In Focus by The Hindu

Managing a difficult relationship has brought dividends to both India and Bangladesh. By all accounts, Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina have transcended many barriers and rapids to take their relationship in a direction that benefits both countries. Mr. Modi appears to have put some distance between his Home Minister Amit Shah’s use of the term “termite” when referring to Bangladeshi immigrants and the potential of bilateral ties. Sheikh Hasina’s visit shows that with due preparation even an agreement to share the river waters of the Kushiyara is possible even as an accord on the Teesta proves elusive. There’s little doubt that Hasina’s statement that “as long as Prime Minister Modi is here, Bangladesh and India will resolve” problems between them is significant.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year’s U.S. Open is being viewed as a ‘farewell tour’ – more or less – of the Williams sisters as the curtains come down on what has been described as “the greatest sibling act in sports history”.With both Serena and Venus Williams exiting the U.S. Open early, the two sisters, who between them account for 30 singles Grand Slam titles, 14 doubles Grand Slams titles, and eight Olympic gold medals, are easing out of the pro tour, leaving behind a unique legacy that transcends tennis. In this episode, we take a look at their impact on the sport: how they changed women’s tennis, what their success did for the African-American community, their impact on how women’s tennis is treated by the entertainment industry, and other aspects.Guest: The Hindu’s Ziya Us Salam, a passionate tennis aficionado who has closely followed the career of the Williams sisters right from the 1990s.Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The HinduEdited by Ranjani Srinivasan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz Truss has become Britain’s third woman Prime Minister. She defeated Rishi Sunak to become leader of the Tory party – the fourth leader in six years. Truss becomes Prime Minister with fewer than half of eligible voters in the party’s electoral college voting for her. She replaces the very flamboyant Boris Johnson. Truss is faced with multiple issues, especially a looming energy crisis as gas prices hit the roof in the country. Some observers are even warning of potential blackouts this winter. So, what sort of leader will Liz Truss turn out to be? Is she up to the challenge?Guest: Andrew Whitehead, former editor of the BBC’s Word Service.Host: Amit Baruah, Senior Associate Editor, The Hindu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mikhail Gorbachev, general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991, died in Moscow on August 30 after a long illness. He was 91. Gorbachev not only tried to introduce reforms and change in the erstwhile Soviet Union, he presided over its demise in 1991. Loved by the West, Gorbachev made two Russian words – glasnost or openness and perestroika or restructuring – popular in the rest of the world. Multiple obituaries have been written on him – evaluating his position as a leader central to ending the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union. So, what was Gorbachev? A reformer who didn’t know how to wield power? A leader who lost control of his own party? A man who was ahead of his times? A statesman who ended up altering the balance of forces in the world to the advantage of the West? To discuss Gorbachev’s legacy, I am joined by P.S. Raghavan, who was India’s Ambassador to Russia. He is currently Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In November 2021, the Delhi government rolled out a new excise policy. The new policy effectively took the government out of the liquor retailing business and handed it over to private players. But within a few months, it came under CBI scrutiny following allegations of favouritism and corruption. The Delhi government withdrew the policy and announced that from September 1, the state would revert to the old regime for a period of six months until a fresh policy is in place.The whole saga has thrown up interesting questions concerning public policy, regulatory principles, and public finance. For instance, what exactly was the logic of Delhi’s old liquor policy? What was the new one trying to do? And what ought to be the primary outcomes of a sustainable liquor policy that is fair to all the stakeholders?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Late last month, the Adani Group acquired Vishvapradhan Commercial Pvt. Ltd. (VCPL) which held warrants convertible to 29.18% stake in NDTV. As per SEBI rules, the Adani Group – having exercised the option to convert the warrants into equity stake – made an open offer to acquire 26% shares from public shareholders, offering Rs. 294 per share. On the date of the announcement, the shares were trading on the BSE at about Rs. 370. It is unlikely any shareholder would tender their shares at a discount to the market price. So, if there is no visibility to gaining majority control over the media firm, why did the Adani Group move to acquire the 29% stake?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The words Congress and crisis go together. Since losing power in 2014, the party has lurched from one crisis to the other, sending warning signals of its imminent demise. Yet, it remains in power in a few states and, perhaps, the only non-BJP party with a national footprint. In the politically significant state of Uttar Pradesh, the party has stuck to its non-player status. The Congress has remained without a president after Rahul Gandhi quit the top post. After a long delay, the party has announced that it will elect a president on October 17, but Mr. Gandhi has so far said he will not run again. The Gandhi family is said to favour Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. There are reports that Congress leader Shashi Tharoor may also contest. To discuss all these issues, we are joined by Sandeep Phukan, who covers the Congress party for The Hindu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On August 26, China’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong published an article in a Sri Lankan newspaper in which he drew parallels between American leader Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, and India’s objections to Chinese tracking tracking vessel Yuan Wang-5 docking at Sri Lanka’s strategically significant Hambantota port. In the article, without naming India, he effectively accused India of bullying Sri Lanka, and interfering with its sovereignty by trying to pressurise it over its decision to allow the docking of the Chinese vessel. He concluded his piece by saying that China and Sri Lanka should join hands to protect their respective sovereignties from countries such as the US and India.India’s response was uncharacteristically sharp. In a series of tweets, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka charged the Chinese Ambassador with “violating basic diplomatic etiquette”. Is the entire episode, involving India, Sri Lanka and China an outlier, or are we likely to see more such confrontations as the geopolitical competition in the Indian Ocean heats up? What are Sri Lanka’s options in this scenario? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United Nations recently released a new report by Tomoya Obokata, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences. The report will be part of the agenda at the next session of the Human Rights Council in September. It focuses on one particular aspect of contemporary slavery -- how minorities are especially vulnerable to it, and what can be done to protect them from falling prey to slavery.To better understand the implications and recommendations of this report, and why slavery continues to persist, we speak with Dr Prabha Kotiswaran, Professor of Law and Social Justice at Kings College, London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, Cricket Australia launched a five-year strategic plan for growing and managing the sport in the country. The plan, titled ‘Where the Game Grows’ lays down a roadmap for Australian cricket for the period 2022-2027. It has many ambitious targets, including doubling the number of cricket-playing kids aged 5 to 12 years to 210,000 in five years, and quadrupling the number of girls taking up cricket to 60,000. Among other things, the plan also aims to enhance community participation, increase cultural diversity, and offer outstanding digital and live experiences for cricket fans – all with an eye on making cricket an Olympic sport by the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. India, as we all know, is a cricket-crazy country, but the fans aren’t a part of the process when the Board draws up its long-term plans, unlike Australia. So there is a lot of curiosity about Cricket Australia’s approach to managing the sport. How did Cricket Australia come up with this plan, what went into it and what are the challenges they foresee?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices