University Grants Commission aiding the cult of personality

‘Selfie-points’ in universities: What purpose do they serve? Bharat Bhushan The selfie is no longer dismissed by behavioural analysts as symptomatic of self-obsession or narcissism. Experts believe that selfies are also a way to connect and communicate with others. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for example, was a serious serial selfie-taker with world leaders during his… Read More University Grants Commission aiding the cult of personality

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

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”

Drowning Voices

How legal frameworks are being used to throttle free speech and the media…The dangerous beauty of this framework is that each bill touches upon only certain key aspects that may be crucial for freedom of speech, but, together, they constitute a gargantuan web that is difficult to escape. ANANT NATH On 10 November 2023, the… Read More Drowning Voices

West Votes Against Democracy, Human Rights, Cultural Diversity at UN; Promotes Mercenaries, Sanctions

The West voted against the rest of the world on United Nations General Assembly resolutions, opposing democracy, human rights, and cultural diversity, while supporting mercenaries and unilateral coercive measures (sanctions). By Ben Norton / Geopolitical Economy Report Western governments frequently claim that their foreign and domestic policies are motivated by “human rights” and “democracy”. They often… Read More West Votes Against Democracy, Human Rights, Cultural Diversity at UN; Promotes Mercenaries, Sanctions

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

The Netanyahu doctrine: how Israel’s longest-serving leader reshaped the country

He first became prime minister in 1996, and has been pushing the country further right ever since. Most agree his political days are numbered – but the approach he established will prove very difficult to shift by Joshua Leifer An attack like Hamas’s 7 October massacre was not supposed to have been possible. Certainly not while… Read More The Netanyahu doctrine: how Israel’s longest-serving leader reshaped the country

President Biden needs to Dump his War Hawks and Turn to Peace Work if he wants to Salvage his Presidency

The rate of the killing of Palestinian civilians is similar to the rate of killing during the Cambodian genocide.  Within a week of the Israeli assault, 880 scholars and practitioners of international law, conflict studies, and genocide studies signed a statement warning the public and political leaders of the possibility of genocide…“As scholars and practitioners of international… Read More President Biden needs to Dump his War Hawks and Turn to Peace Work if he wants to Salvage his Presidency

Manifesto of the One Democratic State Campaign for Israel-Palestine

PreambleIn recent years, the idea of a one democratic state in all of historic Palestine as the best solution to the conflict has re-emerged. It started gaining increased support in the public domain. It is not a new idea. The Palestinian liberation movement, before the catastrophe of 1948 (the Nakba) and after it, had adopted… Read More Manifesto of the One Democratic State Campaign for Israel-Palestine