Should Manmohan Singh debate Advani on live TV? Or shouldn't he? While commentators get themselves worked into a sweat debating the merits and pitfalls of either side, The PM's former media advisor and now Visiting Professor, Sanjaya Baru, observes that: There is a larger point to be made as well. Populist TV in India has converted discussion into debate and debate into argument. I have always felt Amartya Sen has not served the cause of democracy in India well by glorifying our … [Read more...]
The Big TV Debate – 2
April 19, 2009 By 1 Comment
Editor, columnist, anchor and author Vir Sanghvi differs from Sanjaya Baru to point out that the benefit of a TV debate is that the people of India will finally get a chance to whisk out the real leaders from behind the comforting fronts of Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Kapil Sibal and Arun Jaitley and find out for ourselves what their take is on the issues that concern us. The advantage of a television debate is that it allows voters to see where the candidates actually stand on the issues. At … [Read more...]
The Sting of Flint
April 19, 2009 By 1 Comment
Outlook Magazine's Smita Gupta traces the recent emergence of our usually reticent and retiring PM as a strongman, matching intellect with caustic comment directed at his blustering Opposition. And his appeal lies not only amongst the educated middle-class, she points out: Indeed, Manmohan has touched more lives than even he might have imagined. Two weeks ago, while travelling through central and eastern Uttar Pradesh, where the contest is essentially between the BSP and the Samajwadi Party, … [Read more...]
