Civil Conduct; Electrifying EV; Ranil’s Rescue
Opinion Watch
Civil Conduct
The Asian Age has said that Rahul Gandhi, former president of Congress, is the first politician to be sentenced for two years jail term for a public speech. On drama unfolding after the conviction, The Pioneer has asked if the political class could shed some sanctimony and mawkishness.
Both the dailies have in their respective Editorial went for deep dive in thoughts to rue that there is a certain fall in the political standard. Yet, The Asian Age argued that defamation has no grounds to be a criminal offence. Even if there is no absolute free speech, there should be a semblance of it, suggested the daily.
India has a law book that may be akin to a bloated person with his ugly belly hurting the passerby. Certainly, Parliament passes too many laws, drafted by Babus, without adequate discussions. Defamation law too has no merit to stay as a criminal offence, because if one begins digging out there would be several instances of the collective sentiment of the people hurt by the utterances of the politicians.
Electrifying EV
By 2030, the government desires to have an all-electric fleet of vehicles even while India is dependent on imports for 65 per cent of the components, said the Economic Times in an Editorial, while reflecting on “chicken and egg problem” surrounding the electric vehicles (EVs).
The business daily has said that the sale of the EVs will cross two million in 2023-24, while 1.11 million units were sold in current fiscal. Arguing that production-linked incentive scheme should stay as a desirable path, the daily desired for local supply chains.
On closer look, it would be evident that India’s EV story is all about imports from China, with battery-powered cycles and rickshaws strutting around in cities. There exists hardly any domestic capacities to be gung ho about EVs, if the aim is not to help China with import orders. Also, a four-wheeler taking 12-hour for full charge should make it a luxury commodity only.
Ranil’s Rescue
The Hindu in its Editorial has given an account of Sri Lanka finally bailed out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with benign touch of India, and also the deftness of Ranil Vickremesinghe, the prime minister of the island nation.
IMF’s 48-month $2.9 billion extended credit facility may help Sri Lanka to ink debt restructuring pacts with debtor nations, suggested the Chennai-based daily, while also mentioning that India’s $4 billion package in addition to being Colombo’s voice at multilateral institutions helped stabilize the situation.
Sri Lanka’s lapse into default was solely on account of unserviceable foreign debt, including a big chunk from China, and remittances that vanished as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, rampant corruption in the political class offered the country on a platter to China with loans for projects not required by the country. Colombo must aim for economic autonomy and stop being a vassal of China.
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