Unlike foundational myths in political philosophy, the State of Nature is not an origins story; it is a real state of affairs when the authority of the state is weakened. It is an ever-present danger. #DelhiOctober2026
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The strategy is of 1970s vintage: keep on ratcheting pressure until the government makes a major mistake. Then things take a life of their own. This is a one-sided calculation that doesn’t take into account the action space of the other side.
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No properly run government will allow anarchy in its jurisdiction. Not surprised that “cockroaches” have been detained. Everyone from the apex court to the government and, in particular Delhi Police, have handled the protesters with kid gloves. Great to see there was no violence.
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Anwar Shaikh worked on classical and Marxian political economy at the height of the Neoliberal era when everyone thought these ideas were pointless. He was a great teacher, too. I learnt a lot from his political economy course at @NSSRNews May he rest in peace.
ANWAR SHAIKH DIED...
I am devastated to share that Anu died tonight. I can't say anything more at the moment
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Comments on divisive issues by individual judges of the Supreme Court are along expected lines: Once you enter the political thicket these things get normalised. The risk is the court itself becomes a political organ. That is uncharted territory for any court.
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The Opposition knows its inability to prevail. It wins elections but is unwilling to answer why it has lost thrice in a row at the Parliamentary level. The fact that India is in a “nationalist mood” makes it even more defeatist. Hence the hunt for alibis. All false, of course.
A push for ballot paper, just like the campaign against EVMs post 2019, is a deliberate push towards mass unrest and violence. Now with scrutiny over procedural aspects of SIR being deliberately equated with “rigging” in the messaging, election denialism is set to get violent.
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Siddharth Singh retweeted
The method and goals behind the #ModiGovt
plans for border security and the high level committee on demography. What does mapping "demographic change" mean, politics, social order and citizenship. Detailed report with @curbset in the @Openthemag
plans for border security and the high level committee on demography. What does mapping "demographic change" mean, politics, social order and citizenship. Detailed report with @curbset in the @Openthemag
Who gets counted, who gets documented, and who gets recognised as a citizen?
In the latest issue of OPEN, The Identity Project examines the government’s push against illegal immigration, the High-Level Committee on Demographic Change and Amit Shah’s technology-driven approach to voter-list verification and Aadhaar to integrated surveillance, the story looks at the larger mission linking national identity and security.
Read the full story by @RajeevDOpen and @curbset
openthemagazine.com/india/the-iden…
#TheIdentityProject #OpenMagazine #AmitShah #IllegalImmigration #Citizenship
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“International law” is more chicanery and little law, at all times. India is under no obligation to help or even talk to a state that uses terrorism as an instrument of policy. The Indian response to the terror factory in its neighbourhood is quite measured.
India’s position is clear and consistent.
The so-called Court of Arbitration was illegally constituted in breach of the Indus Waters Treaty. Its “award” on interim measures and the status of the Treaty has no legal standing. India never recognised this body, never appeared before it, and will not be bound by its pronouncements.
Sovereign decisions on the Indus Waters Treaty remain firmly in India’s hands. The Treaty stays in abeyance.
mea.gov.in/press-releases…
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Political entrepreneurship is not a new idea. But it has severe limitations as the Indian experience with these “entrepreneurs” shows (they were enterprising in rather unsavoury ways). Unless established parties are swept away, they can’t do much. These adventures are futile.
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Interesting equilibrium. This makes little sense as a one-shot game. What’s the Opposition’s calculation?: In a repeated game the payoffs to constant disruption of Parliament may have higher long-run payoffs. (The strategy space remains same; payoffs change.)
हर सत्र में एक नया मुद्दा होता है।
विपक्ष हंगामा करता है, कार्यवाही बाधित होती है और कुछ लोगों के मन में लड्डू फूटता है।
उन्हें लगता है- बस अब तो हो ही गया।
आप पिछले कुछ सत्र देखें तो एक पैटर्न दिखता है- पहले दो-तीन हफ़्ते विपक्ष के और आख़िरी हफ़्ते सरकार के।
शुरुआत में का न चलना और आख़िर में दनादन बिल पास होना।
यानी सरकार का काम भी नहीं रुकता है और विपक्ष का भी काम हो जाता है।
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The great weakness of India’s Opposition is its utter inability to mobilise people behind political idea(s). Hence its propensity to latch on any “protest” and the unseemly fight for crumbs between its ranks. (The “why” of this weakness is a long story that goes back to 1990s.)
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Every extra-parliamentary mobilisation faced by the Modi government has been handled politically without repression. That’s the nature of India’s democracy. But a purely political strategy needs tactical adjustments when mobilisation is geared to dislodge an elected government.
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There are good reasons to suspect extra-parliamentary “movements” for “democracy” in India. Most are led by an ambitious elite that wants to acquire political power bypassing established routes to authority (elections). These “movements” don’t further democracy but subvert it.
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There’s no need to be defensive about the “ban” on the film Sutluj. Its politics is clear as is that of its makers. Secessionist politics in the garb of “human rights” is part of separatist repertoire across multiple states in India. Punjab was/is no exception.
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In the last 40 years most western parties have been hollowed out and are indistinguishable from their rivals, a middle of the road Downsian situation. The rise of anti-system parties owes much to this “centrism” as to rising inequalities. India’s political dynamics are different.
.@virsanghvi: In democracies like Canada and the UK, defections from a major party to one that opposes its ideology are rare. In India, they are so common that they don’t even surprise us any longer. theprint.in/opinion/sharp-…
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Here is a good example why India needs a strong Centre. In a “federal” system—basically a free for all situation across the country—vital projects have no chance of being taken up, let alone being completed. A strong “visible hand” is necessary if India is to move forward.
#WATCH | Delhi: At the signing of MoU between Government of India, Nagaland & Assam, Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "... I know that Himanta ji is very tenacious when it comes to Assam's interests. However, when I spoke to him and suggested that he set aside this specific issue is neither a winner nor a loser, but rather a win-win situation where India, Assam, and Nagaland all emerge victorious—he agreed. They have set aside their immediate gains to enter into a tripartite agreement involving Nagaland, Assam, and the Government of India. Most importantly, this appears to pave the way for mineral mining across the entire North East. We are all aware that the North East holds immense reserves of not only oil and gas but also minerals; however, due to minor issues and law-and-order problems, we were previously unable to harness this national wealth. Today, a single MoU will enable us to increase our extraction capacity, currently ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 barrels per day, more than tenfold. A single field alone holds the potential for recoveries exceeding Rs 15,000 crore. If the oil and gas reserves across Nagaland are fully tapped, I believe we can significantly reduce our dependence on foreign sources to meet our needs in this sector. The absence of such an agreement and the resulting disputes had long hindered the economic development of both states..."
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Siddharth Singh retweeted
The return of something called “industrial policy” @curbset and I write:
The New Growth Mantra in the Time of Oil Shock: As India seeks to build its resilience in a world riven by war and energy shocks, a reenvisioned industrial policy complements partnerships like the Quad, write @RajeevDOpen and @curbset t.ly/CdDrT
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