In defense of Indian 🇮🇳 democracy!
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi most successful visit to Norway a minor incident happened. A Norwegian journalist demanded that the prime minister starts holding press conferences. She claimed that Indian democracy is in bad shape.
May be its time to pause? May be its time to be a bit curious to the world’s largest democracy?
Two weeks ago five Indian states and territories held elections. The turn out in the battlefield state of West Bengal was 94%. In the last local election in Norway it was 62%, in many European local elections turn out is below 50%. Can voting in massive numbers be a signal Indians trust their democratic process?
In the same election BJP won big in Assam and West Bengal. It lost even bigger in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Can this diversity be a signal that Indian democracy is reflecting the will of the people?
The journalist referred to a democracy ranking putting India at 157 in the world, behind many dictatorships and deeply troubled states. When a ranking is so obviously contrary to common sense, why not ask critical questions to those making the ranking rather than demand that leaders shall comment on nonsense? I recommend Salvatore Babones book “Dharma democracy”. The book debunks convincingly the flawed methodology of these rankings.
It was referred to a ranking claiming it’s very dangerous to be a journalist in India. Reality is that it is more dangerous to be journalist in the US and far more dangerous in the vast majority of other nations in the world.
Let’s be real. India is not perfect. Of course there are incidents. India has a population the size of North America, South America and Europe combined. But India is much more peaceful than Europe or the Americas. That’s remarkable - given the ethnic, language and religious diversity of India and the many development challenges.
Unless we consider democracy a form of government only suited for some very small, peaceful and homogeneous Western European nations, may be we should commend Indian democracy?
India is the only major former UK colony which became and has remained a democracy. Its sometimes claimed that the Brits taught India democracy. If that was the case why isn’t Myanmar or Pakistan or the Gulf kingdoms democracies??? Reality is that Indian democracy is both homegrown and extraordinary successful.
To add to this is the fact that they assimilate and become local, so in Bengal they will speak Bengali and in TN Tamil and in Maharashtra Marathi. These are life lessons they learn from their parents and society as to how to become local
At 19, I was preparing for exams.
At 19, my Marwari classmates were already running businesses.
I didn't understand it then. I do now.
I am a Bengali. Son of a teacher.
Nobody in my family through generations knew business.
At St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, morning classes would end at 9.50AM.
I would go home.
My Marwari friends would go straight to their family shops, firms, and factories.
At 19, they were writing invoices.
At 19, they were sitting in supplier meetings.
At 19, they were counting inventory.
At 19, they were learning money not from books, but from their fathers.
I was solving question papers.
They were solving real problems.
One morning in the college canteen,
I watched a classmate discussing about a shipment delay.
He was 19. Handling logistics.
I didn't even know what a supply chain was.
That day I decided - if they can do this, why can't I?
That thought led me to CA.
CA taught me how to read businesses.
Reading businesses taught me how to build them.
That journey helped me build my own business which is now in 34 countries !
All because I sat next to the right people at 19.
The Marwari community is India's oldest and greatest business school.
No campus. No degree. No placement cell.
Just fathers teaching sons over chai and calculators.
Who shaped your career without knowing it? Tag them.
Indian Market Resilience: Pandemic Crash and Recovery Analysis!
The provided data illustrates the extreme volatility of major Indian stock market indices during the onset and subsequent year of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the initial three-week period in March 2020, every tracked index suffered a massive decline, with some losing over a third of their total value.
However, the following year saw a dramatic reversal as markets entered a period of explosive growth across all sectors. Notably, small-cap and mid-cap indices experienced the most significant fluctuations, enduring the deepest losses initially but yielding the highest percentage gains during the recovery.
This comparison highlights the resilience and rapid rebound of the financial markets following the global health crisis. Overall, the statistics serve as a record of one of the most turbulent yet profitable cycles in recent economic history.
This too shall pass. Staying invested and maintaining calm can lead to substantial returns, as historical data suggests.
Conducting thorough due diligence before making any investment decisions is essential to ensure well-informed choices. 🙏🙏🙏
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that mutual fund investments are exposed to market risk. Before making any investment decisions, review all scheme-related documentation thoroughly. The material of the reports is intended solely for informational purposes and should be used by the recipient. While we made significant efforts to compile the data and contents of this report, we give no promises about the logic of the assumptions or the veracity of any data. Any decisions made using this material are completely the responsibility of the recipient. We reserve the right to correct any errors or discrepancies in the reports that are discovered or brought to our attention at any time. Perform your research thoroughly before making any investments. Why? Just because it's interesting.
@HSBCMutualFund has unveiled its ‘Teen Tigda Kaam Tagda’ campaign to promote the benefits of diversification. Spanning digital, print and outdoor, the humour-driven film breaks down investing across large, mid and small-cap stocks.
Read more on - https://t.co/S1c2SnXdmm
#HSBC
The lobbying by banks (PMO, MoF, anybody else who will listen) to 'equalise' the tax on bank interest and capital gains on stocks (mutual funds are the main target) is off the charts. They managed to do this to debt funds two budgets ago, now the target is equity funds.
If bank branches would not force people away from deposits into useless life insurance plans, banks would have at least another Rs 80,000 crore each year in deposits.
But no, they want it both ways. Earn the commissions and kill a product that is actually working for people.
Reupping an old piece:
https://t.co/rrrqxOkCOO
@nsitharaman@FinMinIndia
Bharat ki beti Tara Prasad creates history and won Gold Medal in Seoul at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championship !! 👸🔥👏
Proud moment for every Indian 🇮🇳
At 82, a woman is lifting not just weights but our spirits., winning powerlifting championships and defying every cliché about age.
She’s a reminder that it’s never too late (or too early) to live with vigour, to dream boldly, and to pursue your goals.
Age or conventional wisdom don’t set the limits. Your willpower does.
Kittammal V. from Pollachi is my #MondayMotivation
Credits : kittammal_paati