India needs astute statesmanship and diplomacy to tackle diverse challenges, including energy security and the rising fertiliser subsidy bill. As per projections, the fertiliser subsidy could virtually double to Rs 3.5 lakh crore amid the West Asian crisis.
Energy Security and Green Energy
Gurbachan Jagat, former Governor of Manipur and former DGP of Jammu and Kashmir, emphasised that India must opt for green energy in a big way to avoid total dependence on imported crude. He noted that India appears not to have done the required homework over the past few decades regarding its energy situation. Drawing a comparison with China, Jagat highlighted that China has given itself tremendous strategic depth in rare earth minerals, electric vehicle production, lithium-ion battery production, and clean energy through meticulous planning in its Five-Year Plans. This has helped China counter the aftershocks of the West Asian crisis. He called for national unity and leadership from the Indian government to face these challenges.
Fertiliser Subsidy Concerns
Senior financial journalist Sushma Ramachandran, in her article titled "Subsidy alert on the fertiliser front," pointed out that with rising gas prices, the cost of indigenously produced fertilisers will also rise substantially. She advocated for diversification in sourcing fertilisers and their raw materials rather than relying heavily on Gulf countries. Building up fertiliser buffer stocks and using alternative feedstocks like naphtha in case of natural gas shortage are other long-term remedies she suggested.
Supreme Court Judge Appointments
The Central government promulgated an ordinance on May 16, increasing the strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India. On May 27, the Court sent its recommendations to appoint High Court Chief Justices Sheel Nagu, Shree Chandrashekhar, Sanjeev Sachdeva, and Arun Palli, along with advocate V Mohana. These appointments were cleared swiftly, and the judges took their oath on June 2. Sriram Panchu, senior advocate at the Madras High Court, questioned the need for an emergent ordinance when a Bill could have been introduced in Parliament, whose next sitting was barely a month away. He also questioned whether the rejected candidates might have been better choices.
Punjab's Anti-Sacrilege Legislation
Justice R.S. Sodhi (retd), former Judge of the Delhi High Court, discussed Punjab's contentious anti-sacrilege legislation, which faces a constitutional test. He argued that religious norms must emerge organically within the spiritual community, not through coercive state legislation backed by imprisonment. The secular state that legislates reverence for one faith's holy book, however sincerely motivated, has some explaining to do. This is the precise ground on which the anti-sacrilege law is being tested.
BJP's Struggles in Punjab
Jagrup Singh Sekhon, former Professor at Guru Nanak Dev University, noted that the BJP's struggle in Punjab is not new. Its predecessor, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1952-1977), also failed to secure substantial support in post-Independence Punjab, even when Hindus constituted a majority before the state's reorganisation in 1966. He observed that the party's electoral success has depended on alliances rather than independent strength, and despite a long presence through the RSS, Jana Sangh, and BJP, it has not established itself as a dominant political alternative in the state.
UK Crime and Identity Politics
London Correspondent Shyam Bhatia reported on the tragic case of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student who died after being stabbed in Southampton by a Sikh boy. He raised concerns that police officers got distracted by allegations of racism while failing to recognise who had actually been attacked. Bhatia noted that police claim resources are stretched, yet they find manpower to record non-crime hate incidents, visit citizens over controversial tweets, and intervene in disputes that previous generations would have settled without police involvement. He argued that this reflects a growing concern that identity itself is becoming the lens through which institutions interpret events before establishing the facts.
