The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 26 January 2024 ordered provisional measures against Israel for violations in Gaza Strip of oblgations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It included immediate halt to all killings and destruction that is being perpetrated by Israel on the Palenetinian people.

In the light of the judgement the United Nations warned member states against transfer of weapons and ammunition to Israel , which may constitute violation of human rights and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and risk state complicity in international crimes ,including genocide.

Further on 19th July 2024 the ICJ in a detailed order held that the sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power , through the use of disproportionate violence on the Palestenian people , violates fundamental principles of international law and renders Israel’s presence in the occupied territory unlawful.

International humanitarian  law obligates States to recognise wars have limits and regulates the conduct of States. India is bound by various international laws and treaties that obligates India not to supply weapons or amunitions to States guilty of war crimes . India is obligated under the Genocide Convention to take all measures within its power to prevent genocide. India therefore cannot export any military equipment or weapons to Israel when there is a risk that these might be used to commit war crimes.

Article III of the Genocide Convention makes States complicity in genocide a punishable offence. The obligation not to supply weapons to States possibly guilty of war crimes is an obligation directly based on common Article 1 of the Geneva Convention which India has signed and ratified.

In spite of this the Indian government has granted licences for export of arms and ammunition to Israel to various companies, including a public sector company .At least three companies in India dealing with manufacture and export of arms and amunitions have been granted licences for export of their products to Israel even after the ICJ ruling on genocide by Israel.

A petition pointing out the gross violation of IHL and the Convention on Genocide by the goverment of India came up for hearing in the Supreme court of India on 9th September 2024.The signatories to the petition included former civil servants, eminant academics and social activits.

However, a three judge bench of the Supreme Court of India comprising Chief Justice of India , Dr. Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud , Justices J. B. Padiwala and Manoj Misra without even issuing notice to the Union of India , dismissed the writ petition filed under Article 32 of the constitution.

The Supreme Court in its dismisal order said , ” Supporting the submissions of the petitioners , Mr. Prashant Bhushan , counsel has relied on the rulings of the International Court of Justice allegedly into the conduct of Israel in Palestenian territories. The submission said India is bound by international treaties which disallow the supply of military weapons to States who have engaged in war crimes/genocide.

” In other words the submission is that the continuation of the export licences would constitute action complicit against the Genocide Convention and other international obligations which India has assumed.”

First of all the use of the word allegedly about the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s conduct by the Supreme Court is intriguing.  The ICJ ruling was not only very detailed and firmly established war crimes committed by Israel in the occupied territories.

The Supreme Court has erronuosly treated  the petition as  Indian Government’s foreign policy matter. Here what is at stake is the International Human Right Law and Convention on Genocide which India has signed and ratified. The goverment of India is bound to abide by the Convention and also the rulings of the ICJ.

Further the Supreme Court has taken the supply of arms and ammunition to Israel as a simple business deal . After the ICJ found Israel guilty of genocide how could any member state of the United Nations supply arms and ammunition to Israel under normal business rules ?

In this context it is pertinent to point out details of the conduct of other countries in the matter of supplying arms and amunition to Israel following ICJ indictment of Israel’s conduct in the occupied territories of Palestine.

On 3 September 2024 the United Kingdom suspended arms export to Israel over humanitarian law concerns. In March 2024, Canada’s parliament passed a non-binding motion on the Gaza conflict which called on the government to cease the further authorisation and transfer of arms exports to Israel.

The motion states on transfer of arms : ” the House calls on the government (b) cease the further authorisation and transfer of arms exports to Israel to ensure compliance with Canada’s arms export regime and increase efforts to stop the illegal trade of arms , including to Hamas.”

In response to the motion the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded : ” All permits issued for the export of military goods and technologies destined to Israel between 7 October 2023 and 8 January 2024 – as well as all previously approved permits which remain in effect – are for non lethal items. The government has not approved any new permits since 8 January 2024. The government is also fully engaged in responding to the provisions of the motion passed by the House of Commons on 18 March 2024.”

Similarly Spain also stated that no arms sales to Israel has been authorised since 7 October 2023. A statement issued by , Ministry of External Affairs , Spain on 2 February 2024 said , ” In response to reports in some media , the Ministry for Foreign Affairs , European Union and Cooperation informs that no arms sales operations to Israel have been authorised since 7 October 2023.”

Japan based company Itochu Corporation announced on 5 February 2024 that it will end its partnership with Israel weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems by the end of February. As per Reuters report ” Itochu plans to end the colaboration after the World Court ordered Israel lat month to prevent acts of genocide against Palestenians and do more to help civilians , Itochu Chief Financial Officer Tsuyoshi Hachimura said.”

And as reported by Business and Human Rights Resource Centre , the local government of the Walloon Region in Belgium suspended arms export licences to Israel citing ICJ ruling ordering Israel to prevent genocide. However India caries on unmindful of the ” alleged ” International Court of Justice finding on Israeli genocide in Palestine!

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The question was raised by the Chief Justice while examining an appeal filed in the Supreme Court against the High Court’s order quashing the anticipatory bail granted to a government employee who is the accused in the POSCO case by a Sessions Court. Naturally, those who hear this question may wonder whether the Chief Justice has taken up the job of a broker too.

According to media reports, the Chief Justice said during the trial that the problem would be lessened if he was ready to marry the victim, or else he would have to suffer a lot. If he marries a woman after raping her, will the crime be eliminated? On what basis did the Chief Justice of the India ask the accused to marry the girl? According to the logic of the Chief Justice, if the murderer can take care of the relatives of the murdered person, the sentence can be commuted!

We have seen how quickly the Supreme Court has granted bail to Arnab Goswami, the head of Reporter TV, to save some of the ‘privileged’ people who are clinging to their positions of power. It was a bounty for someone who enjoys certain privileges. At the same time, the Chief Justice has said that marrying a minor victim of rape to the accused who does not claim any such privilege is a reflection of his distorted attitude. If the apostle of the Supreme Court thinks that rape is the worst crime after murder, then it is self-deprecating what kind of country we live in.

Such judges are insulting our justice system in every sense. It is not surprising that primitive judgments are commonplace when the judiciary falls into the hands of individuals with extreme misogyny and feudal demeanour.

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The significance of Rahul Gandhi’s confession that his grandmother Indira Gandhi’s act of emergency was wrong is just as significant. Rahul Gandhi points out that what happened during the Emergency from 1975 to 1977 was the wrong thing to do, especially at a time when authoritarian tendencies were gaining strength. It is also a response to the current regime, which is trying to impose a silent emergency.

We need to recognise the core differences between Indira Gandhi, who declared the first state of emergency in the country, and Narendra Modi, who is experimenting with new ways of silent emergency. When Indira Gandhi regained power after the Emergency, she made no attempt to undermine the constitutional institutions or stop the media. Indira Gandhi did not show any sense of guilt that the brutal majority in the 1980 elections was recognition of the state of emergency. In the last term from 1980 to her assassination in 1984, there were no moves on the part of Indira Gandhi to endanger democracy. At the same time, Modi has been pursuing policies that betray the people and cast a shadow over democracy.

Modi, who was re-elected in the 2019 elections, was not like Indira Gandhi, who did not misunderstand that the landslide victory in the 1980 elections was recognition of the dictatorship of the Emergency. Modi acted as if he had the right to repeat anti-people policies such as the ban on notes in the first term, when he got through his second term in power. Modi declarations that he was ready for any dictatorial move such as imprisoning the people of Kashmir, the Citizenship Amendment Act and the Agrarian Law without taking the people of the country into confidence.

Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister who took a very healthy step in the economy of the country through measures, including the nationalisation of banks. The nationalisation of banks has changed the status of bank lending as an exclusive right of the elite. At the same time, Modi is constantly harassing the people by banning banknotes and raising fuel prices. History can only be properly recorded when this gap between Modi and Indira is recognised.

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The Delhi Police has alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the design of the toolkit by Disha and other environmental activists. She was arrested on charges of treason for plotting against the central government. According to the police, any agitation against the government can be prosecuted for treason.

A lot of planning in involved before any agitation is launched. The same was true of the farmers’ agitation. Farmers in Punjab, Haryana and other states did not come directly to Delhi for agitation immediately after the passage of the controversial farm laws. The agitation spread to Delhi after a series of protests in their home states. With that, the agitation became planned and organised.

The toolkit, which was designed for a pro-agitation campaign, was also used for planning. It should not be misunderstood that there are idiots in the Delhi Police who do not realise that planning and conspiracy are two different things. The Delhi Police moved swiftly to imprison Disha Ravi on charges of treason, adding to the plot.

Treason is a weapon repeatedly used by the BJP-led central government to divert attention from criticism and protests against wrongdoing. With repeated usage, it has become difficult to identify which crime falls under the category of treason and which does not. Protesters against the government are now seen as traitors. Things have come to the point where patriotism means devotion to Modi. The Sangh Parivar is now propagating the bizarre logic that criticising Modi means sedition.

“If it is treason to campaign for the farmers’ movement internationally, then it would be better for me to stay in jail,” Disha Ravi told a Delhi court. These words will have to be repeated in a different way by those who believe in a democratic country in different contexts. According to this logic, jails would always be the right place for environmentalists and philanthropists like Medha Patkar and Yogendra Yadav.

The arrest of Disha Ravi and the manner in which the Delhi Police handled the toolkit controversy is a warning to us by the anti-democratic government. The growing anti-democratic tendencies in the country are a sign that anyone who is opposed to the BJP-led government can be sure of unexpected arrests and legal action such as the one faced by Disha Ravi.

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In the second quarter of the current fiscal, India’s GDP slowed to 7.5 percent, with signs of economic recovery. Various agencies had forecast a 10 percent economic slowdown in the second quarter. The slowdown in the second quarter, which was lower than expected, and the increased demand during the festive season led to the assessment that the economy was on the path to recovery. This ascension is confirmed by the observations made by global agencies such as the S&P and the IMF about India. Last month, the IMF forecast that India would grow by 11.5 percent by 2021. A report by S&P Global Ratings, released yesterday, also indicates that India will have a better financial year next year.

The Indian economy is on track to recover by the next financial year, according to a report by S&P Global Ratings. S & P predicts that India’s GDP will grow by 10 percent in the next financial year. The S&P report concludes that improved agricultural production, a lower number of COVID-19 patients and increased government investment will help the economy achieve better growth. At the same time, S&P expects the Indian banking sector to improve sooner rather than later. Banks will need more time to improve credit growth and overcome the financial meltdown caused by bad debts.

Only if all the positive factors remain strong will the economy return to the path of growth rapidly. The monsoon last year was the one that helped improve agricultural production. At the same time, the policy of the Government of India will lead to a strike by farmers, who contributes significantly to the economic growth of the country. Without rectifying this anomaly, the government’s arbitrariness will not do any good to the economy.

The S&PU report says a number of things need to be done to improve the economy, including making vaccinations available to a majority of the people without delay. However, the speed of vaccination has slowed down. According to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, the vaccine will be available to 3 crore people immediately and the remaining 27 crore by July. But the experience so far is that vaccination is not being carried out as fast as expected. Adequate awareness programmes on the need for vaccination are also needed.

S&P observes that the budget for the next financial year will support the recovery of the economy. The budget proposes more government investment than expected. While this should help the economy thrive, it will only pay off if projects are implemented without delay.

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The price of a domestic LPG cylinder was hiked by Rs 50 recently, and 175 per cylinder during the last three months. With the government suspending the subsidised supply of LPG cylinders for domestic use in the name of COVID-19, the cost of cooking a meal has skyrocketed.

The sharp rise in crude oil prices is one of the reasons for the country’s continuing rise in fuel prices. In the last one month alone, the international price of crude oil has risen by about 15 per cent. Brent crude is currently trading at $ 63.25 a barrel, up from $ 55 a barrel on January 15.

This increase is reflected in the price of petrol and diesel in India. VAT and excise duty are 63 per cent of the price of petrol. The tax on diesel is 40 percent. The sharp rise in taxes along with the rise in prices is one of the reasons why the pockets of the common man are being drained during the COVID period. Neither the central nor the state governments are ready to make any tax concessions.

Rising crude oil prices are hurting India’s economy. Crude oil prices are currently soaring above $ 60 a barrel, which is a major setback for India, which imports about a third of its crude oil. The additional cost of oil is detrimental to the economy as a whole. Rising transportation costs for goods and services are leading to inflation. As the stock market is a mirror of the economy, there will also be a detrimental effect on the rise in crude oil prices. This is not happening now because the global economy is showing signs of improving.

The government needs to realise that if measures are not taken to contain inflation, it will adversely affect the economy that is preparing for a rebound. Rising inflation could also lead to higher interest rates. If inflation rises sharply, the Reserve Bank of India will be forced to cut interest rates. With that, the favourable climate for improving the economic climate will change.

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It is not uncommon for Modi to feel that it is a big mistake for people to fight for fundamental issues; because he is not a person who has stood with such struggles at any stage of his life. He may have been impressed only by the protests against the demolition of churches and the construction of places of worship. Those who carried out the ‘karseva’ to demolish the Babri Masjid may not be able to grasp the essence of the peasant struggle.

Modi cannot help but remember the fact that Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest activist India has ever seen when he derides ‘andolan jeevi’. The picture of Veer Savarkar, who conspired to assassinate the biggest militant the country has ever seen, appeared on the wall of Parliament after Modi came to power. For the time being, Modi may not be ready to deny Gandhiji and his eventful life of struggle. Because it is difficult for Modi or his party to accept from the bottom of their hearts the fact that we call Gandhiji the Father of the Nation. It is not uncommon for a party that worships the man who planned the assassination of the Father of the Nation, to make statements like the one Modi made.

Modi is utterly dissatisfied with the arrival of ‘foreign destructive ideology’ in India. When foreigners protest against anti-people measures taking place inside the country, Modi finds it a destructive idea. At the same time, when commenting on anti-democratic developments in other countries, he does not consider himself to be an advocate of foreign destructive ideology by the rulers of those countries.

Modi and his party are furious that Twitter has not complied with its directive to remove tweets related to the farmers’ agitation. BJP leaders have warned people not to think Twitter is above the law of the land. Twitter is an initiative that bans the US president from believing he is above the law in his own country.

Twitter has clear criteria about who should be banned and when. The government is trying to teach Twitter the law by banning the internet in an anti-democratic manner to suppress the protests. It is only natural that a government that denies the basic rights of the people of Kashmir through an Internet ban is frustrated over its attempts to bring Twitter within its ambit.

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Arnab’s recent appearance in the news has made it even clearer that he is a conspirator in the garb of a journalist. Arnab is not the first person to do the work of a conspirator for personal gain under the guise of journalism. But with a beastly frenzy, his actions, with all the blessings of a government that has dictatorial tendencies to freeze even the country’s constitutional institutions, undermine the very possibilities of independent journalism in the country. That’s why he becomes so dangerous.

As soon as the news broke that Republic TV had cheated to increase the ratings, it became clear that the criminal tendencies behind his authoritarian attitude in the newsrooms would go to extremes. The Supreme Court’s haste to grant him bail in a case registered by the Maharashtra government for inciting suicide proved that his extreme closeness with the central government could influence even the Supreme Court. His recent WhatsApp chats have also confirmed that the media celebrity is a traitor.

Arnab Goswami’s WhatsApp chats with the former head of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) Parthodas Gupta make it clear that he does not hesitate to use even secrets related to national security to bolster his business. Arnab’s refusal to deny the chat and his justification confirm the fact that he wears as a badge of honour even the most stupid of ideas. The fact that the details of the Pulwama attack were leaked to Republic TV earlier sheds light on the extremely dangerous ‘propaganda’ being carried out by him and the central government. He even showed the audacity to mock the opposition’s demand that a joint parliamentary committee investigates the leak of military secrets to Arnab.

Mani Shankar Aiyar was right when he openly said that he was not ready to talk to traitors like Republican TV activists. They are not journalists, but traitors. At the height of their hatred and blasphemy, they are carrying out acts that undermine the country’s security.

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The distance between the extremist racist pragmatist and US President Trump, who crowned the ivory crown with a spear-wielding national flag and stormed the Capitol, is very short. Right-wing extremism dreams of a centuries-old decline in values and attitudes. A section of the people who share that dream has been supporting Trump for the past four years. The noisy manifestation of the barbaric racism and violence they carry is no small shock to democrats.

It may seem paradoxical that right-wing extremists have stepped in to attack parliament in the United States, the site of one of the most politically motivated protests of the last decade, the Black Lives Matter. When the United States, one of the largest democracies in the world, witnessed the call for a ruling movement to overthrow the will of the people, it seemed as if history were suddenly returning to the primitive world of savage justice.

In the end, Trump was ready to kneel like the rebels in the Capitol and admit that he was ready to hand over power, even if he did not accept the poll outcome, only because he had no other choice. Trump has realised that there is no way out, as Joe Biden, who won with a clear majority, failed in his last experiment with technical loopholes to become the next president and vice president Mike Pence himself turned against the president’s agenda. At the same time, even if Trump steps down, he still has the potential to remain an influential force and to keep Trumpism intact.

Over the past four years, Trump has laid the ideological foundation for a large group of racists who are ready to step forward to do anything if he shakes a hand or writes a sentence on social media. That base will remain strong even if he leaves power. With that, he is likely to win popular support to run again in the next US presidential election in 2024.

If that is not to happen, the Republican Party itself must make an effort to combat reactionary ideologies and keep anti-democrats out of politics. Republicans must be able to continue to work with the determination not to give up democratic values, as Pence did the other day, and to prevent the popularity that Trumpism is gaining. Even if he comes to power, Joe Biden will face the same serious challenges as Trump.

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When COVID-19 plunged the world into crisis in 2020, the rhythm of life went haywire. COVID’s new variant has come at a time when it was hoped that we would be free from the scourge of the global financial crisis with the distribution of vaccines by various companies. The advent of a new virus that is more likely to spread quickly is undermining these expectations. With this new development comes the new worry, which would we get first, whether it is a vaccine or a virus” We are entering 2021 with the fear that we will be exposed to the virus before the vaccine becomes available.

Following on the footsteps of Pfizer, the US company that initiated the vaccination process, other companies are accelerating their efforts to bring the vaccine to market. The vaccine, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, has been approved by the United Kingdom. Russia’s Sputnik and India’s Covacin are expected to be available soon. The US company Moderna is also on track to make the vaccine available. Rewriting the history finding and releasing vaccine after four to six years of test and bringing it out in six months is hoped that the catastrophic epidemic of COVID vaccines will be eradicated sooner than expected.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has again announced a lockdown, raising concerns. When Britain returns to the lockdown, other European countries will have to go through the process of closure. Concerns remain about how effective the COVID vaccine will be against the new virus variant. The number of COVID-19 patients is increasing in the US and other European countries, including the UK.

With the UK approval of the COVID vaccine, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, there is hope that the vaccine will soon be available in India. India is mainly hinging on this vaccine. The Serum Institute in India is a partner in vaccine development at Oxford University. Therefore, it is hoped that this vaccine will be approved in India as soon as possible.

The Serum Institute, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, is expected to enter into an agreement with the Central Government for the distribution of the vaccine. Discussions on this are in the final stages. The Serum Institute has already developed 50 million dosages of Covishield, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. The plan is to increase production to 100 million in the coming months. Today’s expert committee meeting will consider the Serum Institute’s application for immediate approval of the Covishield.

With the availability of the vaccine, the New Year can be welcomed with the hope that it will be an important step in the fight against the epidemic. Gulf Indians wishes Happy New Year to the readers.

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Although it has decided to keep interest rates unchanged, the steps taken to increase the availability of funds are welcome. The repo rate will be 4 per cent and the reverse repo rate will be 3.75 per cent. Due to high inflation, the RBI India has no choice but to cut interest rates. Earlier, the RBI had said it would continue to cut repo rates in the face of favourable inflation. The repo rate has been reduced by 2.50 per cent in the last one and a half years. The repo rate fell to a nine-year low of 4 per cent from 6.50 per cent.

Inflation is now well above the target set by the Reserve Bank. Under such circumstances, the RBI will reduce interest rates to control inflation in general. The apex bank is taking a “balanced” approach now because doing so would adversely affect the economy, which continues to be in crisis. The RBI is taking other measures to increase the liquidity in the economy as it has no choice but to cut interest rates.

Measures taken by non-banking financial institutions to increase liquidity will help increase market consumption. This is an important step towards strengthening the economy. In our country, where a large number of people do not meet the credit eligibility criteria of banks, the presence of non-banking financial institutions is indispensable in increasing the availability of credit. Therefore, the move to improve their availability of funds is welcome. After the meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee, Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikant Das said that the government will continue to pursue policies that create liquidity in the economy.

The RBI has taken steps to liberalise measures to facilitate consumption. Transactions through contactless cards have been increased from Rs.2,000 to Rs.5,000. Transactions through the RTGS system were extended to 24 hours.

The RBI has changed its GDP estimates for the current fiscal year on the back of signs that the economy is recovering faster than expected. The RBI has forecast a 7.5 per cent slowdown in GDP for the current financial year. Earlier, the decline was estimated at 9.5 per cent.

The RBI has also come to the conclusion that a section of experts support the forecast that the economy will return to the path of growth by the second half of the current financial year. The RBI has forecast 0.7 per cent growth in the January-March quarter. The RBI has projected a growth rate of one per cent in the October-quarter.

The RBI intervenes more effectively to stimulate the economy than the central government. The measures taken by the RBI to increase the availability of funds have played an important role in the recovery of the economy

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Alas, the second part of the slogan always had a hollow ring to it. Bharat has more often than not given a raw deal to the food providers to this great nation. Even Jawans can’t march on an empty stomach.

There is no end in sight to the farmers’ agitation being held on the outskirts of Delhi that has entered the second week. The seven-and-a-half hour long marathon talks held with farmers’ leaders on December 3 ended without reaching any solution. With the Central Government refusing to withdraw three controversial laws but offering to consider eight amendments and the farmers’ leaders continuing to stand firm on their demand that all three laws be completely repealed the talks ended inconclusively.

The discussions are scheduled to resume on November 4. Farmers are hell bend on their demand for the complete withdrawal of the recently enacted farm laws, which they fear will ruin small and medium farmers. They are worried about the possible withdrawal of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the dismantling of the public procurement of grains.

Farmers say that by leaving them to the mercy of the open market, the stage has been set for large private players to take over the agriculture sector. Even though the Government claims that the new laws would only increase options for farmers and that the MSP regime would continue, and that the system would not be dismantled, the rushing through of the laws without adequate discussions among the stakeholders have created nothing but distrust about the Government’s intentions among the farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana.

The Public Distribution System is the lifeline in these States with the farmers heavily dependent on public procurement and assured price through MSP. With nearly 88 per cent of paddy produced and 70 per cent of wheat output absorbed through public procurement in Punjab and Haryana, farmers in these two States and far more dependent on the system than in any other State of the country.

The government has to work towards addressing the trust deficit among farmers about its intentions with the Farm Acts. It needs to address immediately the lacunae in the acts, mainly the absence of a regulatory mechanism and the lack of transparency in trade area transactions.

The Central Government needs to adopt a conciliatory approach than a confrontationist one to allay the fears of the food providers to the nation. Let us not make them beggars but respect them with a honourable solution to this important issue.

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The latest reports indicate that Joe Biden’s popular vote is approaching 80 million. This is the highest number of votes a presidential candidate has ever received in the history of the United States. He continues his lead of 290 electoral college votes against 232, and could increase his lead to 306 if he maintains a 0.3 per cent lead in Georgia.

Biden’s last-placed Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia and Winkonsin ‘Battleground States’ took a sharp lead. In the early stages of the vote count, election observers predicted that Trump would continue in office. But in areas where more educated whites live, the turnout in favour of Biden.

The assumption that these white people, who supported Trump in the last election, would continue to support him turned out to be wrong. Assessing the pattern of the vote count, it is clear that they voted en masse against Trump.

At the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, it was estimated that disgruntled and frustrated black voters would support Biden. But it was the democratic consciousness of educated whites rather than black protests that led to Trump stepping down from the White House.

Professional and decent whites have slammed Trump, who was running for a second term in office, using the politics of racism as a weapon. Despite the support of whites who are lagging behind in education, another large section who does not accept racism and inhumanity has rejected Trump. Biden was backed by professional whites when he failed to get the vote he hoped for in some black-majority areas.

They rejected Trump even though he did not take any action that would affect their financial status or job security. Despite leading the country to growth and formulating business policies in their favour, they took into account Trump’s other vices in the polls. It shows the strength and balance of American democracy.

In a telephone conversation with Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the election was a testament to the strength of the democratic tradition in the United States. It should be noted that Modi is still in power because India has given up the strength of its democratic tradition.

The only reason why Modi is still the almighty Prime Minister despite his extreme anti-minority and anti-people measures is the polarisation centered on Hindutva. Modi would not be in power now if educated Hindus in India had voted against his, as white professionals in the US voted against racial polarisation. The recent elections do not bode well for the readiness of educated Hindus to regain the strength of their democratic tradition.

There are no signs that Hindus here are ready to reassert the strength of democratic tradition in any recent elections.

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Kingfisher, Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, Videocon, Jayaprakash Associates, Bhushan Steel, Jet Airways, IL & FS, Coffee Day, Sahara, Unitech, GMR, GVK, IVRCL, Unitech, Geeta, Geeta Corporate groups such as Syntex, Crompton Greaves, Sea Group, Yes Bank, Fortis Healthcare, HDIL and DHFL have been hit hard by the economic downturn over the past few years. With the fall of these groups, the image of corporate giants like Anil Ambani, Vijay Mallya, Subhash Chandra, Rana Singh, Singh brothers, Naresh Goyal and Subrato Roy has fallen. Many brands that are very familiar to Indians have disappeared as a result of this. For many of these companies, a revival is not even conceivable.

Each of these companies has its own reasons that lead to the collapse, but there are some common problems. The unique political situation is an essential reason for this. The change in the political climate has made conspiracies impossible for many companies. Strictly speaking, this change came after the Modi government came to power. Businesses suffered a severe setback when a group of companies, which had previously obtained policies, procedures, licenses and public sector bank loans through special relations with previous governments and its allies, fell out of favour with the new regime. Companies that had close ties to the Modi government continued to receive special benefits. In short, many other companies do not receive the same benefits and benefits as Ambani and Adani, the beneficiaries of crony capitalism under the Modi regime.

In the case of coalition governments, the corporates’ friendship with any of their allies was sufficient to carry out their lobbying successfully. It was easy for these companies to maintain their dominance as they were always in alliance with political leaders under the table and backdoor deals. But with the stable government in power since 2014, old political ties have not helped such companies. Corporates that have failed to forge new political ties face a completely different situation.

At the same time, we have seen even the most pro-government corporate groups collapse most dramatically. The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group is a prime example. The biggest corruption allegation against the Modi government is the Raphael plane deal. One of the main allegations in the deal is that Anil Ambani’s company, which has no previous experience in aircraft manufacturing, was awarded the contract. At the same time, none of the agreements that led to the government’s impeachment were enough to save the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group from collapse. Friendship with the government alone was not enough to resolve the crisis that led to the flagship company Reliance Communications going bankrupt. The deal was not even a last ray of hope for those who were doomed to sink in a whirlpool.

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According to a circular issued by the Reserve Bank on March 27, 2020, the moratorium would be applicable for a period of three months from March 1 to May 31. It was later extended to a three-month period until August 31. The only advantage of a moratorium is that the loan will not be declared non-performing if the EMI is not repaid during this period. Banking rules allow interest to be charged on non-performing EMIs. As a result, those who adopt the moratorium will have to pay a large amount of extra interest. The need before the Supreme Court is to avoid imposing such additional interest on those who are experiencing financial hardship.

On September 10, the Supreme Court allowed the central government, which had not taken a clear stand on the issue, two weeks to decide on the moratorium interest. The Center is expected to state its position on the petition again on September 28.

Banks that take a stand against these petitions see this as a case in point that could determine how the banks’ lending business will proceed. In fact, banks contend that the Supreme Court’s consideration of such a petition is tantamount to questioning the fundamentals of the banking system and that it is up to the Reserve Bank to take a final stand on the matter. Proponents of the case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online.

This argument would have seemed correct if it had been stated during another situation. If the basic structure of the credit business is questioned, the credit supply itself will be in crisis. At the same time, banks need to realise that the moratorium on loans across the country is during an extraordinary situation. Those who lost their jobs and saw their incomes plummeting when the COVID scare and lockdown hit the economy, adopted the moratorium as they could not pay the EMI. Banks should not be penalised for giving such temporary relief. It is an inhumane approach for banks to insist on levying fines and interest on interest. Banking experts, who talk endlessly about the basic structure of the credit business, need to keep in mind that during the Covid era, many resolutions would have to be relaxed and a liberal approach would have to be adopted.

Banks struggling to recover corporates’ debts argue that interest should be charged on top of the moratorium on interest rates allowed to the general public. Banks that are not hesitant to relax the terms and conditions when granting loans to corporates are later overwhelmed by the burden of bad credit. It is not appropriate for such banking institutions to adopt a different parameter when dealing with ordinary people in this country. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will intervene in this matter in a rational and humane manner.

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The Delhi Police has been excelling in lawless behavior for quite some time now .They cleverly facilitated the brutal attack on Jawaharlal University Students earlier this year, wearing face masks; ironically this was before the lockdown. They attacked Jamia University students inside the campus, seriously injuring many and destroying university property.

The actions of the Delhi police have been so blatantly unconstitutional that ten retired Indian Police Service (IPS)officers led by Julio Ribeiro, former Mumbai Police Commissioner and Director General of Punjab and Gujarat Police, in a letter to Delhi Police Commissioner , S.N .Srivastava on September 18 described the police investigation into the February 2020 Delhi communal riots as totally flawed .This, I consider a very mild indictment because an analysis of their latest actions reveal absolutely colonial mindset, totally opposed to constitutional values of freedom and democracy.

As a reporter who has covered communal riots in North India in the 1980s and 1990s for the Indian Express, I can say with certainty that communal riots and killings take place in India only at the instigation of political leaders and with the connivance of the police and even the local administration. The February North East Delhi riots were no different. The police actively schemed with the rioters or completely ignored the riot.

The riots were as is now, a well established propoganda directed against the Muslim community. The proof is the vast majority of those killed in the riots were Muslims. Initially the Muslims did retaliate but were soon outnumbered. The police openly sided with the Hindus and even obstructed movement of ambulances carrying injured Muslims to the hospitals.

There is nothing unusual about the narrative so far. Total marginalization of Muslims has been the aim of instigating communal disturbances even during previous Congress regimes. But what is different this time is the weaving of a conspiracy theory and the arrest of young individual activists under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The UAPA has been on the statute books from 1967. But what has made it a lethal weapon against all kinds of dissent, free speech and protest is the 2019 amendment. Prior to the latest amendment, only organizations could be designated terrorist. After the new amendment any individual without prior notice could be designated as terrorist and arrested.

As against a maximum of 15 days police custody arrests according to other laws under UAP, an individual arrested under the same can be kept in police custody for 30 days. Similarly, judicial custody under UAPA can stretch up to 180 days as against a maximum of 90 days in other cases.

Though the act does not bar the grant of bail by the courts Zafoora Zargar of Jamia University is the only one booked under UAPA, who has been given bail. Yet she had been given bail by the Delhi High Court on humanitarian grounds, not on merit.

Initially eighteen people, mostly young activists were arrested by the Delhi Police in the conspiracy case .An offence under the UAPA has been charged against all of them who are mostly PhD students from JNU and Jamia to ensure that they remain in jail for a long period which reminds those booked under the UAPA in the Bhima Koregaon case in Pune.

As the time limit of 90 days for filing a charge sheet in the conspiracy case approached, the police on September 13 arrested Umar Khalid, JNU scholar and charged him for offences under UAPA, sedition and several others. This has been done to keep those who are being investigated in custody for 180 days pending the filing of the charge sheet. Thus the police have intentionally subverted the intent of the law.

Investigations and trials take too long. Cases are not even sent to trial for a long time. At the end 2018, among the 2005 cases under UAPA only 317 have been sent to trial. Under these circumstances, even an acquittal at the end of the trial will mean very little to the arrested young students some of whom are women.

Now the question is can the courts remain silent spectators when basic freedoms of the citizens are being blatantly trampled upon by the police? The courts must step in without any further delay.

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The Minister did not specify how he arrived at the above figures. He reiterated in Parliament that India has the lowest proportion of deaths in the world compared to other countries. It has already been pointed out that this comparison is not logical enough as the number of tests in India is very small.

India has the second lowest test rate in the world among the 10 most infected countries. Observers point out that in the northern states, only 30 percent of ordinary deaths are registered. Therefore, it is natural to wonder how close to reality the COVID-19 death toll in India is.

It has become amply clear that the government on the defensive was scared of facing questions regarding the pandemic and the question and answer session in Parliament had to be avoided because of this.

When protests erupted against this move the question time was cut in half. The first day’s session made it clear that the government did not even have accurate figures when questions arose. Replying to a question, Union Minister Santosh Gangwar said that the death toll during the lockdown was not known.

Even though the government has the date on the number of migrant workers who have returned home, it does not have any data regarding accidents and fatalities sustained during the exodus or how those who returned home safely are faring now.

Social activists like Yogendra Yadav have already pointed out the death toll from the lockdown. But it is strange that the government does not have any figures on this. The government does not account for job losses due to COVID either. It is clear from this lack of answers why the government was compelled to skip the question and answer session. How can a government that does not have statistics on the social and economic repercussions of the lockdown be able to formulate guidelines for overcoming the crisis we are faced with?

It was expected that the Prime Minister would be speaking about success in the fight against COVID in Parliament. The Prime Minister’s heroism in his speech about six months ago was that we would win the war against the Corona virus in 21 days, just as the Pandavas had subdued the Kauravas in 18 days in the Mahabharata war.

The Prime Minister, who dared to compare the defence against an epidemic with the Mahabharata war, can be expected to speak sometime during the Parliament session on the continuation of that war, the end to which there is no certainty. Our Prime Minister is the one who has passionately declared that if things do not go well within 50 days of the implementation of the note ban, he may be punished by the people according to their fancy.

He later seems to have forgotten about the statement itself. Similarly, before the end of this parliament session one can expect someone to ask whether the 21 days mentioned six months ago have disappeared from memory and the Prime Minister would hopefully give a reply.

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But it is clear that the leadership does not have any kind of plan or project for that. Kapil Sibal’s harsh criticism that the party’s constitution should be changed if nominations continue instead of organisational elections can be considered as falling on deaf ears of the leadership.

It was after quite a long time that Congress President Sonia Gandhi announced the reconstitution of the Working Committee and the AICC. The move comes after 23 leaders, including Kapil Sibal, submitted a letter demanding permanent leadership of the party. But when the reorganisation was carried out, many of the front-runners in the letter were ignored. Ghulam Nabi Azad lost his membership of the Working Committee.

It is in this context that Kapil Sibal has once again come out with a critique of the leadership. Kapil Sibal pointed out that their only demand was to implement what is stated in the party governing structure. He said that it would be better to change the constitution if the party leadership was not interested in reorganisation of the party through the elections mentioned in the constitution.

Some party leaders claim the Congress to be the largest democratic party in the country. This claim may be due to the fact that they do not see the BJP as a democratic party but retains the character of a cadre party. At present, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah decide things in the BJP. Even the BJP president is forced to tow their line. But leaders of the Congress, which they claim to be the largest democratic party in the country, need to think about how different the situation is in Congress.

Unfortunately, the Congress does not even have the kind of democracy that exists within the BJP. A leader like Narendra Modi was able to rise to the top of the party and the country only because the BJP did not have a family rule like in the Congress. The Congress has not changed the belief that it is deluged after watching Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka holding the mantle of the party for years. The dependent leaders around them are those who do not want this situation to change.

The attitude of the Nehru family towards the Congress itself is now very strange. Sonia Gandhi does not want to continue as president due to age limitations. Instead, Rahul Gandhi was brought to the post. But when Rahul opted to step down from presidency following the 2019 election defeat, Sonia Gandhi was forced to return to the post instead. Sonia Gandhi is still the caretaker president. Priyanka has no interest in becoming a leader.

These three, who do not want to take the lead, are not interested in finding a president outside the Nehru family. What they are saying is that the scripture of the party is to find a new president, working committee and AICC by organising elections even if the dependents object. The practice of nomination continues unabated.

If the Nehru family was once the strength of the Congress leadership, today the situation is quite different. It is such that a revival of the party is possible only if it is properly reorganised with the Nehru family kept away. Even if Sonia Gandhi, the caretaker president, were to step down, Rahul, who is still making decisions behind the scenes and remains unstable as a leader, could not be expected to revive the party.

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One in five people disliked the video which was viewed by over 20 lakh people as the Prime Minister failed to mention about the conduct of the JEE and NEET exams.  Naturally, most of the people who registered their dislikes were disgruntled candidates and parents who watched this video. The people are protesting against the government on many such issues. They also make use any opportunity to record it. The dislike received for the video of the Prime Minister, who was at the forefront of popularity, is a demonstration of this zeal of protest.

At a time when the country is in deep crisis, the central government has an indifferent attitude. The people want to question the methods of the Central Government which are taking irrational positions in implementing and easing the lockdown. Naturally, protest against the government should turn into support for the opposition. Is that happening on the ground? If the dislikes of the Prime Minister turn into the likes of a prominent leader of the Opposition, it can be assumed that this is happening. But how much popular support do opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi have on social media, which is considered a reflection of society?

In recent days, Rahul Gandhi has posted four consecutive videos protesting against the deteriorating economic situation in the country. In these videos, Rahul Gandhi points out that the government is to blame for the sharp decline in the country’s GDP in the April-June quarter.

Rahul Gandhi’s third video was critical of the GST, the ‘Gabbar Singh tax’, for stunting the country’s economy. The reality is that the ruling party has no objection to objecting to what Rahul has said. But how much of these facts pointed out by Rahul Gandhi reach the people?

The  Rahul’s video posted three days ago was viewed by 1.58 lakh people. 45,000 people liked the video. The video has not been seen by as many people as ‘dislike’ for Modi’s video. Even one-tenth of those who watch Modi’s video do not watch Rahul’s video. If social media is a crossroads of society, then there is a difference between the popular support for Modi and Rahul.

The Opposition in the country is a group of weak leaders who cannot convert the opposition against the government into support for themselves. Rahul Gandhi is not able to highlight any unpopular issue and gain the support of the people. During the lockdown, he posted several videos. But that also does bring to end his responsibility the Leader of the Opposition. The shortcomings of the government should turn into the gains of the Opposition. But Opposition leaders have not shown the ability to bring about that transformation. It has to be said that it is a blessing for the Modi government that the Opposition has not been able to seize the opportunity to trash the government over the sad plight of those who are enduring unending sufferings due to the lockdown.

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That China’s assurances in reconciliation talks are just nonsense is a fact that has already been established. China’s statement that India is responsible for all issues after the mutual understanding in the talks indicates that it will not back down from continuing the provocation. It is time for our rulers to realise that there is a need for a fundamental change in India’s policy towards China.

Prime Minister NarendraModi has spent a major part of his time in developing foreign policy since the NDA government came to power. Modi has made more trips abroad than any other Prime Minister in recent times. These trips paved the way for Modi to be a continued presence in foreign media in the end. Modi is also the most-visited Indian Prime Minister in China, which is currently violating the border.

Since coming to power in 2014, NarendraModi has met Chinese President Xi Jinping 18 times. The two leaders held several discussions and statements made during the meetings suggest that Modi thought that Xi Jinping was his friend. Modi thought that this friendship alone is enough to build good relations with China. After the meeting with Xi in China in October 2019, Modi said that the talks between the two leaders would take the relationship between India and China to a new level and that the people of both countries and the world would benefit from it. Less than a year after that meeting, China began a military operation on the border.

China continues to provoke India despite reconciliation talks after the killing of 20 Indian soldiers. Modi’s attempt to “elevate” India-China relations to a new level by spending a lot of money from the public treasury and the time of diplomats has failed miserably. Relations between India and China are reaching a “new level” where people in both countries view each other with hostility. The reality is that the last six years of efforts to develop foreign policy have not been to India’s advantage.

India’s relations with China and all its neighbours have never been so bad as in recent times. A foreign policy based on not trusting its neighbours can only serve to destabilsze the country’s borders. At a time when the economy is collapsing, border conflicts will be even more detrimental to the country. What our ruler needs to show at this time is the maturity to make thoughtful and rational decisions in foreign policy.

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Last Sunday, India had reached the covid cases tally on a daily basis.  July 17 saw the highest number of positive cases reported in the U.S.. On August 30, India surpassed that record. On that day alone, 78,761 people were found to be covid-positive. Within a few days the number of patients a day increased to about 5,000. India currently has the third highest number of covid deaths in the world.  

India is one of the leading countries in the world in the number of covid patients and the economic downturn caused by the epidemic. During the April-June quarter, India experienced more severe economic downturns than any other country, including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada,Germany, Japan and China. Only the US has recorded a higher economic downturn than India. Our country is in the second place in the recession.

Even in controlled areas, the number of covid patients is on the rise. On Wednesday, 2,509 positive cases were reported from Delhi. This is the highest daily number in two months in Delhi.

Covid-19 ‘second wave’ is happening in many countries around the world. In countries like New Zealand, lockdowns have been imposed in COVID-affected areas. At the same time, the situation in India is very different. 

The ‘First Wave’ still continues in the country. Even in the US, which has been hit hardest by covid, the number of cases per day is declining while the number of patients in India is increasing each day.

The allegation that the current figures on the number of covid patients in India are far from the truth is also strong. India has the second lowest test rate among the 10 countries with the most severe virus attacks. Only 3,000 out of a lakh people are tested here.

There are already criticisms that the way India dealing with the pandemic is unscientific. The lock-down was introduced in India at a time when covid-positive cases were at an all-time low. The government had adopted the unscientific practice of imposing lockdown at a time when social spread of the disease was yet to happen, and easing controls when social spread is strong.

The government has been widely criticized for imposing lockdowns on millions of migrant workers without even giving them time to return home. The government is now easing lockdown controls, while setting a world record for the number of positive cases per day. The disease is spreading rapidly at a time when the central government has given permission to resume metro services and increase the number of people who can participate in public meetings.

Weeks of lockdown imposed at the most inappropriate time have affected the lives and economy of the people. The spread of the disease intensified as efforts were made to rectify the situation.

India has taken a different approach, topsy-turvy one, instead of adpoting a well-planned and strategic approach in curbing the pandemic as other countries did.  

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