On a visit to doha to attend the Doha Forum held on December 14-15, 2019, I saw the phenomenal progress the city has made since 1996 when I left after completing my four-year term as India’s Ambassador to the State of Qatar. The city has been beautified, and the museum that opened in 2018 is flawlessly designed; one learns a lot about geography, geology, and evolution there.
Another significant change is the sharp fall in the average age of the Ministers. The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is 39 years old. The Ministers who attended the Doha Forum spoke well. Tough questions on the treatment of foreign labor engaged in the preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup were addressed adroitly, projecting a proactive mindset to set things right. Qatar has done a lot to improve a lot of workers, but the Minister admitted that much more needed to be done and assured the interlocutor that it was a work in progress. What is welcome is the positive approach as many governments in a similar situation might have denied there was a problem. The motto of the Doha Forum, namely, Diplomacy, Dialogue, and Diversity, is more than a motto.
THE DOHA FORUM
It was the 10th year of the Doha Forum. Over 1,200 delegates from 102 countries were invited and the logistics were flawless. The theme was “The guiding principles for better governance in a multipolar world”. The papers, prepared in collaboration with the New York-based Stimson Center, were a study in the refreshingly original analysis.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani emphasized the need for dialogue in sorting out the differences between or among countries before they got out of hand. Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad made a similar point. The 94-year-old leader was practically grilled by the Al Jazeera anchor Mehdi Hasan. When he was specifically asked about his retirement plans, Mahathir Mohamad made it clear that there were none.
Esta historia es de la edición February 14, 2020 de FRONTLINE.
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How Not To Handle An Epidemic
The lockdowns were meant to buy time to put in place appropriate health measures and contain the coronavirus’ spread, but they have failed to achieve the objective and heaped immense misery on the marginalised sections of society. India is still in the exponential phase of the COVID-19 infection and community transmission is a reality that the government refuses to accept.
Tragedy on foot
As the COVID-19-induced lockdown cuts the ground beneath their feet in Tamil Nadu, thousands of migrant workers are trudging along the highway to the relative safety of their upcountry homes.
Sarpanchs as game changers
Odisha manages to keep COVID-19 well under control because of the strong participation of panchayati raj institutions and the community at the grass-roots level under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Scapegoating China
As the COVID-19 death rate spikes and the economy tanks in the United States, Donald Trump and his advisers target China and the World Health Organisation with an eye to winning the forthcoming presidential election.
New worries
Kerala’s measured approach to the pandemic and lockdown has yielded results. But it still has to grapple with their huge economic impact on its economy, which it feels the Centre’s special financial relief package does little to alleviate.
No love lost for labour
Taking advantage of the lockdown and the inability of workers to organise protests, many State governments introduce sweeping changes to labour laws to the detriment of workers on the pretext of reviving production and boosting the economy.
Capital's Malthusian moment
In a world that needs substantial reorienting of production and distribution, Indian capital is resorting to a militant form of moribund neoliberalism to overcome its current crisis. In this pursuit of profit, it is ready and willing to throw into mortal peril millions whom it adjudicates as not worth their means—an admixture of social Darwinism born of capital’s avarice and brutalism spawned by Hindutva. .
Understanding migration
When governments and their plans are found to be blatantly wanting in addressing reverse migration, exercises such as the Ekta Parishad’s survey of migrant workers throughout India can be useful to work out creative long-lasting solutions.
Waiting for Jabalpur moment
The Supreme Court’s role in ensuring executive accountability during the ongoing lockdown leaves much to be desired. Standing in shining contrast is the record of some High Courts.
An empty package
The Modi regime, which has been unable to control the COVID-19 infection, restore economic activity and provide relief to millions exposed to starvation, trains its sights on Indian democracy, making use of the panic generated by fear and a lockdown that forecloses paths of resistance.
