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16 Feb 2012

Iran issue needs diplomacy, not crude weapon

"India, Russia and China must work together to lower the temperature and stave off the confrontation which is looming large."

By imposing sanctions that aim to throttle Iran's oil industry and exports, the United States and Europe have embarked on a course of action that is likely to backfire on the West and the immediate region. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Iran issue needs diplomacy, not crude weapon

Any disruption of oil supplies from the Gulf, whether as a result of conscious OPEC policy decision or due to closure of the Strait of Hormuz, will create untold problems not only for Western economies and the Gulf's oil suppliers but also for oil importing developing countries like India. Last time when oil embargo was imposed on the "west" it had a lasting impact on both oil prices and global inflation.

It is sad that the international community, fed by western propaganda, is looking at the Iran crisis as a bilateral issue of controlling Iran's nuclear ambitions, rather than at the larger consequences of the use of oil as a political weapon for the region and world.

What is required today is to stop the implementation of sanction measures the European Union (EU) has rashly announced. But oil sanctions have raised the temperature so much that a conflict by miscalculation has become a major threat.

Disengaging the weapon of oil from the dialogue required to deal with Iran's nuclear issue is the need of the hour.

A survey suggests vacationers want to see more than just the world's seven wonders

Times View - Participate, not just marvel
Counter View - Anchors to the past

-The Times of India, February 16, 2012

Bespoke English

How fluent are you in the coded vernacular of fashionable phraseology?

Bespoke English

-The Times of India, February 16, 2012

Prospects of Pakistan's Islamist resurgence

"Even though Islamists have enjoyed only limited electoral support, they have shaped the state's destiny. The country's liberal democratic politicians must confront them or prepare to see them take power."

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : Prospects of Pakistan's Islamist resurgence: The world has watched, with ever-growing concern, the growing momentum of the Difa-e-Pakistan (Defence of Pakistan) — a new Islamist coalition that represents the full flowering of Abdul Ala Maududi's vision - that Islam was, in fact, "a revolutionary ideology which seeks to alter the social order of the entire world and rebuild it in conformity with its own tenets and ideals."

Has the Pakistani Islamist movement's tryst with destiny finally come?

Pakistan's democratic politicians have shown no stomach for a frontal confrontation with the ideas of the religious-right — and without this rupture, the growth of Islamist influence will remain inexorable.

Repair The City

A professional BMC can serve Mumbaikars better

Repair The City

-The Times of India, February 16, 2012

Turning A Conflict Zone

Will the stand-off between Iran and Israel become a new problem for India's security agencies?

Turning A Conflict Zone
"In the eventuality of the Iranian hand being proved, Indian security agencies will face a difficult question: Is this a one-off with no follow-up attempts or are more attacks likely?"
-The Times of India, February 16, 2012 

Taking Wing

Government should play facilitator in aviation sector

Taking Wing

-The Times of India, February 16, 2012

'The digital process will dramatically alter Indian media'

Q&A


Farokh Balsara is media and entertainment (M&E) leader of the Europe, Middle East, India and Africa section at Ernst & Young. Speaking with Meenakshi Sinha, Balsara turns the spotlight on India's position in M&E, analysing what holds us back compared to other countries - and which factors can push Indian M&E ahead:


Interview - Q&A

-The Times of India, February 15, 2012


Breach of Trust

The SC spectrum judgment seriously undermines the sarkar's credibility

Breach of Trust

-The Times of India, February 15, 2012

A level flying field

"Given the mess that national carrier Air India finds itself in, the withdrawal of the sole right to operate foreign flights was only to be expected. The Union Civil Aviation Ministry has now opened up the flights and seats under existing bilateral Air Service Agreements (ASA) to all scheduled airlines in India."

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : A level flying field: Hardly 20% of the quota available for India under these bilateral aviation agreements was utilised by Air India. The capacity was either going abegging, or foreign airlines took permission to operate additional flights.

The world is moving towards a clear 'Open Skies' regime in which passenger choice will hold the key. So Indian airlines will have to learn to be attractive and competitive, both in fares and facilities.

Goodwill On The Line

Tardiness in resolving big-ticket bilateral issues will dent friendship with Bangladesh

Goodwill On The Line
"What could have been an emphatic foreign policy success for the UPA is inching towards an irretrievable situation. Unless immediately rectified, a watershed moment in India-Bangladesh relations would be wasted."

-The Times of India, February 15, 2012

Your State or Mine?

SRK vs AB in clash of regional pride

Your State or Mine?

-The Times of India, February 15, 2012

A New Challenge

India may be facing covert international war on its soil


A New Challenge

-The Times of India, February 15, 2012

Greek bailout myths

"The last-minute cancellation of a eurozone ministerial meeting to confirm a joint European Union-International Monetary Fund package worth €130 billion exemplifies the chaos and mistrust around the eurozone's attempts to rescue the Greek economy"

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Greek bailout myths: What Greece needs instead is systemic improvement of its ramshackle tax-collection system and far more investment in solid production, but the eurozone proposals neglect that and will almost certainly exacerbate Greece's problems.

15 Feb 2012

Nation in a State: In Maximum City, a high stake election that leaves voters cold

"The Shiv Sena-BJP combine is fighting the Congress-NCP alliance to win fourth term in the Greater Mumbai municipal corporation."

The city, with one of Asia's largest and richest municipal corporations, has not resolved the eternal crisis of water supply, transport or garbage disposal. Parts of Mumbai resemble decaying space stations as the metro construction drags on interminably. With another civic election, Mumbaikars gripped by déjà vu are being courted with dreams of a more liveable 'international' city. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Nation in a State: In Maximum City, a high stake election that leaves voters cold

For their part, Mumbaikars expect little to change irrespective of who wins this election!