Best of BS Opinion: Third world country, CM Thackeray in trouble, and more

Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for the weekend

Accepting aid for the first time in 16 years, is India back to being a Third World country rather than the emerging superpower of patriotic ambitions? As the second Covid-19 wave overwhelms the country, T N Ninan assesses the question here. And as Shekhar Gupta points out, when both Imran Khan and Xi Jinping rise generously to offer assistance you know you are in a bind. “If you read between their lines, one is telling us we aren’t such a big power compared to it that we pretended to be. The other, patronisingly, is showing us our place in the region,” he writes. Read it here

In other views this weekend:

Aditi Phadnis outlines the challenges for Maharashtra’s chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in the coming year even as he struggles with the second wave of Covid-19 and a fracturing ruling alliance. Read it here

Sandeep Goyal tells the quirky story of why Nike sued an arts collective for its sale of “Satan Shoes”. Read it here

Chintan Girish Modi traces the life and oeuvre of Dadasaheb Phalke to explain why India’s highest award in cinema is named after him. Read it here

Quote for the day

"Please do not line up outside vaccination centres tomorrow"

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal