Doosri Nazar ... My Perspective

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a news conference at the end of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China. May 15, 2017.  Jason Lee/Reuters Xi Jinping took over as the Chinese President in 2013 with a call for furthering the “Chinese Dream,” a vision for China’s development and rejuvenation.   Over the years, through his speeches, Xi has given Chinese foreign policy a new, strategic direction, including the concept of “ fen fa you wei ” or “striving for achievement.” This was seen as moving away from China’s long held position of “keeping a low profile, hiding your strategies, and biding your time.”   It also reflected China’s redefined “political ambition to seek global great power status and its long-term plan of reshaping the global economic structure.” [1] The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) unveiled in 2013 by Xi Jinping was a key component of this vision. Conceived as a two-pronged plan using land and maritime routes, BRI represents one of the large...

On March 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to national television and announced a one-day “Janata Curfew” – an announcement asking Indians to stay at home from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm on March 22. He requested people not to go out of their homes and prepare for ourselves for what was to come in the days ahead.  He also appealed citizens to recognize the efforts of those working on the frontlines of battling this virus –all categories of healthcare and hospital workers, media persons, airport staff, transport services providers, security forces, and others – by coming to their balconies and doorsteps, clapping and banging utensils as a mark of appreciation.  While people mostly stayed home on this Sunday, several came out in groups at 5:00 pm in response to the PM’s call to applaud the service providers.  In doing so, they inadvertently defeated the purpose of staying indoors the entire day! On March 20, India reported 236 positive cases and four deaths.  O...

Karnataka’s attempt to monitor the functioning of private healthcare providers through an amended law has left both practitioners and patients at a loss.   A simple Internet search will throw up scores of news reports of alleged medical negligence and malpractice India -from botched surgeries, to wrong diagnosis and treatment leading to permanent damage to patients, and even death.   Several such instances of medical negligence also led to violence against practitioners and health care providers by kin of those affected. These situations point toward a deep malaise that affects India’s healthcare system. Consider this: India has a shortage of an estimated 600,000 doctors and two million nurses. [1]   This has led to a proliferation of the private healthcare industry.   Around 70% of healthcare in India is provided through the private sector, thus creating a virtual monopoly over services offered. [2]   Moreover, the patient always has to trust the doct...

A Decade of Protests The last decade saw a series of mass protest movements across the world.  Reasons for these protests were varied.   In Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, France (Yellow Vests), and the United States (Occupy Wall Street), these protests were against the economic policies, rising prices and excessive taxation that affected the common masses. [1]  Protests in the Middle East and North Africa saw pro-democracy uprisings in Tunisia (“Jasmine Revolution”), Egypt (the famous Tahrir Square in Cairo), Syria, Morocco, Libya, and Yemen. [2]   Tahrir Square on July 29 2011 during the Friday of unity (Wikipedia) India too witnessed its share of mass protests during this period.   The anti-corruption movement in 2011 (named among the “Top 10 New Stories of 2011” by Time magazine) brought together thousands of people protesting the scams under the then UPA-2 government and demanding the passing of the Jan Lokpal Bill.   In 2012, the brutal ...