Editorial

Lessons of American Debacle in Afghanistan

AMERICA’S ignominious exit from Afghanistan, the collapse of the Afghan National Army, the fleeing of President Ashraf Ghani and the rapid takeover by the Taliban, have all been stunning developments. Twenty years after the United States and its NATO allies invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban regime, the Taliban are back in power in Kabul.  The US spent over $ 2 trillion in these two decades and at the height of the occupation there were 130,000 NATO troops stationed in Afghanistan.

Dubious Stand on OBC Reservation

THE announcement by the Modi government providing for 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and 10 per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections in the all-India quota for undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses from the current academic year is being hailed by the BJP and its supporters as an example of the Modi government’s commitment for the welfare of OBCs.

Pegasus: Cyberweapon for Authoritarianism

The chronology suggests new security collaboration initiated with Israel during NSO Ajit Doval’s visit in March, 2017 preparatory to Modi’s visitTHE Pegasus spyware scandal is not just a case of violation of privacy, or illegal surveillance or snooping by security agencies. It is all that, and much more.  The Pegasus is military grade spyware which takes surveillance and hacking to a new level altogether. The bigger picture must not be obscured.The Pegasus usage is part of the larger authoritarian architecture that has been built up over the past seven years.

Rafale Scandal Resurrects

THE opening of a judicial probe in France on June 14, 2021, into suspected ‘corruption’, ‘influence-peddling’, ‘money laundering’, ‘favouritism and undue tax waivers’ surrounding the €7.87 billion Rafale-India deal has given new life to a major scandal that the Narendra Modi government has done its best to cover up. The decision of the French National Financial Prosecutor's Office (the parquet national financier or PNF) to support the opening of a judicial investigation into the deal was based on a complaint by Sherpa, an anti-corruption French NGO.

The Persecution of Stan Swamy

THE persecution and eventual death of 84 year old Father Stan Swamy while in judicial custody has brought out many aspects of the perversion of the criminal justice system under the Modi regime.The use of the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against political and social activists; the use of the NIA and central agencies to carry out the political agenda of the ruling party; the role of sections of the judiciary, acting as an “executive judiciary”, conniving in the denial of fundamental rights of citizens and an inhumane jail system which violates basic human rights of pri

The Game Plan in J&K

THE Modi-Shah duo are determined to fulfill their quest to change the essential character of J&K based on their Hindutva convictions.The meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of 14 political parties of Jammu and Kashmir was seen as an unusual step. After August 5, 2019 when the Modi government summarily nullified the special status of J&K under Article 370 of the constitution and dismantled the state into two union territories, a relentless effort was made to discredit the main political parties by detaining their leaders and branding them as corrupt and anti-national.

Editorial: Crushing Price Rise

THE blight of the pandemic which has caused mass suffering and deaths during the second wave is now compounded by the manifold miseries inflicted on the people by the Modi government.  The people are experiencing unemployment, falling incomes and hunger.  On top of this comes the rising inflation and price rise of essential commodities – a creation of the policies of the government. In the months of April and May, 2.2 crore (22 million) people lost their jobs.

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