Photo courtesy Stringer/Reuters It has been another weekend of rioting, larceny and arson in the UK, this time in Rotherham and Tamworth - the worst civil unrest since the 2011 riots. As I reflect on my previous analysis from 2011 , it is evident that many of the underlying issues that fueled those riots remain unresolved today. In my 2011 blog post, I explored the complex socio-economic factors that contributed to the riots, including disenfranchisement, lack of opportunities, and systemic inequalities. Fast forward to 2024, and we are witnessing a resurgence of unrest, this time triggered by anti-immigrant sentiments and actions against asylum seekers [ 1 ] [ 2 ].  While the immediate causes and triggers of the current riots may differ - fueled by far-right ideologies and a backlash against immigration - the underlying issues of inequality, lack of social cohesion, and economic disenfranchisement persist. The current climate reflects a society grappling with similar frustrations ...

Photo by Shashank Hudkar on Unsplash India's rich tapestry of history, culture, and natural beauty attracts millions of tourists each year.  Domestic tourism is also on the rise in India, and being the world's most populous country, domestic tourism itself has a potential to contribute more than overseas tourists. However, the surge in tourism often brings challenges such as traffic congestion, pollution, littering compounded by inadequate infrastructure of tourist locations which are often small-towns. As I wrote of Nainital in my previous post , most Indian tourist destinations are grappling with these problems resulting in destruction of ecology, as well as local culture and heritage. Over commercialization of tourist related activities also leads to depletion of natural beauty offered by many of these destinations.  Many of these issues are complex, and outside the wherewithal of local communities to manage. The only way these problems can be tackled with a government-bac...

I was in Mussoorie last month, this was my third visit to the hill town, my first being about 20 years ago. The small town has gotten more crowded, commercial and almost un-touristy over the years. And then I visited Nainital two days later, which wasn't as un-touristy, thanks to the 'vehicle curfew' imposed between 10:00am and 6:00pm by the local administration. But it was still crowded with tourists, and most disappointing was that tourists were busy enjoying the same things - sugar candy, ice-cream, pizza and burgers which they could enjoy at any 'fair' in their own cities and towns. No one seemed to be genuinely interested in the old-world-charm of Nainital . As I sat on a bench, across this now shut-down library, turned bookshop turned billiards play room on the Mall road, I could sense a pall of sadness that original residents of Nanital must be under. Most tourists wanted the same things over and over again whether they were in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mussoorie,...

I've written earlier [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] about my musings on contrasting futures that the world faces between cities and suburbs, and my conclusion that ecologically sustainable living is possible only with cluster based human settlement – large metropolises or cities with shared infrastructure which reduces the ecological cost of human lifestyle. But there is one more statistic that keeps veering me towards favouring suburban lifestyle - the potential reverse of human population. India has overtaken China as the world's most populous country in 2023, but India's population growth will come to an end: the number of children has already peaked more than a decade ago and is now falling. [ 4 ] Rapid population growth is a temporary phenomenon in human history - since the 1800s we have added 7x of human population - this has also been possible due to falling death rates, but this was then followed by falling fertility rates sequentially across world regions, which has lead us ...

Photo by Chelsea Aaron on Unsplash Elections are currently underway in India, the world's largest democracy. However, the political discourse appears to be disconnected from the pressing issues faced by its populace, particularly the youth. Instead of addressing the genuine concerns of the electorate, candidates from both the ruling and opposition parties seem preoccupied with religious polarization on one side or empty dole-out promises on the other. India boasts the world's largest young population, yet even the political rhetoric, leave alone the political action, fails to resonate ideas for the young and productive generation. Rather than offering relevant agendas, the electorate is inundated with divisive narratives and superficial pledges. For a young population, the most critical area that urgently requires attention is education. India's education system poses the most significant challenge for a country with the largest base of young population.  India's publi...

Today is 1st May, also traditionally celebrated as Labor Day and has long been a symbol of workers' rights and the achievements of the labor movement. However, in today's rapidly evolving work landscape, characterized by a shift towards knowledge-based professions and remote work culture, I find it to be an anachronistic, a relic of an industrial past which we have left behind at least 30 years ago. The traditional concept of "labor" as associated with manual work on assembly lines is increasingly outdated in today's economy. A significant portion of the workforce now comprises knowledge workers, whose value lies not in the hours they put in, but in the expertise and unique skills they bring to their roles. Unlike interchangeable factory workers, professionals are irreplaceable assets, requiring specialized recruitment strategies to attract and retain top talent [1]. In fact, the term "knowledge worker " may no longer accurately capture the essence of t...

  Image Credit: YouTube grab of Futuristic Inter-galactic spaceport terminal from Men In Black International I am right now at the Dubai airport watching the eclectic mix of humanity - travellers, visitors and residents - at this ‘meeting point of civilizations and races’ that Dubai has now become. In the last 10 years, Dubai has transformed from an Oil rich destination where people would come to earn bags of money (even if they had to live destitute), to a bustling metropolis where people come to enjoy a good life. Not only has lifestyle transformed in Dubai for the better, but its population has burgeoned from a mere 62000 in 1970 to 3.05 million in 2024 with immigrants powering almost the entire rise in numbers. Notably, Emiratis currently constitute 7 odd percentage of the total population, and in the next 10 years Dubai is planning to double its population plunging the percentage of natives to 3 and half percent only! However, immigrants are not allowed to gain citizenship of ...

Photo by  Sandy Millar  on  Unsplash In recent Whatsapp discussions about work-life balance with a few college friends, an interesting claim was made, suggesting that women professionals are most productive after the age of 45. The indirect point being made was that, women usually remain busy with 'family responsibilities' aka child rearing until 45, after which they become more productive at work. I found this very objectionable stereotyping of both women, but also men. This statement was also tacitly claiming that men did not have 'family responsibilities' in their lives, and that men did not get busy with the birth of children. I do not deny that our societies are still far from being gender egalitarian - patriarchy is rampant and implicit even in modern society. However, that does not mean that the stereotype of an alpha-male who 'earns the bread' and beta-female who prioritizes 'child-rearing' needs to be perpetuated! There are enough men and women ...

  Photo by Documerica on Unsplash They built a new 4-lane road near my house - a spanking new concretized stretch now exists in place of a dusty swamp which the locals negotiated on foot until recently. But its state is more like the Hindi idiom - गाँव बसा नहीं, लुटेरे आ गए (meaning: Robbery committed even before the Village could set up). Buses, trucks, and tempos park on one side, making it a single lane road. Most of these vehicles are parked all day - not just during the day or during the night. Why do these vehicles park on new roads all the time? For some, like taxis waiting time is much higher than driving time - certain cabbies can make enough in one trip across the city to earn a day's living (and they are often lazy not to make more!). Few other cars belong to residents who use public transport for daily commute, but need a car for occasional usage, and while they can afford to buy a car, they don't have parking space in their building. Further, India is far behind o...