Tag: History

Pratap Bhanu Mehta on abrogation of Article 370: Has SC established a dangerous precedent for federalism?

No one expected the abrogation to be reversed. But SC’s judgment lacks the reassurance that it has the integrity to uphold the Indian Constitution, in whose name it speaks, in full measure The judgment of the Supreme Court, upholding the abrogation of Article 370, is a massive legal victory for the Narendra Modi government’s approach to Jammu and… Read More Pratap Bhanu Mehta on abrogation of Article 370: Has SC established a dangerous precedent for federalism?

Dilip

Sikhs are the proverbial bone stuck in the RSS’s gullet

HARTOSH SINGH BAL The transformation of the relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Sikhs embodies the problems the community faces in a climate where the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s worldview prevails in the country. The story begins with a photo the Bharatiya Janata Party would once display with great pride, of a turbaned Modi disguised as… Read More Sikhs are the proverbial bone stuck in the RSS’s gullet

Dilip

December 10: International Human Rights Day. December 9: Day of Commemoration for the Victims of the Crime of Genocide

On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its opening words are: “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world…” An installation… Read More December 10: International Human Rights Day. December 9: Day of Commemoration for the Victims of the Crime of Genocide

Dilip

Israel wants to slay the monster next door, but with this lethal bombardment, it is feeding it

Good is self-existent, evil is not. It is like a parasite living in and around good. It will die of itself when the support that good gives it is withdrawn: Mahatma Gandhi, Discussion with friends: September 4, 1947 The truth never dies but is made to live as a beggar: Yiddish proverb NB: The writer… Read More Israel wants to slay the monster next door, but with this lethal bombardment, it is feeding it

Dilip

It’s Time to Confront Israel’s Version of “From the River to the Sea”

The right of the Jewish people to the land of Israel is eternal and indisputable… therefore, Judea and Samaria will not be handed to any foreign administration; between the Sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty. —Likud Party Platform, 1977 RASHID KHALIDI The slogan “from the river to the sea” apparently has… Read More It’s Time to Confront Israel’s Version of “From the River to the Sea”

Dilip

The Blood Telegram

First posted November 28, 2011 Archer Kent Blood (March 20, 1923 – September 3, 2004) was an American diplomat in Bangladesh. He served as the last American Consul General to Dhaka, East Pakistan. The Blood telegram (April 6, 1971) was seen as one of the most strongly worded messages ever written by Foreign Service Officers to the State Department. It was signed… Read More The Blood Telegram

Dilip

The Guardian view on Gaza’s devastation: don’t look away. See the bigger picture too

NB: This is a watery editorial on a blatant massacre which warrants far more serious analysis. It recognises the plain facts, but ‘demands our attention’ doesn’t cut it. You’re still sleeping. A child is killed every ten minutes in Gaza; and over 700 have been murdered in the last 24 hours. What attention are you… Read More The Guardian view on Gaza’s devastation: don’t look away. See the bigger picture too

Dilip

Henry Kissinger: the Dr. Caligari of American Empire

‘no legal notice was more gratifying than the one CounterPunch received when Ken Silverstein published these photos of Henry Kissinger picking his nose during a press conference on Brazil. As Ken noted, “Kissinger was OK having his picture taken with murderers like Pinochet but upset when outed as a snot eater‘ (The Cabinet of Dr.… Read More Henry Kissinger: the Dr. Caligari of American Empire

Dilip