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Dear Reader,
The sudden and dramatic move by the Prime Minister to repeal the three controversial farm laws, which have had the farmers up in protests for over a year now, has baffled many. While it has been seen as a clear and marked triumph for the farmers, the people’s movement and for democracy, political pundits see this as a strategic climbdown by the PM with an eye on the forthcoming assembly polls, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
Mojo Story discusses the reverberations of the move on democratic movements and the lessons learnt from the episode – how the bulldozing of the bills through Parliament, without adequate consultation, and the effort to demonise the protestors as “anti-nationals”, had taken away from the sheen and credibility of the ostensible bid to reform Indian agriculture.
The Probe goes to Singhu, on Delhi’s border with Haryana, to speak to agitating farmers on what the repeal means to them and their resolve to not step back until their other demands are met, including a legally binding MSP mandate.
A “stunning overreach” from Paytm and its lead bankers led to the collapse of the company’s IPO last week. Touted as India’s biggest initial offering, the country’s premier fintech firm’s stock-listing debut saw a severe depletion of its value, particularly leaving small retail investors in the lurch. As ThePrint analyses, this comes largely on the back of steep overpricing, doubts on the efficacy of its business model and a less than clear road to profitability.
The deleterious effects of soil erosion and climate change have wreaked havoc in Assam’s Majuli, the largest river island in the world. River Brahmaputra has devoured half of the island over the last six decades, severely impacting farming and livelihoods. Down To Earth reports that measures taken by the state by placing geo-bags and “RCC porcupines” have been less than par, and the depletion of the island continues.
Even as a debate rages on the pros and cons of cryptocurrency in India, and the Prime Minister leads a high-level meeting on its regulation, The India Forum brings you a detailed explanation of crypto and seeks answers on whether they are a means of freedom from the central Bank’s controls or a threat to systemic and personal financial stability.
For more such stories from the grantees this week, please read on.
Warmly,
Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
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