Special moments

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The biggest inequalities in life occur at birth. Some are born abysmally poor, some rich beyond imagination. This has nothing to do with their hard work & has no moral justification. This is the reason why an inheritance tax to curb inequality is a must in any civilized society.

Since so many liked the art of the Santals from Bengal’s Purulia District, here’s another one.

शानदार है

My grandson wilting with the chess trophy he won in school.

Stunning roadside art, Hura, Purulia.

Stunning roadside art, Park Avenue, New York.

.President Biden’ unconditional support for Israel over the past six months has benefited Israel’s embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו. But it has not necessarily benefited Israeli citizens, notes Cornell University’s Kaushik Basu. bit.ly/4b5xjK5

Hindutva trolls (much fewer in number than the tweets suggest) are damaging India, trashing all achievements of the last 75 years. The establishment of democracy, secularism & free press was a staggering achievement. These are at risk now. But luckily all can see this.

So nice to see Jenifer Rajkumar, who I met when she was a little girl, now a prominent member of the New York State Assembly, addressing a street rally in New York celebrating Persian culture.

When you buy Kizik shoes don’t throw away the shoe stretchers. They are great for painting nails (to go with Hockney).

Illegal immigrants to USA used to be largely from the Americas. PEW data show this has changed. The 5 countries from where the largest illegal immigrants are coming to USA now are Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras & India. This is such a waste of the talent in India.

India’s done well in foreign & monetary policy but the erosion of democracy, politics of hate & cronyism at levels not seen before are damaging the economy, with soaring food price inflation & youth unemployment. Explains why illegal migration from India to US is at record high.

My column in The Telegraph on why this is the most important general election since 1977.
As I write: “Authoritarianism crushes the spirit; majoritarianism poisons the mind and the heart. The hate and bigotry it engenders spread like a cancer through the body politic, robbing…

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US Senators Sanders & Warren pointed out, the goals of ordinary Israelis – who want to end the war & bring home the hostages – differ from those of Netanyahu, who seeks to prolong the conflict to maintain his hold on power.
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Rainbow zebra on jute. To celebrate diversity and an inclusive world.

Indians now constitute the third-largest group of undocumented immigrants coming to the US. Ashoka Mody drew attention to this alarming fact in his talk today at the Roosevelt House, New York. This raises big questions about India’s GDP growth & where it is going.

Two days of fascinating seminars.
Ashoka Mody speaking on India’s economy, at Roosevelt House, Hunter College, City University of New York.