The sophistication of the jargon such as shared mobility and the driver as a partner in the shared/gig economy as spouted by the Ola founder, cannot mask that these folks are susceptible to price adjustments, no sick leave, zilch support otherwise. The narrative of disruption often silences the social fissures catalysed by neoliberal capitalism. 
The language of Dalal Street is nauseating.

A start up founder down south did not pay his vendor, was arrested. The hooplah about his arrest connected to business environment is absurd. Defaulters of all ilk, would have to follow the law and its long arm. I have not been paid for my consulting services by founders who think they are humankind’s gift to India. Honestly, people do not need your homestays nor your tents. Fancy communication and TED Talks do not cut ice. Pay up Dudes.

Aadhar, MNREGA and Food Security Bill was rubbished initially by the Modi Regime. At the moment they have been absorbed in the pro poor move. I welcome the move as it is inclusive. 
Politics still operates the calculus of old school welfare. Aadhar is truly the fundamentals of Digital India. Bio politics meets Political Economy, with surveillance underwritten as the ‘new’ normal. Achche Din is Kavach and Bhim as such as Clean India.

How History is recorded on Social Media, with amazing status messages, tweets and blogs as parallel running commentary shaping the contours of discourse. These thoughts are rants, erudite retorts and simply an affirmative soundboard. The Election Season is one major example such active civic engagement. Influencers on social media shape the direction of debate, but there is a disconnect between real democracy on the ground and I do not mean the seminar set. 
Where are these thoughts in the landscape of the past? Are these the unwritten histories, as we do not know where the data lands up. The graveyard of the cache.

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.

I observe a binary infected culture war in India, between the intelligentsia and the new aspirations of an under 35 India, who have a different imagination (read the temples of development such as infrastructure, housing and jobs) and a belief in a citizen-client state relationship, low on theory, trust in the rhetoric of progress at any cost.
The spectres of shiny growth is seductive.

Demonetisation was both Policy and Politics. The Politics was won by the tough signalling, the common man in the serpentine queues saw the rich man penalised. This won the Day. The fine print on the policy is less emphatic. The messaging was powerful in this radical step.

I am very glad for the non linear experiential work trajectory with all the failures, disappointments and the moderate positive outcomes. From biotechnology to environmental engineering to sociology to journalism with consulting, research and non profits as functional areas – this rather thin and broad spectrum has resulted in an incredible journey over the past decade. Solutions are often bursting at the seams of the disciplinary borderlands, and I excited for the journey for the decade ahead in sustainability and writing. I am kind off done with non profits with egoistic founders. More keen about working with organisations with scale, as scale has the bandwidth to innovate solutions rather than pay salaries. Founder led teams are personal vehicles for vanity. A big thanks to mentors over the years.

With a clear majority in the Rajya Sabha, Modi ji will decide everything from President to Big Bang reforms, Demonetisation was one certainly. A new political imagination is getting institutionalised with secular, caste being relegated to the bin. A clear muscular narrative with a majoritarian bent is commonplace. Prof Yogendra Yadav calls it the ‘Indira Gandhi Moment’ with a pro poor shift in voice; MNREGA, Loan Waiver etc. The game is for 2019 and beyond.

Like Political Islam in Egypt, Turkey and Malaysia; the BJP is mainstreaming the ‘Political Hindu’, with a greater discursive space for the post caste era, ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ is community blind as it is a new vocabulary to dismantle the Mandal Construct. Social Justice is fashioned beyond affirmative action aka reservations. 
On a side note, the Lutyens Seminar Set, is as detached from the ground as ever, and I can observe a new intellectual elite emerging with Sanjeev Sanyal and Hindol Sengupta challenging the traditional knowledge class.