History has an uncanny way of intruding into contemporary life and shaping our public conversation. A new controversy emerged recently over the relationship between Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose.
Articles by Chanakya
What March 2022 says about May 2024
The PM is right. The BJP is in pole position to return to power for a third term
In Punjab, a fierce contest is on the cards
This election is perhaps the first when the power of Dalit voters is front and centre; the single-biggest issue of farm laws has morphed into questions of agrarian distress and unsteady incomes; and both contenders — the Congress and AAP — are vying to be the ultimate aam aadmi
Union Budget 2022: A wishlist for the FM
Invest in education; increase allocation to the rural job guarantee scheme and launch a similar one targeting the urban poor; enhance capital expenditure; formulate a new deal for agriculture; continue elements of the Covid-19 relief package announced last year; and no new taxes of any kind
Uttar Pradesh’s voters and their four choices
The outcome of the election in India’s most-populous state will depend on whether the electorate decides to support a party or a person, vote on the basis of their caste or faith, and whether a majoritarian order is successful in papering over local grievances
The farm laws: The politics of the repeal
The most significant U-turn by the government since 2014 will shape the politics of both the establishment and the Opposition
In Uttar Pradesh, does the BJP have an edge?
The stakes are high for all, but the BJP’s will to win and its fusion of leadership, social alliances, and narrative of development and law and order makes it the front-runner at the moment
Project Pegasus: India is at the crossroads
The revelations will have profound implications on India’s domestic politics, institutional relationships, and the nature of the contract between the State and citizens
The political drivers of the monsoon session
Both sides have an interest in ensuring a working session. The government wants to put forth its defence; Opposition feels the occasion is ripe to corner the treasury benches
The four variables that shaped Modi’s new team
The politics of inclusive Hindutva, spatial expansion, performance legitimacy and electoral and party-building imperatives have driven the Union Cabinet expansion
The battle of our times: State versus Big Tech
Both want power. And for that, both want control over information. It is time for a regulatory regime that balances freedom and accountability, and empowers the actual users — citizens.
The 2022 battle for Lucknow begins
Conventionally, issues of leadership, politics of identity, alliances, and organisation have determined Uttar Pradesh’s politics. But will the first post-Covid-19 election alter its political categories?
For India’s Opposition, the one big question
To take on Narendra Modi in 2024, Opposition parties need to decide on their leader — a single leader — in 2021. This is the hardest part of building an alliance, but not doing so may well lead to a repeat of 2014 and 2019
The present and future of Mamata Banerjee
The West Bengal chief minister has to make a set of choices. And those choices will define her political future as well as the future of state and national politics
Covid-19: Is this a political turning point?
India faces an unprecedented crisis, a crippling second wave of the pandemic that has strained its health systems and caused suffering. The government is on test
Saving the economy from the second wave
Neither a business-as-usual approach nor a repeat of 2020’s post-lockdown strategy will work. Recognising that defeating this surge of infections is the only way to lay the foundations for economic recovery is crucial.
2021: A rupture in Tamil Nadu politics
With the iconic leaders of the Dravidian movement gone, two debutants — EPS and Stalin — are leading their parties for the first time in the assembly polls. At stake is the legacy and future of both the DMK and the AIADMK
Bengal’s politics has changed, forever
Irrespective of whether the TMC stays in power or the BJP wins, the political structure in the state is witnessing a rupture with long-lasting consequences
The 2021 elections will shape politics for years
The polls will shape the trajectory of national politics, determine the balance of power between the Centre and states, and reveal the current strength of national and regional forces
Narendra Modi’s new political narrative
By assuming political ownership of agri-laws and the larger reform agenda, tinged with an element of nationalism and air of flexibility, the PM has outlined the nature of the political battle ahead
The global scrutiny of Indian democracy
International responses to the farm protests are a result of a growing perception that India is turning back on its democratic roots. The most effective way to counter this is through action
What the Union Budget needs to get right
India’s economic recovery has been impressive, but there are gaps. In the budget, focus on public spending, enhancing demand, job-oriented growth, health and the financial sector
In India, the story of Covid-19 vaccines
India has done well. The rollout of the vaccines, despite a set of concerns, is a scientific milestone. But the State must, now, plan ahead
In defence of reformed capitalism
Targeting corporate capitalism won’t help. It is essential for growth and democracy. Focus on reforming it.
For the Congress, why status quo is untenable
Unless the party gets its leadership, messaging, organisation, and social base right, it stares at a third Lok Sabha defeat in 2024
Farm reforms — how both sides faltered
While the Centre should have allowed a longer legislative process, agitators should not have disrupted lives and caused inconvenience to other citizens
Chanakya: India’s new template for the neighbourhood
Managing South Asia — through hard instruments when unavoidable and close engagement whenever possible — is essential
The meaning of the American mandate
Biden’s core challenge will be to heal the broken cultural, economic and democratic compact, all of which was reflected in the election
Chanakya: Do jobs matter in Indian elections?
Parties and voters had an uneasy arrangement where job creation was not the key basis of political choices. Is Bihar changing that?
Bihar: What we know, and what we don’t know
The outcome will hinge on the depth of anti-incumbency, the BJP-JD(U) dynamic, the ability of the RJD to expand its social base, and the impact of the pandemic
Chanakya: The politics of Delhi’s air pollution
There are both immediate and long-term measures which can help. But the key is political will and convergence
