A man, a plan, a candlestick: Varma
My buddy Amit Varma of India Uncut squirms when we call him ‘India’s most widely-read blogger,’ but he’s now up for a writing prize focused on economic conservatism:
The [Bastiat Prize] was developed to encourage and reward writers whose published works eloquently and wittily elucidate the institutions of a free society: limited government, rule of law brokered by an independent judiciary, protection of private property, free markets, free speech, and sound science. [Link]
He’s been penning screeds against India’s nanny state in the WSJ and their new Indian business paper, Mint, a joint venture with the Hindustan Times. The prize is named after Frédéric Bastiat, the anti-protectionist whose writings include a modest proposal by candlestick makers to ban electric lights. The finalists for the prize include at least one other well-known conservative blogger, Jonah Goldberg of the National Review. John Stossel won second place in ‘04.
Amit Varma, Mint, India…
Jonah Goldberg, LA Times, USA; Orlando Sentinel/syndicated, USA; National Review, USA…
Clive Crook, The Atlantic Monthly, USA; National Journal, USA
A. Barton Hinkle, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA
Dominic Lawson, The Independent, UK
Patrick McIlheran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, USA
The winners will be announced at the Bastiat Prize Dinner in New York on 24th October 2007. The first prize winner will receive $10,000 and an engraved candlestick. [Link]
Here are the pieces up for the award: A Beast Called Government, Where’s the Freedom Party and The Devil’s Compassion. From the latter:
This is the transcript of a speech given by the demon Beelzebub…
Everywhere there are politicians sincerely pushing well-intentioned policies that are disastrous… The government [in Kolkata] is outlawing all rickshaws pulled by men… this policy will put 18,000 rickshaw pullers out of a job…
When dance bars were outlawed in Maharashtra - another of my favourite weapons, morality, played a leading role in that decision - many dancers went into prostitution.
Ah, Maharashtra! Mumbai is particularly dear to me as a demonstration of what compassion can achieve: Just see the misery rent control has inflicted there…
Let us move onwards to the dining room, my friends, where India’s poor have been laid out on the dining table. Let us feast. [Link]
Here’s hoping Amit beats the babus about their heads with his engraved candlestick until they relinquish the License Raj. And after winning and spending your evenings licking dhokla off Katrina Kaif’s back, remember the little people, Varma. I’ll be the guy selling bidis for half a rupee out on the sidewalk.
Amit adds backstory to the prize here. Congratulations!
on Wednesday, August 8th, 2007, 1:06 pm in Economics, Media, Politics, Profiles › 
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Thanks buddy!
Given our luck, you’ll make millions selling bidis and I’ll burn my house while playing with the hypothetical candlestick. :)
He looks like a leftist JNU professor in that photo.
MadMan, we need to talk.
But no bloodshed on Manish’s blog!
That’s Amit for you. Left as they come.
Amit, your expression in the photo brings to mind this guy:
http://www.northernsun.com/images/thumb/4004.jpg
It’s the commies who should be scowling. Congrats and keep up the good work !
Amit, Since I can’t leave a comment on your blog, I will take the liberty of doing so on Manish’s blog. It is kinda wierd putting a face to the blog. I had my own vision of how you would look. See, I always had a vision of how Jason Bourne would look…Matt Damon?! Congrats and good luck with the award.
katabomman, thanks, that’s a rocking image, I will practise that look now!
Gabbar, thanks, sorry for disappointing you, I really should retained my three-foot beard, with the nests and all… :)
Amit Verma for Prime Minister or at least, Finance Minister.
Amit,
You mean something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQJKeHepD6w&mode=related&search=
I was impressed by Varma’s credentials and outlook as I too feel India was long overdue in freeing up their economy. Nehru ruined the country with his idiotic beauracrats. Is it any wonder why Indians do so well when they leave the country?
I was more impressed when I read that he is in he running for that award until I read that idiot Jonah Goldberg is up for the same award. Ughhh.
Amit,
What’s your opinion on Sudhir Kakar’s theory on the Indian psyche ? Would you say that this plays a significant part in the development of the mommy state and low tolerance for “blasphemy”?
Ami Varma sounds intelligent most of the time, but at his worst comes across as an ignorant flatulent clown. But bad as he can be he doesn’t deserve to be clubbed with ignoramuses like Goldberg and Stossel.
Kattabomman,
Sudhir Kakar peddles 100-year old pseudoscience and has the bad habit of wandering off from his line of argument in a matter of paragraphs. But in the intellectually mediocre Indian setting, where everyone of us is desperate for an explanation, any explanation, for our predicament, Kakar makes as much sense as the latest fadguru, i.e., nonsense.
oh no ! is that what he looks like - one of those 70s jholawala types ? and whats wrong with his hair - it looks exactly like AB Jr - who’s hair is the ghastliest in B’wood.
And i so loooove reading Amit Verma - that picture is such a huge letdown. Do you think you can persuade him to go to Juice before he goes for the nominations or whatever ??
And i bet he has some Bong genes - no one can look so communist otherwise !
am i the only one to notice he’s showing his right cheek :)