Doesn't make a difference

On 8 November, "Millions across India are celebrating Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, illuminating homes, temples, offices and streets with oil lamps and colorful lights to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness." The Supreme Court "permitted the manufacture, sale and use of certified 'green' firecrackers in Delhi and surrounding areas for a limited period." BBC. At 9 am the next morning, on 9 November, "Delhi recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 370, categorised as 'very poor' by the Central Pollution Control Board, which considers an AQI of up to 50 to be 'good'. Many areas in the city of 20 million showed a reading of more than 400, categorised as 'severe', official data showed." Reuters. The Government of Delhi has enforced Stage III Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) which bans non-essential construction, BS III petrol cars, diesel generators and primary schools. grapstatus.com. In an amazing coincidence, "PM 2.5 readings which capture levels of smoke, at many of Delhi's air monitoring stations went blank on Diwali night as they climbed towards 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter, pulling down the AQI for the day." At some of these stations the level of smoke reached 3,744 mcg/m3, "more than 60 times the national 24-hour standard of 60." HT. "Out of 60 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations in Delhi, hourly data was initially unavailable for at least 35 stations," and "The mystery behind the missing data on Diwali night continues with most stations stopping releasing readings after hitting a PM 2.5 threshold 800 to 1000 mcg/m3." TOI. With construction banned under GRAP III, "Daily-wage construction workers say they must now face days of uncertainty and lack of income. Since no subsistence allowance has been announced by the government so far, they now face days of uncertainty and lack of income." The Wire. Most construction work should be banned in Delhi because most of it is illegal and hence, "Building collapses are relatively common in Delhi, with more than a thousand recorded in the past three years causing dozens of deaths, according to fire department figures (BBC). But banning is politically impossible because, "Construction sites in Indian urban centers are major employers of migrants from rural areas. Most inter and intra-state migrant workers are illiterate and unskilled," and are "the most exploited and disenfranchised with no access to their entitlements both at source village and destination city." Sampark. Illegal construction makes them invisible and also provides extra income for officials. But Delhi pollution was severe even before Diwali. "Delhi pollution began rising on 26 Oct, when PM 2.5 concentration was 72 mcg/m3. By 5 Nov, it has reached 226 mcg/m3 - a threefold increase in just 10 days." This coincided with stubble burning by farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. "The number of farm fires detected by satellites increased more than fivefold, from 178 on 26 Oct to 1010 on 3 Nov." But even this was a gross underestimate because many farmers "deliberately light fires after 3 pm, avoiding detection by satellites that pass overhead around 1.30 PM," wrote Chandra Bhushan. Farmers grow rice during the monsoon season, which is harvested in Oct-Nov and immediately plant wheat as the winter crop. sbbsuniversity.ac.in. Setting fire to the rice stubble is the cheapest and quickest way to clear it. The Food Corporation of India procures any amount of rice and wheat at minimum support price (MSP) which provides a stable income for farmers, and so "In terms of yield per hectare, wheat and rice are at the top," wrote Madan Sabnavis. The government could announce that farmers who burn their stubble would not be eligible for MSP. But that would set off an uproar and farmers are a very important vote bank  (wikipedia). Won't stop illegal stubble burning and can't stop illegal construction, but illegally blanked monitors. If we are to choke to death what difference does it make if pollution is 1,000 or 10,000? Can't die a little bit. So, save vote bank.          

Celebrating India.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) completed 12 consecutive months without any operational casualties for the first time in 47 years." "In a social media post, CRPF Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh said that "a game-changer has been round-the-clock helicopter and air ambulance support during high-density operations in all operating theaters." nowsonair. gov.in. Sadly helicopters were denied to the CRPF in February 2019 which led to a car-bomb suicide attack on the convoy on 14 February killing 40 CRPF personnel (wikipedia). In April 2023, "In a recent interview with the news portal The Wire, Satya Pal Malik, who was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir at the time of the Pulwama attack, alleged that there was a massive security lapse on the part of the Indian government in Pulwama and that Modi subsequently tried to silence him." He said that "the CRPF had asked the Home Ministry for five aircraft to transport personnel," but "the request was denied." The Diplomat. In May 2024, Mr Modi said, "I was convinced that God has sent me. This energy could not come from a biological body but was bestowed upon me by God." The Wire. Convinced in his Divinity, like God, Mr Modi does not answer any questions. In May 2026, during a visit to Norway, "As he walked away after a joint press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, journalist Helle Lyng called out to him, asking why he doesn't take questions, but got no response." BBC. Lyng was invited to speak at the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad but claims that "she received a call from the Indian Embassy in Oslo around 10 minutes before she was due to leave for the airport. She alleged that she was told she could not travel following directions from the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA)." TOI. Not just Lyng, "Around 113 of the 315 speakers whom the Ministry of External Affairs cleared to attend the Congress Party's Bharat Summit, which begins in Hyderabad, Telangana, on Friday ((November 13) have been denied entry into India." This was apparently done retrospectively by the MHA. The Wire. The Bharat Summit is organised by the Congress government in Telangana "to mark 80 years of Independence and Nehru's 137th birth anniversary, it also explores how India can lead the way forward to a more just and inclusive world." The agenda of the Summit seems aimed at celebrating India's Independence and its future progress, so why did the MHA ban more than one-third of delegates? How were they going to endanger India's security? However, "PM Modi is set to visit Canada in December, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's office said, adding that the leaders were committed to conclude negotiations on a Comprehensive Partnership Agreement at the earliest opportunity." Reuters. With a Norwegian passport, Helle Lyng can travel freely to Canada to renew her conversation with Mr Modi. In addition, "A controversy around freedom of expression is beginning to cloud PM Modi's high-stakes visit to Canada even before it happens." "I will not tolerate a foreign police state like India threatening my journalists. We will fight for the truth and won't be silenced by them," said Keean Bexte, founder of the independent news organisation Juno News, after several posts linked to it featured in a First Information Report (FIR) registered at Mohali, Punjab, on 13 October." The Print. "When our Prime Minister and foreign minister travel abroad to lecture the world and receive its medals, they do not use the same rhetoric as they do within India." "They go to the United Nations and other fora under a Nehruvian carapace," wrote Aakar Patel. This hypocrisy is being found out. The reaction could come in two ways: 1. foreign journalists could start questioning Mr Modi on his foreign junkets, and 2. foreign governments could stop issuing visas to Indian politicians and officials they see as fascists. "You cannot fool all the people all the time," said Abraham Lincoln. All that "for the people, by the people" nonsense. If only he needed a visa.             

Free, with restrictions.

"India has emerged as one of the world's most active negotiators of free trade agreements (FTA)." FTAs have been concluded with the UK and New Zealand, while those with the European Union (EU) and the US are in the works. But, "Only an estimated 20-30% of India's eligible exports ever take advantage of FTA preferences." In sharp contrast "with an FTA utilisation rate of 60-70% in developed markets." "India's high landed costs versus its Asian neighbors deter exports from even trying to break into new markets." Also, despite high anti-dumping duties by developed economies, Chinese goods ""still remain cheaper than India's, wrote Megha Mandava. However, even a successful trade pact has to negotiate our overzealous customs and tax officials. "Indian customs is holding dozens of containers of bulk Scotch imported by Pernod Ricard and Diageo as investigators press for a 150% tariff, even though the companies rely on a New Delhi assurance of lower duties under the India-UK trade pact." "The investigators say the lower rate applies only to finished products such as bottled, ready-to-drink Scotch." Apparently, a memo from the Finance Ministry's Directorate of Revenue Intelligence on 4 November is behind this holdup. Reuters. Just as a rose by any other name (wikipedia), Scotch in any container should taste just as smooth. To compete we need R&D to produce things that other countries will want. But, India spends just 0.6% of GDP on R&D, against China's 2.7% and Korea's 5%, and only 41% of our R&D comes from the private sector. "At home, an Indian manufacturer can get its edge from regulations," so "Indian firms, thus, sit protected from competition, waiting for the world to innovate," wrote Rahul Ahluwalia. "India's service exports, which were almost nothing in 1995, have risen to $418 billion 2025-26, nearly as large as goods exports ($442 billion). "Add $144 billion that India gets as remittance from Indians abroad," which can be called labor exports. Hence, goods exports have less weight in our trade and current account balance, wrote Swaminathan Aiyar. "Foreign investors see impressive things in India." So, India "can attract a much more foreign investment, but it will not." "A TeamLease report found that setting up a stand-alone solar plant requires 2,735 compliances. Almost 40% of these are labor related, although such plants require little labor." wrote Aiyar. Foreign companies would bring new technologies, helping to increase exports. "Government incentives have helped turn India into a major electronics assembly base, particularly for mobile phones - 55 million iPhones, accounting for 14% of Apple's production, are assembled in India." "But for all the gleaming new production lines, local value addition in India remains modest, at 15-18%, versus 40% in China." "It requires reliable electricity, cheaper capital, logistics, skilled workers, component suppliers, testing facilities, design expertise, intellectual property and thousands of smaller manufacturers capable of producing at Six Sigma quality," wrote Shelley Singh. Regulations increase cost of manufacturing in India. "Competing in manufacturing requires factories to meet the speed and cost demands of modern supply chains." "Managing such conditions requires arranging working time across a production cycle to use capacity more efficiently, shorten delivery timelines, reduce inventory costs, and improve the chances of winning repeat orders," wrote B Anand, P Chandra & N Pradeep. FTAs have been signed. But, the Gordian Knot of restrictions need to be cut. Who will be Alexander?          

There's no Cobol for AI.

On 5 November, Indian stocks jumped while "The Nasdaq composite index fell 5.5% after Democrats swept the US midterm elections, raising fears that new limits on data centers could slow AI spending."  "Foreign investors bought $1.6 billion of Indian shares that day," because "Firms related to AI account for 16% of MSCI India's value, against 70-80% in Taiwan and Korea." "Some investors now treat that gap as protection." Mint. The IT revolution "arrived in waves, long after the initial investments. They were hard to measure in real time. Something similar is going on now," as "failure to isolate productivity gains doesn't mean they don't exist," wrote Andy Mukherjee. "As the tech advances, investors will increasingly price the expected gains into the shares of those best places to profit from it." "Official stats may not have caught up yet, but stock prices and job ads suggest the productivity boom has begun." There have been several boom and bust in technology companies. In 2000, the dot-com bubble burst. Many companies failed. "larger companies like Amazon and Cisco systems lost large portions of their market capitalization, with the latter losing 80% of its stock value." wikipedia. Today, technology companies comprise nine of the top ten companies in the world by market capitalization, with Saudi Arabian Oil Co, the only outsider at number eight in the list. Investopedia. Amazon is at number five, while Cisco Systems, which provided the hardware for internet companies (wikipedia), has been replaced by Nvidia at number two in the list with a market capitalization of $4.54 trillion, higher than India's nominal GDP at $4.06 trillion  (worldo-meters). Just as the Indian stock market has gained from the crash in AI companies, Indian software companies made huge money from the fear of a global computer crash because of the 'Millennium Bug'. "It was called Y2K (Year 2000) crisis." "Most Indian programmers had learnt Cobol, an old computer language no longer taught in the US." Starting with Y2K, "Indian software companies broke into the big league, they started offering all kinds of software solutions." livehistoryindia.com. Will India break into the big league of AI? While the internet is provided mainly by companies based in the US, such as Google (datacenters.google), Indian AI companies will need to set up massive data centers in India and data centers need many gigawatts of electricity and millions of gallons of water every year (wikipedia). India lacks in land, water and electricity production. In 2024, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary stated in the Rajya Sabha that "India is one of the largest users of groundwater in the world," as "the country has roughly 4% of the world's freshwater reserves to cater to the needs of its population which is around 17% of the world's total." newsonair.gov.in. Land is finite. "India has a large geographical area overall, but not all that land is suitable for development, industry or agriculture." landbitt. com. In 2025, coal contributed 75% of our electricity production (pib.gov.in). That is contributing to air pollution, reaching life-threatening levels in the capital Delhi (aqicn.org). The intelligence may be artificial but resources are natural. They are finite. Cannot be increased.   

Shackles for safety.

"Th shift in US Congressional control is a pivotal moment for Washington," but the relationship between the US and India "rests on bipartisan support and consensus built around Indo-Pacific cooperation amid Chinese assertiveness, along with people-to-people contacts and technology and defence ties." "Democrats have traditionally been more vocal, even critical of India on human rights and other internal issues, but this has rarely been a deal-breaker." TOI. Democrat Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has won re-election. She is "a hard baked 'progressive'who has needled Indian govt on issues such as 'human rights' and 'religious freedom', which have constantly agitated her ilk," and "The strong performance can encourage her and the contingent of insurgents who include known India critics like Ilhan Omar to meddle in India's internal affairs." TOI. Human rights are absolute and not an "internal affair" for a fascist government to grant as a favor and, if her ilk of insurgents put it on the agenda, it could deter the brutes from deliberately blinding students with pellet guns (BBC) or arresting innocent six year old children for asking for better education  (NDTV). Abusive language shows the ignorant intolerance of a brainwashed apparatchik. Jayapal and Omar and their ilk of insurgents are bound by the First Amendment of the US Constitution which grants religious freedom, freedom of speech and "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." All the rights that drive Indian fascists and their ilk to insane rage. "In an unusual request, two accused in the murder of Haryanvi singer Ankit Baliyan requested to be handcuffed and shackled during their production before a court in Shamli, expressing apprehension that they could be subjected to a fake encounter by UP Police. The court accepted their plea." TOI. An 'encounter' is a euphemism for cold blooded murder of a prisoner by the police in a staged incident. wikipedia. The judges accepted the 'human rights' of the alleged murderers. A speech by Maulana Jarjis Ansari "delivered at a gathering in Auraiya on 29 October, has triggered a political row in Uttar Pradesh after he warned that Muslim houses could be burnt and bulldozers deployed if the Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government returned to power." News18. The BJP accused him of "deliberately creating fear among Muslims and attempting to provoke communal sentiments." Was he provoking? In 2022, "Four bulldozers, parked at the venue where UP CM Yogi Adityanath addressed a rally on Friday, caught the attention of many in Sultanpur." India Today.   Hypocrisy is nakedly brazen, it seems. In August 2022, while celebrating India's Independence Day at Edison, New Jersey, "a yellow bulldozer - a symbol that has become offensive to many Muslims - appeared among the floats." "Hung from the bulldozer during the Aug. 14 parade was a sign that read 'Baba Bulldozer' in the Hindi language alongside pictures of Indian politician Yogi Adityanath." Reuters. Could not be more explicit. In 2025, a veteran Congress leader was accused of treason against the Indian state by the Karimganj unit of the BJP in Assam for humming two lines from Tagore's song "Amaar sonar Bangla, aami tomay bhalobasi" (My golden Bengal, thee I love) because it has been adopted by Bangladesh as its national anthem. Chief Minister of Assam Hemant Biswa Sarma "instructed the State DGP (Director General of Police) to take stern action against the accused members and leaders of the Congress" for endangering "the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India, such as inciting secession, armed rebellion and subversive activities." HT. Tagore wrote this song to unite Bengalis against British occupation. If the integrity and unity of India can be threatened by the song more than 75 years after Independence it is because this government is just as brutal as the British were. Perhaps worse. 

Need insignia on epaulettes.

"The government could consider scrapping the long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax without significantly compromising its fiscal consolidation targets, as the potential revenue loss may be limited to Rs 400-500 billion, according to a report by SBI Research." "The report has projected the fiscal deficit at 4.7% of GDP, against the government's budgeted target of 4.3%," which would mean an overshoot of about Rs 1.2 trillion and add 0.1-0.2% to the FY 2026-27 deficit. TN. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) "has recommended that the government scrap long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax for foreign equity investors," and "has also proposed tax relief for Indian domestic mutual funds investors, suggesting they be exempt from LTCG if they are selling existing holdings to invest in new ones." Reuters. Investors currently pay 12.5% on securities held for more than a year, 20% on short capital gains (STCG), Securities Transaction Tax (STT) and a withholding tax on dividends, among the highest in the world. "Individual investors lost Rs 916,85 billion in equity derivatives in 2025-26, while their STT bill rose 35% to Rs 66.45 billion. STT accounted for 27% of their transactions costs, up from 13% in 2021-22," wrote S Sridharan & A Raghavendra M. Indians are probably the only people in the world who pay tax on losses. "Foreign portfolio investors (FPI) have net sold nearly $64 billion worth of Indian equities over the past 25 months," but "experts caution that changes to the LTCG tax regime alone may not be enough to reverse foreign outflows. Earnings growth, valuations, crude oil prices and currency stability will remain the bigger determinant of foreign investor sentiment." Fortune India. "LTCG tax revenue yielded Rs 1.29 trillion in 2024-25, up from Rs 722.49 billion in the previous year." LTCG tax is a direct tax similar to salaries, profits and interest, and so "Income from rising share prices should contribute to public revenue too," wrote Ajit Ranade. The government needs to increase its revenues because, "Interest payments account for 26% of the total expenditure, and 40% of revenue receipts." "Revenue deficit in 2026-27 is targeted at I.5% of GDP," while "Fiscal deficit in 2026-27 is targeted at 4.3% of GDP, lower than the revised estimate of 4.4% of GDP in 2025-26." PRS. When interest payment is so high the only way to keep borrowing in check is to increase revenue. Several important states, including Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat are to hold assembly elections in 2027 (wikipedia) and freebies may be necessary to buy votes, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi did in Bihar in 2025 when he announced the transfer of "Rs 10,000 each to the bank accounts of 7.5 million women across the state, totaling Rs 75 billion (TOI)." Some estimate of the PM's largesse will need to be guessed in the 2027 Budget to be presented on 1 February 2027 (ET). "Millions of Indians between the ages of 15 and 29 are either unemployed, forced into informal jobs or stuck in low paying informal jobs. India's demographic dividend is fast turning into a liability." That means fewer votes. "About 10 Indian states have already added a new category for resource transfers: educated unemployed youth. This is in addition to unconditional cash transfers (UCT) to women and farmers, which have become a generalized trend." "It seems unlikely that India's restless youth will quietly accept their lot as a fait accompli, settle for UCTs rather than jobs that provide opportunities for life improvement, forsake protests or demonstrations, and still vote for the same political party," wrote Rajrishi Singhal. Elections need freebies, which will increase government debt and interest outgo. That may adversely affect credit rating. LTCG tax and STT are big revenue earners, but may encourage a flight of foreign investors, which is a drain on dollars and devalues the rupee. The RBI is supporting the rupee by selling dollars borrowed at high interest rates. Repaying the debt may increase the deficit, forcing more borrowing. Any credit downgrade will be used by the opposition to lampoon the government and may result in loss of power. Problems! Problems! Much easier to dress up in a camouflage suit with a CRPF emblem on the hat on Diwali day (pmindia.gov.in). Strangely there is no brass insignia on the shoulder epaulettes. Asim Munir struts around with Field Marshall on his shoulders. wikipedia. How dare he? Who won Operation Sindoor (pib.gov.in)? Clue: not that Don. Anything higher than Field Marshall?  

Forget the anniversary. Happy Diwali.

In 2017, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won an overwhelming majority with three-quarters of the total seats in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Assembly election. The BJP won 312 seats, the Samajwadi Party (SP) got 47 and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got 19, out of a total of 403 seats in the assembly. wikipedia. Yogi Adityanath took over as chief minister. Born Ajay Singh Bisht "in the village of Panchur in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, Yogi (one who practices yoga) Adityanath is the "mahant, or head priest, of the Gorakhnath Math, a Hindu monastery in Gorakhpur." He is also celebrated as 'bulldozer baba' for using excavating machines to demolish allegedly illegal properties. Britannica. It is thought that this thumping victory of the BJP was facilitated by the sudden demonetization of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 banknotes on 8 November 2016 (wikipedia), the same evening that Donald J Trump won his first term as President of the United States (White House). "While millions of honest citizens had to queue up outside banks and ATMs to withdraw limited amounts of hard-earned money, the wealthy found a way to deposit all their ill-gotten wealth through mules." Writing in January 2017, V Anantha Nageswaran, presently the Chief Economic Advisor to the government, "wondered whether the 'ouster' of the outspoken RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan sent a message to his successor on the perils of acting independently or providing independent advice." Mint. Prof Rajan's successor Urjit Patel resigned prematurely in December 2018, citing "personal reasons". "His resignation comes amid reports of a rift between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government." BBC. It was alleged that members of the BJP had prior intimation and so were able to change their illicit cash or use it buy parcels of land. The total amount was alleged at a colossal Rs 8 trillion. TOI. "Official sources and cheerleaders, who included some well known economists, claimed as much as between Rs 3 trillion and Rs 5 trillion - some 20% to 30% of the currency held by the public - estimated as black money holding would not return." Scroll. Since banknotes are legal tender and a liability on the RBI's balance sheet (rbi.org.in) the extinguished notes would result in the transfer of the windfall surplus of Rs 3-5 trillion to the government. In the event, "more than 99.3% of the demonetized currency eventually returned to the banking system. What remained was mostly the small and pitiful holdings of the poor." Despite an explosion of digital payments the use of cash has risen to 12.1% of GDP and the currency in circulation is at Rs 43.468 trillion as on 15 October 2026. ISI. Since the informal economy employs over 80% of the workforce (Data for India) and operates almost exclusively in cash (MPPSC Forum), the sudden demonetisation caused immense suffering to the poor. However, rejoicing in their schadenfreude, as the BJP managed to convince them of the suffering of the rich, they voted the BJP to absolute power in UP. "In Pew's 2025 survey, 74% of Indian respondents said they are satisfied with how democracy is working - the second highest share among the countries surveyed. But this is not how 'experts' consulted by organisations like V-Dem and Freedom House see it." HT. The reason for the satisfaction may be because of the distribution of freebies before elections, because 65% of the population is youth, of whom 51% are unemployable, the bottom 50% of the population holds just 15% if the wealth and 86% of farmers hold less than 1 acre of land. 180degrees. If their vote is valued in cash then democracy works. The tenth anniversary of the infamous demonetisation coincides with Diwali which is an auspicious day of celebration. So, Happy Diwali to all Indians and to the world.

The Indian Humpty Dumpty.

"Trust both lowers the cost of every exchange or interaction and is associated with higher economic growth." But, the most recent round of the World Values Survey found that "only 17% of Indians said most people can be trusted, placing India 53rd of roughly 90 economies." "Most people" refers to a different caste or community. "Within one's own group, trust is strong and economically valuable," wrote Ramanan Laxminarayanan. One very strong reason may be that, "As many as 250 (46%) of the 542 newly elected members of Parliament (MPs) had declared criminal cases against them at the time of filing their nominations, data from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) charges." Also, "MPs from as many as 504 out of these 541 seats had assets worth Rs 10 million or more, with 30 of them declaring total assets Rs 1 billion or more," wrote Manjul Paul. Because of the protection against criminal prosecution on being elected an MP, as well as spending well above legal limits to win an election, they resort to lies, denials and force to cling on the power. This is proven by the fact that no one resigns in India, either because they disagree with Dear Leader or because of loss of reputation, while there is a long list of people who resigned from high posts in the second Trump administration. Marty Makary resigned in protest while Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned "following workplace misconduct allegations." wikipedia. The only minister who was forced to resign by weeks of protest was the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan (BBC) but only after government goons viciously beat up protesters with wooden sticks, batons and tear gas and caused permanent life-altering injuries by firing pellet guns (BBC) deliberately aimed at unarmed students. To prevent any recurrence, the government has banned all protests at Jantar Mantar in the center of Delhi and designated three other sites which charge high fees for use and are remote enough to be ignored. BBC. "No country is a better exemplar of our global democratic recession than India. India's democracy confounded legions of naysayers by growing more stable over its first seven decades. India's democratic deepening happened in formal ways, through the consolidation of civilian rule over the military as well as decades of vibrant multiparty competition, and informal ways, through strengthening of norms around Electoral Commission independence," wrote Maya Tudor. The BJP is like a hermit crab which uses the shell of a dead animal to protect itself. "When our Prime Minister and foreign minister travel abroad to lecture the world and receive its medals, they do not use the same rhetoric as they do in India." "They go to the United Nations and other fora under a Nehruvian carapace." "They do not tell the world that inside India their policy is bulldozer and beef lynching and CAA and NRC and love jihad," wrote Aakar Patel. Not to forget pellet guns. "The day after his 2014 election victory, Narendra Modi was filmed aboard a private jet owned by business magnate Gautam Adani," showing that "the relationship between these two men - one the figurehead of Hindu supremacism, the other of accumulating wealth - has been solid for two decades, a symbol of two decades of crony capitalism on a scale unprecedented in India's history." Le Monde. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh suggested that the "real equation to consider is 'Modi + Adani = Modani'." TOI. When you can't trust your government or businesses you rely on those within your group or those vouched for by an acquaintance. Trust is Humpty Dumpty. Once broken, can't be fixed.