Abhijit Iyer-Mitra

My talk at IIT Kharagpur, on why India will never be a “superpower” or indeed a major player: the systemic problems are too huge to overcome & politics fixation with micro patches means the macro is ignored youtu.be/outMIhNxFSA followed by the Q&A here youtu.be/jBiDlr_otLs

#WestBengal | The opposition is struggling to maintain its influence as it fails to deliver on promises, contrasting sharply with Prime Minister Modi's vision. Sr journalist @SubirBhaumik2 and Sr Fellow, IPCS @Iyervval share their views @RShivshankar | #TheHardFacts

When people ask why I hate #TVK so much, I show them this clip. This woman prioritizing Vijay over her dying child is a wake-up call. It’s not politics it’s a dangerous cult I can never forgive this mindset. Disgusting to the core! Thank God the state is rejecting this cult. 🙏

Context: prior to this the earliest evidence of iron SMELTING was from 1300 BC in Anatolia. Though earlier iron objects exist (3200 BC metal beads & the 1340 BC Tutankhamun iron dagger - both from Egypt) - these were HAMMERED iron HEWN from meteors, not smelted iron

🚨 @PoliceRajasthan @JaisalmerPolice @RajCMO A viral video from Jaisalmer shows a dog being chased by a tractor—this is blatant animal cruelty and a punishable offense. If such brutality goes unchecked. Act NOW—identify the culprits and take strict legal action now #AnimalCruelty

A horrific and inhumane act has been reported in Ujhani, Badaun, UP, where a person burnt days-old puppies alive. Despite a formal complaint by Manish Sharma and local animal lovers, the response from the authorities has been deeply concerning. No FIR has been registered yet, and no arrests have been made. Police refusing to conduct a post-mortem or review CCTV footage. This level of cruelty cannot go unpunished. We urge the authorities to take immediate cognizance, file an FIR, and ensure strict legal action against the perpetrators. #nomore50 @Uppolice @budaunpolice @dgpup @cmouttarpradesh

Burning puppies alive — and the police are still silent. At Ujhani Police Station, a horrific act of cruelty has been reported. Yet: • No FIR registered • No post-mortem conducted • CCTV footage ignored • Sub-Inspector showing blatant negligence Is this how @Uppolice enforces the law? Or does animal cruelty not matter unless there’s public outrage? A formal complaint by Manish Sharma and several animal lovers has been submitted. STILL no action. This is not negligence — this is complicity. Register the FIR. Act NOW. @Uppolice @budaunpolice @dgpup @cmouttarpradesh @myogioffice @myogiadityanath @UPPOLICE_NEWS5 @BJP4India @narendramodi @PetaIndia @pfaindia @PFAppf @Manekagandhibjp @gauri_maulekhi @PFAppf @IndiaKarunaC @JahnaviIyer @dilthi_gujarati @SpotzHaroon @TheViditsharma @TheDogSanctuary @Dogvocate1992 @TSCbyrachana @MerchantReema @sharmaleena @meenakshibhanja @advparth9s @advpushyamitra @PunitaS44575106 @joedelhi @Dogvocate1992 @yadavnarender85 @law_ninja @khush_muse18 @pvs000 @ANMLDFR @YSaghal @planet_x999 @BansuriSwaraj @Poojajourno @THE_REFORMER_78 @AnjaliSingh08 @aLoud_Introvert @Dogvocate1992 @pricatttt1 @RagnarValor #Shame #AnimalCruelty #JusticeForAnimals #UttarPradesh #DoYourDuty

On 26th April, Ruksana, who just left the clinic with her pet cat when she witnessed a man se¢,ually abusing a stray dog on a pavement outside a veterinary clinic in Malad West, Mumbai. @HMOIndia @MLJ_GoI look into this issue, cannot be ignored any longer. The fine for this is just Rs.50 and under BNS it's not a crime #AmendPCA @AwbiBallabhgarh @RajatSharmaLive @AmitShah @PMOIndia Studies have consistently identified connections between b¢s ti@lity and child s¢z_ ual abuse and the consumption of child p@rn ogr@phy — nearly one-third of offenders convicted of b¢s tiality-related arrests had either forced a child to observe or participate in sexual acts with animals, or had sexually abused both children and animals. news18.com/cities/mumbai-…

🚨 URGENT ANIMAL CRUELTY ALERT 🚨 📍 Shastri Park, Delhi Outside Office of the Executive Engineer, Civil Road Maintenance Division (M-213), PWD, Govt. of Delhi A monkey has been forcefully tied on a very short leash outside a shop near this office, with no valid reason. The animal is visibly distressed and being kept in illegal confinement. When questioned, the woman responsible refused to give any explanation. This is a clear case of cruelty and unlawful captivity of a wild animal. 🆘 The monkey needs to be rescued immediately! If you are nearby, please intervene and help escalate this. Tagging authorities for urgent action: @DelhiPolice @CPDelhi @DelhiForestDept @moefcc @PFA_India 📞 Reported by: Bhavna Gakhar – 8800261991 ⚠️ Please amplify. The voiceless need us. #AnimalCruelty #SaveWildlife #Delhi #ShastriPark #RescueNeeded #StopCruelty @dofwgnctd @pfaindia @surbhirawatpfa @moefcc @TSCbyrachana @MerchantReema @advparth9s @advpushyamitra @PunitaS44575106 @pvs000 @pricatttt @pricatttt1 @dilthi_gujarati @JahnaviIyer @SpotzHaroon @YSaghal @TheViditsharma @TheDogMother_ @TheDogSanctuary @THE_REFORMER_78 @animallawcell @PFAppf @gauri_maulekhi @Manekagandhibjp @ANMLDFR @law_ninja

A cow tied behind a vehicle with license plate MH14LX3995, is being dragged on a busy road in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra while bystanders watched and recorded instead of intervening to stop the vehicle. This incident raises a painful question: what has happened to the status of Gaumata when she can be treated with such blatant disregard and cruelty in our streets? @CMOMaharashtra @Dev_Fadnavis @PawarSpeaks @PCcityPolice @PMOIndia #nomore50

🆘🆘🆘🆘🆘 plz plz share this video maximum, for the sake of humanity. 📍Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra Vehicle plate no. MH14LX3995 How mercilessly a cow is being tied behind a van & dragged Sir @PCcityPolice send the executioners to jail soon🙏 @CMOMaharashtra @Dev_Fadnavis

Indie dogs aren’t strays, they’re survivors with the biggest hearts. Skip the breed label, choose love. They aren’t “lesser”, they’re resilient, loving, & perfectly suited to our environment. Give one a home, and you’ll gain a loyal friend for life. 🐾 #DesiDogs #AdoptDontShop

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/s… SOAS under fire: Critics say biased report blames the victims #LeicesterUnrest I was named in the SOAS/Open Society report as being a Hindutva supporter. If they'd bothered to interview me, they'd have found out I've worked for decades to counter communalism/sectarianism in South Asia. 1.) I was part of the South Asian People’s Union against Fundamentalism and Communalism, which was based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. 2.) Peter Soulsby and the Deputy Mayor were working back channels to help reduce tensions. I was included in that effort. The report blames their leadership. I have my own thoughts on their failings. 3.) I repeatedly called for an end to the escalation in violence. I tore Hindus and Muslims to shreds on social media for attacking police and being antisocial. 4.) They named me, but not Majid Freeman! 5.) Leicester is the home to Jamaat-i-Islami's European outreach. Jamaat are a radical Islamist movement with historical links to communalism, genocide of Hindus in 1971, attacks on minorities, and international terrorism. 6.) No mention of cricket related violence in June 2017. @leicspolice did remember and increased police presence/visibility during key cricket matches. But it wasn't good enough in 2022. @SOAS is supposed to be a premier university. It's allowed itself to be hijacked to counter the spectre of militant Hindutva in the UK. I don't normally like to criticise George Soros and Open Society, but he hates Prime Minister Modi. The report was rubbish.

Indira Gandhi' bodyguard and assassin Beant Singh with his wife who has a Bindi, Sindoor and and Mangal Sutra 😄

Cutest Video on The Internet Today! B Lakshmi Hari discontinued her education after 6th grade & after marriage and two kids could never go back to school or pursue education. Her son Vijay came to tenth grade and insisted that his mother also appear for tenth exams in distance education. Both mother and son wrote the exams this year together. Lakshmi secured 360/600 Vijay scored 562/600 Their joy is a pure 100/100 ❤️❤️❤️ Love and hugs to Lakshmi, Vijay and their entire family 🤗

#BreakingNews | Why is there so much focus on TVK & Vijay? Will DMK go out of power in Tamil Nadu this time? @Iyervval (Senior Fellow, IPCS ): It's a three stage process in Tamil Nadu, let the votes come in @PentapatiPullar (Pulla Rao, Political Analyst): Everything is possible in politics, if Vijay wins then the real game starts #TamilNaduElections #ExitPolls #DMK #TVKVijay‌ | @ShivaniGupta_5 @GrihaAtul

We have a very good New to share ❤️ After 3 months of constant searching, this sweet Labrador is finally reunited with his family today. The power of Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter made this miracle possible. The moment he saw them, he instantly recognised his family a moment filled with pure love and emotion. He had gone missing 3 months ago during a walk with his walker. Since then, his family never gave up hope. For the last two days, he stayed with us, where we made sure he received the love, care, safety, and compassion he deserved. Today, he goes back home where he truly belongs. Stories like this remind us that hope, kindness, and the power of sharing can bring families back together. #dogs #AnimalWelfare

This was when frontline was sore about MamataDi having destroyed the Commies (eternal gratitude to her for that). Ram had by this time turned the publication from the frontline of news to the “frontline” of those wanting to lick the soles of Prakash Karat’s shoes.

Never thought a company would actually make a jingle out a Tax law suit they fought for 25 years in various courts which they eventually won in the Supreme Court. But the iconic jingle outlived the legal proceedings.

Let me tell you a brief story. Indulge me for a bit. After college, I wanted to see the “real India”. So I worked for a year or so for MIT Poverty Action Lab. In the slums of Delhi and in the villages of eastern Rajasthan. It was an incredible adventure. A Kolkata kid looking at his own country, with the eyes of a foreign graduate. I learnt a lot but there was something I couldn’t quite place my finger on. Later a foreign journalist requested me to accompany him to said villages for a couple of days. He knew I knew folks in that region. He was doing a piece on rural India. When it was all done and we were coming back to Delhi, he said the strangest thing looking outside of the car window. “They all look so happy.” And indeed that was it. The kids in particular looked mostly happy. People didn’t seem that different. Implied in the journalist’s sincere observation was that “they” perhaps should not be happy. But because they were not, in fact, miserable it was a moment of reflection. The poor’s poorness can after all be reassuring to even the best of the non-poor. Don’t get me wrong. Poverty is something very real. India scores relatively low on happiness indices, however dubious they are. Wealth matters. Charity (“philanthropy”) matters. I may not have done as much as you, but I did my bit too. And it is fair to say I am obsessed about seeing India become rich. But money is not the only thing in life. The rich are killing themselves too. Some instantly. Many gradually. Your life is cushy, which is great, but the “hundreds of millions” don’t need noblesse oblige attitude. They just need to be treated like you or me. With empathy and not condescension, even if unintentional. Otherwise the billionaire pitying the millionaire is also par for the course. The average Indian is an order of magnitude better off than a century ago. They will get an order of magnitude better still and this time within a generation. They will be fine. Let us do what we have to do silently. Worrying generically won’t change a thing.

If you read this and were moved then there are many many retired K-9 Belgian Malinois, German Shepherds and Labrador chained and languishing in India who have not been adopted. They are waiting for their handlers or friends but unfortunately they don't know that they will never ever come for them. If you can adopt them or get them adopted then do come forward and connect > reply to this post.