Sunday View: The Best Weekend Opinion Reads, Curated Just for You

Bare-Knuckle Politics

In his weekly column for , Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram writes that while Trump’s campaign faced widespread criticism for being misogynistic, racist, and divisive, the majority of American voters seemed to be more concerned with issues such as immigration, inflation, and crime.

He says, "Except inflation, the other two are not what we call ‘bread and butter’ issues; they could be described, loosely, as ‘survive or sink’ issues."

P Chidambaram, The Indian Express"Immigration is seen as opening the door for ‘people not like us’ swamping the white American Christian citizens of the U.S. Latter-day immigrants (mainly Latino voters) also felt that the new immigrants were a threat to the old immigrants. Inflation hurts everyone in every country. Although inflation was contained in the U.S. to 2.4 per cent and the U.S. Fed is poised to reduce the policy interest rate (a sign of lower inflation), nevertheless inflation was a powerful weapon in the hands of the Republican Party. The U.S., like most countries, has witnessed more crimes, thanks to growing population, urbanisation and drugs. Crime is an all-season weapon and any government in office is vulnerable. Mr Trump exploited these issues to the fullest. And he did in his own bare-knuckle way using coarse and profane language. What surprised me was that the voters did not object to the coarseness and profanity." Minority Institutions Are Not Just for Minorities

In , Faizan Mustafa writes about the Supreme Court's recent ruling on Aligarh Muslim University's (AMU) minority status, which overturns a 56-year-old judgment.

He writes, "Chief Justice S R Das in the Kerala Education Bill case had said that minority institutions are primarily for the minority that has established the institution, and there shall be only a “sprinkling of outsiders” in such institutions. However, clarity on this issue came as late as the St Stephen’s (1992) and TMA Pai Foundation judgments."

Faizan Mustafa, The Indian Express"The majority of judges rejected the argument against AMU’s minority character because it was mentioned as an institution of national importance in the Constitution. The Court said Entry 63 of the Union List empowers Parliament to enact regulations in respect of AMU and does not amount to the surrender of its minority character. The CJI observed that the terms “national” and “minority” are not at odds with each other. A minority institution can also be one of national importance. The dissenting judges, on the other hand, considered this an important facet of the university’s non-minority status." Where America and India Will Meet, Differ

In the , Rudra Chaudhuri, Director of Carnegie India, discusses how Trump's victory presents India with an opportunity to revisit and strengthen the Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership.

He says, "To this end, there is a gap in the strategic dialogue currently in the US-India relationship. Much of this has to do with fast-evolving strategic and operational advances with intended and unintended geopolitical ramifications."

Rudra Chaudhuri, Hindustan Times"For those in America determined to challenge Chinese technological hegemony, clamours within India to increase Chinese investments and entertain different cooperative relations with Russia might still seem at odds with the verve behind the determination to co-innovate and co-develop strategic technologies — one of the drivers of the iCET. How both countries deal with China, as they open strategic space for each other, is another area of much-needed discussion. In sum, there is an urgent need for a serious and honest dialogue." Socialist Prince vs Real Princes

In her weekly column for , senior journalist Tavleen Singh critiques Rahul Gandhi's recent article, in which he condemns "pliant maharajas and nawabs" for stifling Indian businesses.

Tavleen Singh, The Indian Express"If anyone managed to almost destroy Indian enterprise, it was Rahul’s granny and her father. J.R.D. Tata is on record saying that though Jawaharlal Nehru was his friend he never managed to convince him that his economic policies would not benefit Indian industry. Here, may I remind you that when our colonial masters were still ruling India and crippling private enterprise with sanctions and penalties, Indian companies continued to grow and thrive. Indian businessmen defied British sanctions and succeeded well enough to begin manufacturing not just motorcars but aero planes and ships. It was Nehru’s central planning that put an end to their ambitions." EC’s Double Standard on Byelections Irks Parties

Diplomat and former Rajya Sabha MP Pavan K Varma, in his article for the expresses his disillusionment with the Election Commission of India over its handling of the by-election schedule in Bihar during the Chhath Puja celebrations.

Pavan K Varma, Deccan Chronicle"During this period, the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) sent a written representation to the EC, which was duly acknowledged but did not receive a reply, or an invitation for a hearing. Petitions from dozens of independent organisations of Bihar involved in the Chhath Puja, requesting for a postponement of the election date, were also received by the EC. Finally, only after crucial days had elapsed, Rajiv Kumar returned my calls. He was brusque, dismissive, and totally insensitive to such a genuine request, saying that if the EC took into account religious festivals it would be impossible to hold elections." Can Digital Identities Eliminate Social Differences?

Writing for the , Vidya Subramanian argues that while a purely digital identity may seem appealing, it oversimplifies the complex social divisions of caste, religion, and gender that continue to shape society.

She writes, "The Aadhaar identity project was supposed to do something exactly like that."

Vidya Subramanian, Deccan Herald"There are at least two reasons why this can never be the case. The first is that instead of erasing existing differences, technologies amplify these distinctions, entrenching differences and introducing new fissures in the fabric of society. The second is that easy tech fixes, however attractive they may seem, cannot — and indeed should not — be expected to solve social problems." Fadnavis Really Cosying up to RSS? Cong Lets J’Khand Down

In the , senior journalist Anita Katyal reflects on recent political developments in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand that could shape the upcoming elections in these states.

She writes, "Though relations between the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, have recently improved after a brief period of tension, there is considerable speculation about Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s recent disclosure that he has sought the Sangh’s help in the upcoming Assembly elections. Different interpretations are being offered by BJP insiders about this statement."

Anita Katyal, Deccan Chronicle"The Congress in Madhya Pradesh is in a mess, having been reduced to a rump after its successive defeats in the state Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. And yet the party refuses to get its act together. Though it is acknowledged that the party needs a new leadership in the state, veteran leaders like former chief minister Digvijaya Singh continue to call the shots. The latest example in this instance is the upcoming byelection in former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s assembly constituency Budhni. It’s a prestigious battle and it was expected that the Congress would field a strong candidate. Instead, the Congress leadership picked old timer and perennial loser Rajkumar Patel, a known protegee of Digvijaya Singh, for this seat." Whatsapp History Is a Hydra but Don’t Blame Indian Academics

In his piece for the , Samyak Ghosh writes that William Dalrymple's critique of Indian academic historians for failing to engage with the public oversimplifies the issue by presenting it as a binary between academic and popular historians.

Samyak Ghosh, Times of India"What has irked many academic historians is the charge that a certain kind of ‘WhatsApp history’, as Dalrymple calls it, has been on the ascendant because of Indian historians who never wrote for the public. Dalrymple might have his reasons to frame it as a binary of academic historians versus popular historians in his efforts to find the culprit. However, this is misleading for a number of reasons." India’s Gaming Industry Set to Soar: From Entertainment to Economic Powerhouse

In her piece for , former bureaucrat and author Geetha Ravichandran explores the growth and evolving potential of India's gaming industry, highlighting its impact on entertainment, education, and the economy, while also addressing challenges related to regulation and content safeguards.

Geetha Ravichandran, The New Indian Express"A theory of simulation says the universe and its inhabitants are part of a gigantic video game, as seen in the movie The Matrix. Whatever the possibility of that, it’s undeniable that the evolving metaverse has engulfed us. It has diverse potential beyond mere entertainment and presents a valuable economic opportunity for India. So it makes sense not just to join the game, but to be on top of it." More from The Quint: