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HAVE ‘SOCIALIST’ AND ‘SECULAR’ IMPROVED QUALITY OF PUBLIC LIFE? Using the example of the time ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ was added to the Constitution’s Preamble, SWAPAN DASGUPTA writes in
_The Times of India_, > In trying to codify attitudes and approaches, the country may have > unwittingly injected an extra note of divisiveness in the political > arena. Dasgupta
takes a cue from the vibrant debate in the Parliament on Constitution Day to acknowledge Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s contribution to nation-building. He also admonishes the Congress and the Gandhis
in particular for reducing “the richness of that experience (freedom struggle) to a family inheritance…” warning that, “the wayward rewriting that took place during the Emergency is a danger
that hasn’t entirely gone away.” END ALL CORPORATE TAX BREAKS TO GIVE COUNTRY A BREAK FROM FAVOURITISM Making a case in favour of the government’s move to end many “irrational” exemptions
from corporate tax rates, SWAMINATHAN AIYAR writes in his column for _The Times of India_, > Indian industry needs the pressure of competition to shape up, not > tax breaks and
concessions. Aiyar adds, > Rather than listen to domestic lobbies with fat pockets or political > clout, we need an expert committee to objectively identify tax > breaks in
competing countries that affect our exporters, and so need > to be matched. ACROSS THE AISLE: WHAT IS ECONOMIC REFORM, WHAT IS NOT > …true economic reform is one that makes a clean
break from the > past, replaces the old with the new, and lays out a new model or a > new path that will enhance output, efficiency and distributive > justice. In that light, I am
afraid, most “measures” advocated > by governments do not qualify as reforms. FIFTH COLUMN: INTOLERANCE OF THE REAL KIND “Never before has it been so important for educated, moderate
Indian Muslims to stand up for our gentler Islam,” writes columnist TAVLEEN SINGH in _The Indian Express_ in response to Bollywood actor Aamir Khan’s remarks on “intolerance” in the country.
Singh feels that by disassociating the Islamic State and Wahhabism from Islam, moderate Muslims are inadvertently supporting the “Caliphate and its barbaric ideology.” > If Indian Islam
is to be saved from this ‘evil death cult’, to > use David Cameron’s words, then a huge responsibility falls on > educated, moderate Muslims like Aamir Khan. It is for them to >
persuade the men who control Islamic seminaries and the Imams who > create a sense of grievance in their sermons, to start opposing > Wahhabi ideas. WE CANNOT JUST PACK UP AND HEAD FOR
KINDER SHORES Adding to the debate on Aamir Khan’s “intolerance” remark, KARAN THAPAR writes in _Hindustan Times_ that this is “not a moment to flee our homes but to stand firm and resolute
in defence of the country we love.” Thapar agrees with Aamir’s concern about “the creeping and, perhaps, accelerating mood of intolerance that many believe is spreading like a tide through
our country.” > …let’s not delude ourselves by boasting we are the most tolerant > country in the world. We’re not. If no one else, our Dalit and > scheduled caste citizens will
convincingly tell you why. Our job as > Indians is to change this. Not pack up and head for kinder shores. DO INDIAN VOTERS REALLY CARE FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH “The evidence is mixed on
whether the country’s electorate rewards parties that deliver high economic growth,” writes VIVEK DEHEJIA in_ Mint on Sunday_. Dehejia takes a cue from BJP’s loss in the Bihar assembly
elections and quotes from various research papers and analysis reports to back his claim. > The lack of definitive evidence in favour of the importance of > economic growth may be
disappointing for those who would like to > believe that good economics is good politics. If governments > themselves believe that delivering high growth will help get them >
re-elected, it will incentivize them to try to choose good economic > policies in the hope of delivering high growth and thus getting > re-elected, which of course every incumbent
hopes for. > Pakistan harbours terrorists who seek to cripple India. It harbours > the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks. It violates the Line of > Control daily, whether by firing
or by the infiltration of > terrorists. Why should we play cricket? Varadarajan suggests that the Pakistan cricket board is broke and is desperate for series with India. “The Indian board
does not need the money. That it is frequently driven by greed is quite another matter,” he adds. FROM THE QUINT: Published: 29 Nov 2015, 7:24 AM IST