“Christianity is hard to control in China, and getting harder all the time. It is spreading rapidly and infiltrating the party’s own ranks.” The Economist on how the rapid spread of Christianity is forcing an official rethink on religion (November 7) “There is ample evidence that mythology is substituting history and that textbooks now in circulation will make children historically illiterate. Can Nehru’s enlightened legacy of a modern scientific outlook survive this onslaught on science.” Nayantara Sehgal, Jawaharlal Nehru’s niece and author, expressing fears that scholarship will suffer under the new BJP government (Outlook, November 24) “Indian government treats foreign investors like a bahu or a daughter-in-law. They bring her into the house with great pomp and show, but over time, they slowly wring her neck to suffocate her.” Chetan Bhagat, well-known author (Times of India, November 29) “India has sophisticated technologies in communication, aviation and warfare, but its schools are crude… We never made any significant investments in children’s education, so we should not expect wonderful results.” Krishna Kumar, professor of education, Delhi University, linking the deaths of tribal women due to botched tubectomies in Chhattisgarh to health and education (The Hindu, November 29) “With the price of energy cut by nearly 40 percent in the last six months, India’s net import bill falls in a full year by 2.5 percent of GDP (or Rs.3.2 lakh crore).” T.N. Ninan in Business Standard (November 29) “Educated, successful, overseas Indians actually think they are white, not coloured — even though that is the category they technically fit into and that is how they are seen.” Shobhaa De, columnist and author, in ‘Non-Resident Racist Indians’ (Deccan Chronicle, November 29)
