just in eight or ten major cities, but also perhaps at each district level or even lower in a true spirit of Chak De India!

A friend who has just returned from South China made some interesting revelations about how China manages to outprice everyone else in the market. “It could put Hitler’s labour camps to shame. The girls live on the premises, two-three dozen to a room in rows of four tiered beds. Up before dawn, they are at work by 5.30 and work through to midnight, or until they finish their daily quota, with three short breaks for breakfast, lunch and dinner, provided by the factory owner. It is worse than slave labour as the payment is minimal.” “What,” I asked, “about the U.S. Human and Labour rights concerns? It is very simple. There are a number of showcase units which are shown off whenever the Americans come, while work carries on apace elsewhere in the vast hinterlands of China. The show cases can be those of factories, tourist spots, administrative excellence, cooperative farms or whatever. Now, I find, we in India are following the China example. To attract foreign investment, we show off our...