Ever since I was a child, the airline status ticker at the airport fascinated me as the world converged on a tracker although only much later did I realise that on an Indian Passport I would need a visa to most countries including the country I grew up in, and emotional citizenships relegated to sovereign worth and Foucaudian Biopolitics.

As a second generation permanent gulf middle class migrant transience is reality, we belong to the places we belong to, inspite of the color of the travel document.

The salvation is the Shwarma at Istanboly at Al Khuwair, Muscat and the Dumpling Noodle at the Kopitiam In Clementi Block 708A.

My soul travels to these places when I sleep.

The Yogi’s appointment as CM is a shock doctrine application of a leader which staunch Hindutva credentials. Such a decision would be unthinkable even in 2014. This is keeping in mind the elections in Gujarat, MP and Chattisgarh as these are the fortresses to win again. A certain Hindutva politics is mainstream in these states, which border UP and each other. If Demonetisation was shattering, it was certainly ominous of the times to come. JNU, HCU and Ramjas are blips on a radar. 2019 and beyond shall see bigger reforms. The design of which we saw on November 8th @ 8pm and today with Yogi. 

These are interesting times for a majoritarian politics with a ‘growth agenda’ . Modiji has redefined politics. I see an alienation among voters in the Deep South though, particularly Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian heartlands. The new AIADMK will lease space to the BJP, if Rajni Saar comes on board with Tamil Nadu’s very religious ethic. Kerala with the largest number of shakhas, is another growth area. 

The spaces of resistance will have taken on a subversive, stealthy mode online as surveillance under the national security imperative will increase. India will have an aggressive foreign policy with defence getting a much needed push, started under Parrikar. The fish curry though lured him away. 
Mamata di will face the heat as Bengal is the final frontier with 42 seats. I am sure Amit Bhai, along with Babul Da is working on it. 
The game for 2019 is on. It will be fought on BJP’s terms.

In the era of now

Bringing money on the table

Buys respect

More people

Fewer Opportunities

In Academia, is grants

In the private sector

Is called Business Development

In the Non Profit space

It’s known as Fund Raising

The bottom line is the green back

Bitcoin or not

Money is the fuel of the engine

Of life

Scholarship is not a popularity contest. It cannot be equated with Facebook shares and retweets.It takes real hard work to publish a top tier paper. We cannot bring in reality TV metrics into academic life. Outreach and Scholarship are both vital.