Mutual Threat and Warning Is the Lingua Franca of the Day
We are entering an era where leaders are becoming increasingly provocative in their words and aggressive in their actions, with less and less meaningful content in their statements. Mutual threat is the lingua franca of the day. Moderation is marginalised. Operation Sindoor is largely forgotten, overshadowed by Operation Iran, which drew global attention. Trump's bullying has only hardened the determination of Iran.

While the friends of Iran are asking themselves in what way they should get involved, Putin is already speaking of supersonic missiles and Pakistan of intercontinental nuclear missiles. No doubt, there are several countries which are ready to help Iran with nuclear weapons. Arms sale means a bigger national income!

Meanwhile, the UK rejoices at the additional attention they have given to defence equipment, and most European countries have begun allotting a greater proportion of their national assets to arms production. Israel reportedly has 90 warheads. Japan, which calls for global nuclear disarmament, is clearly spending more on sophisticated weapons than ever before.

In this chaotic world, the UN has merely become a toothless tiger!

Don't Kill Babies for a Hobby
Even if there is a halt in the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, the Gaza game continues. Nothing less than annexation seems to be Israel's aim. All human concerns are considered non-issues. Dozens die with every hit. Over 56,000 civilians have died in Gaza since the beginning of the recent conflict.

A few weeks ago, 103 were slain in Gaza in an air strike, 22 of them children. The main hospital there had to be closed. Britain, France, and Canada protested when they felt that the fresh escalation of action in Gaza was disproportionate. Even an Israeli politician exclaimed, "Don't kill babies for a hobby." Years ago, Franklin Roosevelt had lamented, "I've seen children starving. I've seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war."

It is high time for India to stop boasting of its arms self-sufficiency and apparent Sindoor achievements. "Sin" must be kept "door" (at a distance). History moves forward. Hard hits only harden determination, whether it be of Pakistan under India's blow or of Iran under Israel-America's. Trump has made 'Iran Great Again.'

It has become all too evident, with increasing geopolitical polarisations, that India cannot afford to be seen as a hasty aggressor. Pakistan is not alone; China is with them, with various forms of nuclear offers. In addition, what about Turkey, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and more than 50 other Muslim countries around the world, which our government's Hindutva policies have emotionally alienated? Don't make the mistake that John Kenneth Galbraith warns you against: "the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness," at which Jaishankar and Shashi Tharoor claim to be specially skilled.

Global Disorder
Watch the ongoing trends carefully. As MK Narayanan points out, shifts in global hegemonies, the spate of disruptive technologies, geopolitical tensions and economic tsunamis have initiated a global disorder. Playing with tariffs, which has led to a chaotic and unpredictable economy, is only part of the story. What we notice is a resurgence not only of neo-liberalism, but even of neo-colonialism, with Israel determined to annexe Gaza and Trump pointing to Canada, Panama and Greenland.

The Trump threat throws up Mark Carney, a Trump critic. But as critics grow in number, Republicans stand more sturdily with their dictator, and possibly have in mind a worse successor. Populism points the direction the world order is moving.

If two 'smart' people like Modi and Asim Munir stopped a nuclear war in South Asia, another 'smart' leader like Trump brought the Israel-Iran conflict to a conclusion. He will be smart enough not to refuse a Nobel Prize if it comes his way. At least, he was smart enough to remember that the Iraq War had killed 4000 American soldiers and 100,000 Iraqis, that the same thing could happen again in a full-scale Iran adventure.

Does 'Operation Foul Play' Win World Approval?
Miscalculations of George Bush and his successor's symptoms of madness appear similar. In any case, is the pre-emptive self-defence of Israel against Iran justifiable? How should 'Operation Iran,' which killed scientists and intellectuals, be called anything but 'Operation Foul Play?' Does it meet with world approval? Wasn't every step pre-planned? Which court can call the actors of this great drama to account? Is might right all the way?

According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), there are 12,241 nuclear warheads in existence, 90% of which belong to the US and Russia. China has 600, India has 180, and Pakistan has 170. There was an addition of $100 billion worth of weapons to the Atomic arsenal last year. Who destroys whom first is the question. Rationality has never been the forte of leaders. World War IV, as Albert Einstein humorously predicted, will be fought with axes and stones. Leadership is yielding to humanity's primitive instincts. 'Welcome self-destruction' is the logic of the day.

What Trump Wants: Loyalty, Complicity, Silence
Psychological experts have sought to interpret the mind of Donald Trump in the midst of this newly emerging anarchy. They feel he is least interested in Ukraine or Gaza, Israel or Iran, much less in peace. His interventions in these situations have been merely theatrical. He claimed to have stopped a nuclear war between India and Pakistan. Really? Did he say, drop your petty quarrel so that I can concentrate on my global 'trade war' and Iran-venture?

What he really wants is to create an unmanageable scenario at the international level, allowing him to suppress dissenters at home. Marines are already ranged against protesting mobs. Gavin Newsom, the California governor, says what Trump wants is loyalty and silence. He wants Americans to be complicit in his foibles. Newsom insists that that is what conscientious citizens should refuse to do.

Expectations of Our Leaders: Unthinking Crowds and Blind Faith
Our leaders in India are on the same path. All they want is a pliant population and an unthinking crowd, so that they can take advantage of every opportunity: Balakot for votes, Demonetisation in view of the UP election, Covid for passing anti-labour laws and silencing protests, Operation Sindoor for drawing attention away from rising unemployment, inflation, a falling rupee, and a failing image.

There is no consistency in their solemn utterances. How does the Prime Minister combine his statements "this is not an era of war" with Operation Sindoor, or Yoga for Peace, with his pronouncement ", any act of violence is an act of war?" With CAA imposition? ED arrests? The RSS think tank's threat to occupy PoK? Domestic silence is noticeable, the masses accepting in blind faith the proud pretensions of the leadership.

Human Rights Defenders Die in Detention
Alpa Shah in her "The Incarcerations" (Gurugram: HarperCollins, 2024) says human rights defenders like Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsales, Arun Ferreira, Varvara Rao were linked by the police with Maoists and arrested (Shah 7). Justice Chandrachud criticised the Maharashtra police for briefing the media with partial information, and speaking of a letter about the PM's assassination, manipulating public opinion, creating doubts (Shah 14).

By 2018, Vernon had been acquitted of 15 of the 17 cases charged against him and was allowed to go home, having spent five and a half years in prison (Shah 16). No apologies! Vocal Dalits and tribals are similarly arrested in large numbers, with 15-20 cases against them. Lacking the resources to fight their cases in court, they often give up and remain silent. What are the national crimes listed so far? Joking about the Prime Minister's college degrees, about the breadth of his chest, his Modi title. These are seditious activities of the extreme type and an anti-humanitarian capital offence! Weighty men have stood in court over trifles.

Father Stan Swamy, who worked in Jharkhand for the Adivasis and defended their land, had no connection with Bhima Koregaon nor with the Maoists. He may have questioned the ruling powers. He was arrested, refused bail, and died in detention. No regrets expressed! Ramachandra Guha called it "judicial murder" (Shah 22-23). The official reply was that formal processes were followed. That was a reply that Nazi officials could have given. Guha himself was arrested for protesting against CAA (Shah 38).

Tribals Have No Right to Their Resources
There is evidently a rush for mineral resources in the Adivasi forests of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, MP, Jharkhand, Odisha by companies like Tata, Essar, Vedanta, POSCO, Mittal, Adani (Shah 108). Hundreds of thousands of Adivasis have been displaced. Those who did not migrate were compelled to join the Maoists (Shah 110). Stan Swamy who took up their cause was accused of sedition in 2018, and declared a 'desh drohi' (Shah 208). As we have seen, he died in custody. The other day, Medha Patkar was detained in Odisha as she was going to address tribals about their rights to land, water sources and mineral wealth.

Modi claims to be devoted to the weaker communities, and appoints Dalits and tribals to honorary positions. These are mere token gestures. He acts as an Ambedkar bhakt, with memorials being erected everywhere. These are mere right-wing stratagems to make Dalits and tribals bend. According to an ancient legend, Mahabali (Maveli) was forced to bend to Vamana, who crushed him to the ground. This is just what is happening to the weaker communities these days. They are used, in addition, to penalise their own people.

A New Kind of Heroism: Cow Vigilantes
Cow vigilantism has emerged as a "new kind of heroism," in which the lower caste youths are invited to excel. In 2015, Mohammed Akhlaq, 52, was killed in Dadri, UP. This was just the beginning. Una Lynchings followed in 2016. Two cattle traders and a 12-year-old boy were found hanging in Jharkhand. Milind Ekbote's cow-protection group claims to have saved 60-70,000 cows! (Shah 271)

The lower caste youth seek to win recognition through fierce cow defence. However, they are damaging their own image and future. Cases can be filed in any direction and action taken, depending on the immediate interest of the ruling party.

The game has been going on for a while. There were 70,000 under-trial cases under TADA in 1994, with a conviction rate of 1%. In 1995, it was allowed to lapse. After 9/11, POTA was introduced and widely misused (Shah 449). Modi tightened the rules. ED, CBI, and ITD became active. Disasters followed (Shah 456). Minorities, Dalits, tribals, and opposition leaders were victimised. Furthermore, Hindu mythology was declared a part of history. Vice-Chancellors were asked to control research. ABVP, the youth wing among students, were directed to act as moral police and serve as vigilantes (Shah 461-62). Thus, discipline is imposed by reckless youth, not the administration.

BJP's Undeclared Emergency is Limitless, Endless
Indira's Emergency Rule of 1975-77 has been much criticised, and rightly so. But her Emergency was declared constitutionally, and lasted 21 months. But the BJP-RSS undeclared, unconstitutional Emergency has been going on for 11 years. The regime took control of institutions and media relatively quietly. There were unobserved incarcerations, vigilante policing, terror tactics, and fostered Muslim hate.

Intellectuals world over have recognised the 'democratic backsliding' in India, authoritarian regime, Hindu authoritarianism, nationalist populism, fashioned after German Nazism and Italian Fascism. A mythical greatness is built up. Its goals are: hegemonic national ambitions, single-party rule, and cultivated fear of neighbours (Shah 488). When the state machinery, press and judiciary are controlled, with social media programmes guiding events, everything is under control (Shah 491). The Independence we won in 1947 has vanished!

Self-complacent and Inward Looking
Saikat Majumdar contends that India has become too complacent and inward-looking under the present leadership. Self-projection and reality are worlds apart. National pride certainly is legitimate, but self-display does not pay. India's concept of fighting terror does not align with the widely accepted UN concepts. A surgical strike beyond the border can be entirely one-sided.

Pakistan may have greater persuasive power in the international sphere, being less preoccupied with self-importance. As she gets closer to China and Bangladesh, Operation Sindoor falls on deaf ears. The Vishwaguru pose of Jaishankar is counter-productive. Modi's theatrics yield fewer and fewer results. Like electoral purchases, such things bear fruit for a brief while.

Within India itself, the PM's lack of empathy for Manipur cannot escape notice forever. He has time for Cyprus and Croatia, not Imphal and Churachandpur. No peace will come to that land as long as Amit Shah and Biren Singh are pushing their majoritarian ideology. The trust deficit is deep and will remain so as long as the majority mob decides issues. It became evident when the arrest of Ashem Kanan Singh of Arambai Tenggol by the CBI for alleged criminal activities sparked public protests.

Peace and prosperity arrive when there is collaboration and mutual understanding. For this, we work tirelessly.