I was thinking about the present conditions of #India when I suddenly thought of revisiting this #movie by #SatyajitRay. "Hirak Rajar Deshe" (In the Land of the Diamond-King). Its portrayal of moving to dictatorial rule is dangerously accurate.
I really wanted to share this#song from the #film. It is in #bengali so I shall provide a translation.
I see such funny things in the world.
Everywhere I look, I am confused beyond words.
I can't make sense of this world.
Oh brother!
Look at the good fellows stuck in their dilapidated homes.
The evil one ascends the throne.
The wheat farmer can't manage two square meals.
The diamond mine's labours are living in poverty.
Oh Brother, how funny is our world!
I thought #VanessaDougnac had a piece published somewhere in English that did the rounds here and elsewhere when she was forced to leave #India a few months ago, but I can't find it at all now. Does anyone else remember it?
(I can find lots of other stories talking about her departure, some with quotes from a statement she released, but what I thought I saw was a story, rather than a statement—though links to the statement also gratefully received!)🙏🧡
Rat Trap- While doing this activity, many mishaps go unreported, which we cannot see from the outside. Their lives are devastating enough that they are called thieves in their own house, and during a case of mine collapse, they cannot even shed a tear or claim their loved ones’ body. This film narrates their daily life. The film was award the Satyajit Ray Silver Award for 2nd best film in the 6th South Asian Short Film Festival, Kolkata 2023. #mastindia@mastodonindians#indigenous
An essay -- both deeply personal and political -- saying what I felt is important to be said at this juncture for #India and coming from a place of hope for a different future for our country:
As an Indian I am not surprised to learn from Robert Reich's post that the top 0.1% of Americans control $20 trillion in wealth and the bottom 50% control $3.7 trillion in wealth.
I have been haplessly observing the brutality of inequality since my childhood while putting my best efforts to remain on the other side.
Our estimates suggest that inequality declined post-independence till the early 1980s, after which it began rising and has skyrocketed since the early 2000s. Trends of top income and wealth shares track each other over the entire period of our study. Between 2014-15 and 2022-23, the rise of top-end inequality has been particularly pronounced in terms of wealth concentration. By 2022-23, top 1% income and wealth shares (22.6% and 40.1%) are at their highest historical levels and India’s top 1% income share is among the very highest in the world.
In other words, the ‘Billionaire Raj’ headed by India’s modern bourgeoisie is now more unequal than the British Raj headed by the colonialist forces. It is unclear how long such inequality levels can sustain without major social and political upheaval. While there is no reason to believe income and wealth inequality will slow down by itself, historical evidence suggests that it can be kept in check via policy.
The root cause may be absence of appropriate policies through legislation.
The authors of the above mentioned paper lament that:> In line with earlier work, we find suggestive evidence that the Indian income tax system might be regressive when viewed from the lens of net wealth. We emphasize that the quality of economic data in India is notably poor and has seen a decline recently. It is therefore likely that our results represent a lower bound to actual inequality levels.
As an Indian I am not surprised to learn from Robert Reich's post that the top 0.1% of Americans control $20 trillion in wealth and the bottom 50% control $3.7 trillion in wealth.
I have been haplessly observing the brutality of inequality since my childhood while putting my best efforts to remain on the other side.
Our estimates suggest that inequality declined post-independence till the early 1980s, after which it began rising and has skyrocketed since the early 2000s. Trends of top income and wealth shares track each other over the entire period of our study. Between 2014-15 and 2022-23, the rise of top-end inequality has been particularly pronounced in terms of wealth concentration. By 2022-23, top 1% income and wealth shares (22.6% and 40.1%) are at their highest historical levels and India’s top 1% income share is among the very highest in the world.
In other words, the ‘Billionaire Raj’ headed by India’s modern bourgeoisie is now more unequal than the British Raj headed by the colonialist forces. It is unclear how long such inequality levels can sustain without major social and political upheaval. While there is no reason to believe income and wealth inequality will slow down by itself, historical evidence suggests that it can be kept in check via policy.
The root cause may be absence of appropriate policies through legislation.
The authors of the above mentioned paper lament that:> In line with earlier work, we find suggestive evidence that the Indian income tax system might be regressive when viewed from the lens of net wealth. We emphasize that the quality of economic data in India is notably poor and has seen a decline recently. It is therefore likely that our results represent a lower bound to actual inequality levels.
14 out of 28 constituencies in Karnataka will vote in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on Friday. Past records show that the BJP has had an edge in LS elections over Assembly elections in the last 3 election cycles in the state. For Congress, the trend has been the opposite. Which way could Karnataka vote in 2024? Here are 3 charts which answer this question.