Best of BS Opinion: When the warning sirens start getting too familiar

Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

You know that one car in your colony that keeps going off for no reason? No break-in, no threat, just an overeager alarm piercing through the silence of 2 am like it’s saving the world. That noise — it demands your attention. But the more often it cries wolf, the more we stop listening. The louder it gets, the less we care. But it annoys nonetheless, and we want to take a wrench to fix it. Today’s stories felt like that. Let’s dive in. 

China’s decision to choke the flow of rare earth exports is the global version of a security siren screaming in an empty lot. However, as our first editorial notes, the move has teeth — those 17 minerals are crucial for defence, EVs, and renewables. But this alarm isn't new. Beijing has long signalled its monopoly ambitions. What's loud now is the collective unpreparedness of everyone else. The US is still scrambling, India hasn’t built private muscle, and we’re all waiting for someone to turn off the siren and fix the supply chain. 

 

Back home, the government is planning a big-bang inter-ministerial fix for India’s transport maze — road, rail, water, air — all to speak to each other via the Gati Shakti framework. The idea, as per our second editorial, is seamless coordination and logistics cost cuts. But here too, the horn’s been honking for years. Multimodal talk isn’t new. Until there's true on-ground decongestion, the buzz risks becoming background noise. 

Meanwhile, Ajay Tyagi calls out another screeching siren — India’s disclosure-heavy financial regulation. It’s meant to protect investors, but often just confuses them. Retail folks are bombarded with fine print while the real rogues walk free. The call should shift from louder disclosures to smarter enforcement. 

Rajeswari Sengupta cautions that amidst Trump’s tariff wars, India might get distracted by small diplomatic wins and miss the bigger economic fallout. Trade is slowing, capital may flee, and unless we fix our house — by easing tariffs and inviting global trust — we risk being caught off-guard when the real alarm rings. 

Finally, in Voice for the Voiceless, the Dalai Lama’s words echo softly but firmly, reviews Chintan Girish Modi. At 89, his message isn’t bombastic. It’s measured, meditative — and all the more powerful for it. Sometimes, the quietest voice carries the deepest warning. 

Stay tuned, and remember, not all threats are noisy and not all noise is a threat!