Commentaries on the Tamil Nadu budget 2022-23 presented by finance minister P Thiyagarajan (PTR) focused on how it served the Dravidian model. The ideological hegemony of neoliberal fiscal fundamentalism was evident in many of these commentaries. This is not surprising. However, what is...
The state finance minister, P Thiyagarajan delivered a welfare budget on March 18. But there was little in it to support projections on economic growth and tax buoyancy that would pay for the spending while keeping deficits under control. The budget is not aimed at increasing economic growth...
The state budget expanded the Dravidian model in making education accessible to underprivileged sections. For instance, among the announcements was a major scheme to educate girl children. The Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammayar marriage assistance scheme has now become a scheme for supporting higher...
One cannot envy the finance minister of Tamil Nadu, Palanivel Thyagarajan -- PTR, for short. We live in troubled times. The halting recovery of the global economy, which was expected to gain momentum with the receding of the Covid pandemic and the restoration of supply chains, was already being...
The performance of Rahul Gandhi comes into focus as one charts the recent course of the Congress. In view of Sonia’s health if a heir apparent had to be nominated, Priyanka should have been a natural choice, for she is feisty and has a strong resemblance to her grandmother Indira Gandhi. (This...
What is the Congress, the grand old party (GOP) of India, without the Sonia Gandhi clan helming it? Assuming the terminally ill patient can still be saved in the larger interests of India, how to bring about the miracle? Finally is there any other savior on the horizon? The AAP could be a...
In the nine months it has been in power, the DMK government has announced a welfare schemes and borrowed more money but has done little to institute structural reforms and rev up TN economy. The strengths and weaknesses of a state economy are often well known. Tamil Nadu is no exception. But...
On International Women’s Day we take some time to ponder the issue of hijab and the media’s approach to it. When the issue was raging on national media, we were pondering if anything needed to be said about it on inmathi.com. Hijab was a non-issue in Tamil Nadu and will remain one, one hopes....
Operation Ganga to evacuate Indians from Ukraine has had some successes but also exposed several shortcomings. More than 10,000 Indians have been evacuated and credit for this must go to the four ministers – Gen. VK Singh, Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rejiju and Jytoriaditya Scindia. It must...
Though born in a brahmin family, Jayalalithaa grew to become arguably the most popular Dravidian party leader. The irony could not have been missed on her birthday. Putting behind it the recent civic election reverses and loss of power last year, the AIADMK on Thursday (Feb. 24, 2022) stuck to...
