Best of BS Opinion: Don't waste crisis, Hindutva rate of growth, and more

Here's a selection of opinion pieces from today's Business Standard

So now we have it: Growth has slipped to a six-year low, much to the opposition’s glee but the consternation of all thinking people. The government’s options to deal with a slowing economy have narrowed, too, with the fiscal deficit for the first seven months of this year already exceeding the budgeted annual target. All eyes, then, on the Reserve Bank of India, though economists point out that it will take more than a rate cut to revive the economy. What’s to be done? The best advice would be for the government is not to waste this crisis and address itself to urgent structural reforms, says T N Ninan here.

Elsewhere, opinion writers talk about the enduring popularity of Hindutva, the mismanagement of the pollution agenda and rising racism in Europe. Kanika Datta sums up the views:

The Bharatiya Janata Party is ruling fewer large, important states now but its big Hindutva ideas have won and face little opposition across the country, says Shekhar Gupta. Read it here

Pollution in the capital is becoming the stuff of Alice-in-Wonderland-style commitments from politicians, writes Sunil Sethi here of Nitin Gadkari’s pledge to make Delhi water- and air-pollution free in three years.  

Growing racism in European sport mirrors rising right-wing tendencies in European society,which produces egregious regimes such as that of Boris Johnson, says Suhit K Sen here

Sandeep Goyal explains why advertising professionals should be wary of trusting advertising truisms and analyse data creatively. Read it here

Qoute of the Day

‘We need to change current climate in our society from one of fear to one of confidence for our economy to start growing at 8 per cent per annum. The state of an economy is a reflection of state of its society.’

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh