Articles by Ranjit Sau

Industry today faces an acute shortage of land to set up factories and it has to draw upon farm land. Because the very news of a proposed industrial project site breeds speculation of a boom in land prices, no one wants to sell. While there is no better agency than the government to acquire land for industry, protest is inevitable due to the logic of the situation. This is a classic case of the irresistible (industrialisation) dashing against the immovable (millions of peasants and artisans confined to their station). The knot can be broken by opening a window for the latter. This note shows how.

As the American presidential election campaign gets underway, Democrats and Republicans alike show a surprising superfluity in their understanding of basic economic concerns. On the other hand, fear of terrorism has gripped the nation; yet political parties are confused about the nature of the threat, and parochial about the identification of the target of assault.

The world oil market has long been at the mercy of the cartel led by Saudi Arabia, in connivance with the US. It will be rendered extremely vulnerable in the event of a worsening of the Iraq situation that engulfs the entire region. The oil market is overdue for structural reform, and Arabia needs moderation and stability in oil prices.