Open Magazine — February 14, 2018

6 12 february 2018

promises to the world

It is true that Prime Minister

Narendra Modi made a very

strong pitch to investors in

Davos and said that he has

changed India’s policy from

‘red tape’ to ‘red carpet’

(‘At Home in the World’,

February 5th, 2018). Modi

has shown statesmanship in

his Davos speech rather than

speaking like a salesman for

his country, which speaks

a lot about India’s growing

clout globally. And since this

comes around the same time

that we have the UK pulling

out of the EU, Modi is right in

his assessment that glo-

balisation is shrinking and

countries have started tak-

ing a self-centred approach.

Although his critics may not

entirely agree with him on

his many statements, it is dif-

ficult to fault his work ethic.

India under Modi is ready to

become one of the strongest

forces to reckon with in the

global arena. All that is left

now is for Modi to walk the

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talk and for international

investors to enter India and

invest money. It is imperative

that we removal all invest-

ment and business hurdles

at the ground level. All busi-

ness clearances and approv-

als should be time-bound,

and no authority other than

the PMO should monitor

the progress.

Bal Govind

Narendra Modi has made

some highly interesting

statements at the World

Economic Forum’s summit

in Davos (‘Davos Diary’ by

Miniya Chatterji, February

5th, 2018). It remains to be

seen if he can fulfil his

promises and assure

foreign investors the ease of

doing business that they are

looking for. If he can deliver

on this, then India will have

much to thank him for.

Currently, however, with

riots and protests breaking

out every other week and

business proposals still

facing some red tapism and

bureaucratic hurdles,

there is still a long way to

go before India can become

a dream destination for

global investors.

N Priyanka

mockery of the law

It is beyond imagination that

despite a film being passed

by the Censor Board, people

in some states staged protests

against the film Padmaavat

(‘The Power of Absurdity’,

February 5th, 2018). This is

a mockery of the law and

therefore dangerous for the

country’s democracy.

Despite a Supreme Court

order lifting the ban on

its screening, the violence

continued. How can one

object to a movie without

even watching it? Those who

issued threats and went so far

as to attack innocent young

school children must be

severely punished. But no

concrete action has been

initiated even now. Let’s not

set a precedent of the rule of

law being disobeyed with

such impunity. Remember

that most films are the

product of creativity and

artistic thought. They are

works of fiction; Padmaavat

is no exception.

Mahesh Kumar

C

letter of the week

Nobody in Indian politics can match Narendra

Modi’s skill at wooing world leaders (‘Globetrotter-

in-Chief’ by Michael Kugelman, February 5th, 2018).

From Russia’s Putin to America’s Trump, Modi has

used his first few years as India’s Prime Minister to

the country’s advantage. He has not only managed

to introduce India to the world, but also spoken to

Indian citizens in other countries and negotiated

deals that will benefit our country. Before him, prime

ministers making foreign visits would hardly make

the kind of headlines that Modi has managed to.

Even onhis recent trip to Davos, Switzerland,

Modi’s speech and interviews managed to make

front-page news. It is also admirable that he returned

home and immediately met ASEAN leaders in Delhi

before attending Republic Day celebrations. When

your leader works so smartly and tirelessly, it inspires

faith and hope in citizens.

Yash Chhabra

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volume 10 issue 6
for the week 6-12 february 2018
total no. of pages 94