Author: Atanu Dey

Economist.

The Importance of Committing

That great Indian teacher, Gautama who became the Buddha, had once instructed his followers to stop dithering. He said, “Bhikshus, when you sit, you sit. When you stand, you stand. Don’t dither.” Continue reading “The Importance of Committing”

Open Thread: The Numbers

I was looking at the stats of this here blog and was rather amused by the numbers. Here is a snapshot of how the numbers add up.
Continue reading “Open Thread: The Numbers”

A Wild Conjecture (or ‘What would Gandhi Do?’)

I have often wondered if there is a way to confirm whether or not someone was (is) genuinely good for India, or just inconsequential window dressing, or positively harmful. I have a tentative test. The test has to be tested. Exceptions prove the rule, they say. That is, exceptions test the test. So I am looking not just for instances that confirm the hypothesis but also those exceptions that test the soundness of the hypothesis. But first the hypothesis or what can be termed as a wild paranoid conjecture. Continue reading “A Wild Conjecture (or ‘What would Gandhi Do?’)”

Security in the Hands of the Retarded — Part 2

These days it is rational to be mindful of security and be aware of possible threats from bombs and IEDs. We have to be reasonable about the whole thing. Panic never helps and could indeed be counter-productive. I thought the point I was trying to make was transparent enough in the previous post on this matter but going by some of the comments to that post, my failure to communicate is evident. Continue reading “Security in the Hands of the Retarded — Part 2”

It’s the Little Things, Stupid

It is time to come clean and reveal what this blog is all about. The most apt subtitle for this blog titled “On India’s Development” would be “It’s the Little Things, Stupid.” Here’s why. Continue reading “It’s the Little Things, Stupid”

Perhaps Free but Definitely Scared

I posted a comment to Mr Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar’s article “What Pranab will not say in his budget speech” in today’s Economic Times. The comment was “Mr Aiyar, kudos. You have hit the nail on the head. I could not have said it better. Clearly Pranab-da will not say that because of one reason alone: votes and vote banks.” The comment was held for moderation. Continue reading “Perhaps Free but Definitely Scared”

Swaminathan Aiyar on What Pranab will not say in his Budget

Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar, I am pleased to note, has a great column in the Economic Times, What Pranab Will Not Say in his Budget. His points are right on. Continue reading “Swaminathan Aiyar on What Pranab will not say in his Budget”

Security in the Hands of the Retarded

Two days ago on Friday I had I a learning experience. My friend AN who had stopped to visit me in Pune for a few days on his way back from Australia was leaving. AN had worked and studied in Canberra for a few years and is now in the process of settling in Delhi. He was leaving and I went down with his bags to see him off. We had to stop at the shopping complex close by and so decided that we would leave his big suitcase at the gate of the housing complex and come back in a few minutes instead of dragging the suitcase around the place. What followed was instructive at many levels. Continue reading “Security in the Hands of the Retarded”