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By:

Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Festive Surge

India’s bazaars have glittered this Diwali with the unmistakable glow of consumer confidence. The country’s festive sales crossed a staggering Rs. 6 lakh crore with goods alone accounting for Rs. 5.4 lakh crore and services contributing Rs. 65,000 crore. More remarkable still, the bulk of this spending flowed through India’s traditional markets rather than e-commerce platforms. After years of economic caution and digital dominance, Indians are once again shopping in person and buying local....

Festive Surge

India’s bazaars have glittered this Diwali with the unmistakable glow of consumer confidence. The country’s festive sales crossed a staggering Rs. 6 lakh crore with goods alone accounting for Rs. 5.4 lakh crore and services contributing Rs. 65,000 crore. More remarkable still, the bulk of this spending flowed through India’s traditional markets rather than e-commerce platforms. After years of economic caution and digital dominance, Indians are once again shopping in person and buying local. This reversal owes much to policy. The recent rationalisation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which trimmed rates across categories from garments to home furnishings, has given consumption a timely push. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s September rate cuts, combined with income tax relief and easing interest rates, have strengthened household budgets just as inflation softened. The middle class, long squeezed between rising costs and stagnant wages, has found reason to spend again. Retailers report that shoppers filled their bags with everything from lab-grown diamonds and casual wear to consumer durables and décor, blurring the line between necessity and indulgence. The effect has been broad-based. According to Crisil Ratings, 40 organised apparel retailers, who together generate roughly a third of the sector’s revenue, could see growth of 13–14 percent this financial year, aided by a 200-basis-point bump from GST cuts alone. Small traders too have flourished. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) estimates that 85 percent of total festive trade came from non-corporate and traditional markets, a robust comeback for brick-and-mortar retail that had been under siege from online rivals. This surge signals a subtle but significant cultural shift. The “Vocal for Local” and “Swadeshi Diwali” campaigns struck a patriotic chord, with consumers reportedly preferring Indian-made products to imported ones. Demand for Chinese goods fell sharply, while sales of Indian-manufactured products rose by a quarter over last year. For the first time in years, “buying Indian” has become both an act of economic participation and of national pride. The sectoral spread of this boom underlines its breadth. Groceries and fast-moving consumer goods accounted for 12 percent of the total, gold and jewellery 10 percent, and electronics 8 percent. Even traditionally modest categories like home furnishings, décor and confectionery recorded double-digit growth. In the smaller towns that anchor India’s consumption story, traders say stable prices and improved affordability kept registers ringing late into the festive weekend. Yet, much of this buoyancy rests on a fragile equilibrium. Inflation remains contained, and interest rates have been eased, but both could tighten again. Sustaining this spurt will require continued fiscal prudence and regulatory clarity, especially as digital commerce continues to expand its reach. Yet for now, the signs are auspicious. After years of subdued demand and inflationary unease, India’s shoppers appear to have rediscovered their appetite for consumption and their faith in domestic enterprise. The result is not only a record-breaking Diwali, but a reaffirmation of the local marketplace as the heartbeat of India’s economy.

Campus Coercion

Jamia Millia Islamia, one of Delhi’s most storied universities, finds itself at the heart of yet another firestorm. Accusations by the NGO ‘Call For Justice’ allege that a cabal within the university has systematically targeted Hindu students, faculty and staff, coercing them to convert to Islam under threats that range from academic sabotage to sexual violence. The charges are severe, disturbing, and, if true, point to an environment steeped in discrimination and intimidation.


The investigation, spearheaded by a committee including a former Delhi HC judge and a former Delhi Police Commissioner among others, uncovered testimonies that paint a bleak picture. Hindu students reported being forced to recite the Kalma (the Islamic oath of allegiance) and faced the threat of academic penalties for refusal. More horrifying still are claims of acid attack threats and the use of sexual harassment as a weapon to break resistance. The report also suggests that preferential admissions were leveraged to manipulate vulnerable groups, particularly SC/ST Hindu students, as part of a broader scheme of religious coercion.


The allegations reach beyond students; Hindu and Christian faculty and non-teaching staff claim they have been denied promotions and overworked as punitive measures for their faith. According to a member of the fact-finding team, over 50 individuals have come forward, with 27 statements already recorded. Yet, despite this outcry, Jamia’s administration remains conspicuously silent, failing to assuage growing fears or pledge transparency. The spectre of ‘love jihad’ emerges in the findings, suggesting that romantic relationships have been exploited as a conduit for conversion. Coupled with accusations of social ostracism and targeted harassment, these revelations demand more than perfunctory probes.


The silence of so-called ‘progressive’ media in this context is striking. When allegations arise involving discrimination against Hindus, their response is notably muted. This selective outrage raises questions about the objectivity of their advocacy and the underlying biases that inform their coverage. Such double standards erode public trust in the media and obscure the pursuit of balanced truth.


No stranger to controversy, Jamia Millia Islamia was a significant site during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in 2019, which escalated into clashes between students and law enforcement. Instead of actually fostering any intellectual debate, the varsity, like its peer, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), has been accused of fostering radical elements and fostering discord. More recently, Diwali celebrations in Jamia were disrupted and marked by chants of ‘Palestine Zindabad.’


Universities should be arenas of open discourse and safe spaces for all ideologies, not grounds for sectarian power plays. The stakes are high. For India’s democracy to thrive, its institutions, especially its universities, must embody inclusivity and fairness. The nation’s future demands it.

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