Islamabad (TIP): The death toll from flash floods triggered by record monsoon rains across much of Pakistan reached 1,186 on September 1, as authorities scrambled to provide relief materials to tens of thousands of affected people. Record monsoon rains in the last three decades triggered floods which inundated one third of the country, including most of Balochistan and Sindh provinces.
“So far 1,186 people have died and 4,896 injured while 5,063 kms of roads damaged, 1,172,549 houses partially or completely destroyed and 733,488 livestock killed,” said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the main body dealing with calamities.
On Thursday, the army said that some 50,000 people have been evacuated since rescue efforts began.
Foreign Office spokesperson AsimIftikhar Ahmed said that more than 33 million people have been affected due to “colossal scale of devastation”.
During a media briefing here, he said Pakistan mounted coordinated rescue and relief operations mobilising all possible resources but the sheer scale of the calamity “stretched our resources and capacities to the limit, thus necessitating support from the international community”.
The cash-strapped Pakistan government on Tuesday teamed up with the United Nations to issue a flash appeal for USD 160 million to deal with the disaster in the country that has become the “ground zero” of global warming.
“The Flash Appeal launch was well attended by Member States both in Islamabad and Geneva, Heads of UN agencies in Pakistan, representatives of international organizations, among others. Participants offered condolences and expressions of solidarity, and assured continued support for Pakistan,” the spokesman said.
He also said that Pakistan faced a “climate-induced calamity” because the monsoons were not ordinary, “as the UNSG termed them ‘monsoons on steroid’.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be visiting Pakistan on September 9-10 on an important visit to “express solidarity and international community’s support for Pakistan at this difficult time,” he said.
Talking about the outpouring of relief supplies, he said till last night, Pakistan received flood relief goods through 21 flights notably from Turkey, UAE and China.
He said a large number of countries and international organisations pledged to support and are extending cash or in-kind assistance including Australia, Azerbaijan, Canada, China, EU, France, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkiye, the UAE, United Kingdom, the United States, Uzbekistan, along with various international organisations including World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other UN Agencies. He said Pakistan on Wednesday signed the Green Framework Engagement Agreement with Denmark in Copenhagen, which marks the first step in creating stronger collaboration in areas such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, and a just and sustainable green transition.
Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while addressing lawmakers of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz asked them to visit the flood victims with relief goods. The prime minister said that he had never seen such a calamity before. “Water has wreaked havoc everywhere,” he said.
He also asked Finance Minister Miftah Ismail to devise a plan to give relief to the flood-affected people with electricity bills. Army chief General Qamar JavedBajwa visited the Rohjan area of Punjab and met flood victims whom he assured that the Pakistan Army will help them to overcome their problems in these difficult times, the army said.
He also directed ground troops to “take this responsibility as a noble cause and spare no effort to lessen the burden of flood-affected brothers and sisters”.
Advisor to the Prime Minister on Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira said that Prime Minister Sharif would visit Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday and announce a relief package for the flood victims.
Separately, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) said in a statement that more than three million children were in need of humanitarian assistance in Pakistan and at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to flooding.
“These floods have already taken a devastating toll on children and families, and the situation could become even worse,” the statement quoted Unicef representative in Pakistan Abdullah Fadil as saying.
To add to worries, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast more rain in September, saying that La Nina conditions — responsible for recent spells of flood-triggering deluge in the country — would persist in September but become less intense.
“Tendency for normal to above normal precipitation is likely over the country during September,” the Met Office said, predicting above-normal rainfall in northeastern Punjab and Sindh. (PTI)
It is with sadness that I write this letter as we watch several stalwarts who labored for the Congress party over the years say goodbye. The 2024 national elections are fast approaching. The Congress party has a monumental task ahead if we are to stand any chance against the Modi juggernaut.
Since Mr. Rahul Gandhi has resolved not to run for any party post, I make the following case below. Without casting blame against anyone for the current fiasco, let me state that INC can redeem itself in the nation’s eye while giving a fresh start if we select/elect someone of a great stature who can make an immediate impact. That person is none other than Dr. Shashi Tharoor. Anyone chosen else from the inner circle will have minimum impact and will be perceived only as an underling of the current system of governance. The Congress party can ill-afford to keep losing the perception battle.
Why should Shashi Tharoor be a candidate for the president of the AICC
Sonia Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor discuss a weighty issue.
First and foremost, the road to Delhi for the next non-BJP Government runs through South India. The Hindi belt is irretrievably lost for now and will take decades of work to rebuild. Therefore, selecting a leader like Mr. Shashi Tharoor from the South will only be advantageous in coalescing other reluctant leaders of the regional parties in the South and the East to join the fray.
Mr. Shashi Tharoor is considered by many to be a dynamic leader with scholarship, charisma, a pan-Indian appeal, and the wisdom to lead the party from the current doldrums. Shashi is a true admirer of Jawaharlal Nehru and a great proponent of the Nehruvian vision for India. He is a great advocate of secularism and argues strongly for a pluralistic India as a foundational philosophy for the society-at-large. He is known as a thinker in the Nehruvian mode and has authored several books and written extensively through articles and columns in several countries.
Shashi Tharoor’s speech at Oxford stands out as a masterpiece.
He is a master communicator who speaks several languages, including Hindi and Bengali, other than his native tongue Malayalam. His linguistic skillset in English is quite unrivaled. He is known to speak French as well. His oratorical skills are unmatched by very few, even in the international arena; his speech at Oxford stands out as a masterpiece. His debating skills and way with words are pretty evident across the visual and social media worldwide and will give any opponent a run for the money.
He has proved himself a great parliamentarian willing to do the research necessary to debunk many of the Government’s assertions. His learning skills are spectacular, and his speeches at the Lok Sabha reflect how well he analyzes data and disseminates the information for easy consumption by the public. No wonder he has won three times from a parliament seat in Kerala that the CPM could have easily captured.
We all know that he is someone who has run for the office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in world affairs with friendship with several world leaders who are his peers. He possesses strong leadership skills as he has administered the international peacekeeping operation under Secretary-General Kofi Annan and was the head of the Department of Public Information for the United Nations before leaving the U.N. He is considered a mass leader who would attract a crowd anywhere he appears. The great demand for his participation during campaigns across India clearly indicates his mass appeal. His possible appointment will motivate millions of young people to take a fresh look at the Congress party and may sway others who were estranged during the last decade.
He is a 24×7 workaholic with the willpower to outwork any opponent or adversary toward achieving goals. He appears to be willing to delegate and is not at all defensive about issues as regard public policies. He relates well to people with diverse backgrounds in society and is empathetic to the plight of the poor and disadvantaged. He maintains excellent relationships with all religious groups and heads of religious organizations and firmly believes that a secular India is not hostile to any religion. Although religion is no bar to holding the title, he considers himself a proud Hindu while rejecting the exclusive Hindutva philosophy promoted by ultra-nationalists and Hindu fundamentalists. Finally, he is considered a man of integrity and honor who has served his constituency with ultimate dedication with a proven track record of an impressive body of work with a long-lasting impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. He has the maturity, knowledge, and skillset to lead the Congress party to a new horizon. It will also forever put to rest the dynasty and nepotism issue BJP is counting on exploiting to garner votes.
Yours and Rahul Ji’s support is crucial in this regard, and Mr. Tharoor can never shadow your position and influence in the party, but rather it would be complimentary. Mr. Tharoor, by nature, is a trust-worthy individual who has spoken of the deep respect he has for you, has defended Mr. Gandhi on several occasions, and believes in the dream of your husband, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and his dream of “an India, strong, self-reliant and in the front ranks of the nations of the world.” This dream is systematically being demolished by those in the sitting Government with a reckless disregard for the sacrifices of not just our founding fathers but also Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was one of the last of the foundation layers of modern India.
After speaking with many people both in India and abroad and gathering their personal views, I am writing to share a nation’s hopes, aspirations, and pulse at a precipice. Congress must lead the way forward out of the deep abyss the country is sliding into by near destruction of our most cherished democratic principles.
I personally beseech you, on behalf of a nation under siege, to consider Mr. Shashi Tharoor as a candidate for the position of the Presidency of the AICC and urge, guide, and lead the Congress party to support Mr. Tharoor. Time is of the most critical essence. The Congress party must be audible and visible in the nation’s mind for all the right reasons. The news media are now abuzz with what they describe as a “dysfunctional” party that learns no lessons. Mr. Tharoor becoming President of AICC will start to turn the tide of perception in favor of the Congress party.
Mr. Tharoor is Gandhian in principle, Nehruvian in vision, Patel-esque in will. All these traits will endear him to the masses, the daughters of India, the young, the aspiring, the creative, the captains of industry, and the reasonable thinkers who are aghast at the demolition of our hard-fought democratic, secular republic.
We must do all we can to strengthen the Congress party so that it presents a formidable alternative before the 2024 elections. Congress will not survive another loss. And India will change its face as we know it. Congress must lead the way. Mr. Tharoor’s Presidency of the AICC will be a step in that direction.
India is pining. India is waiting.
If not now, then when? If not Congress, then who?
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
George Abraham, Vice-Chair- Indian Overseas Congress, USA
Right now, India’s global reputation as a viable Democracy and a Secular nation is under scrutiny as it has descended into a major milestone of steep descent into darkness of bigotry and Islamophobia. Modi that is known to invoke values of pluralism abroad, has remained silent as Indian democracy is humiliated with international backlash. It looks like Modi has successfully externalized his domestic agenda of targeting minorities, especially the 205 million Muslims with impunity and hate speeches, and with official sanctions. Prime example is Anurag Thakur who was elevated from a Junior Minister to Independent Minister after he made a remark in Jan 2020 targeting Muslims for protesting against Citizenship (Amendment) Act, “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalon ko (Shoot the traitors of the country)”
By Dave Makkar
For the first time in the 75 years history of Independent India, the government headed by BJP’s Modi is on the biggest diplomatic firefighting mission of apology to 15 Majority-Muslim nations and 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) over the derogatory remarks made on Prophet Mohammed by leaders of the ruling BJP. This time it was not just Indian Muslims speaking out and protesting on the streets all across India but on June 5, 2022 the governments of Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Libya, Turkey, Maldives, Iraq, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Pakistan and Malaysia issued stinging statements condemning the comments. Some countries are demanding written apologies besides calling the Indian Ambassadors to register their protest. In some countries, there were massive street protests, and in Qatar, “Boycott India” campaign was also trending on social media.
Dinner to be hosted by Deputy Emir of Qatar for India’s VP Venkaiah Naidu was cancelled. VP Naidu was on a 3-day state visit to Qatar. Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Al Muraikhi warned in a statement that “insulting remarks would lead to incitement of religious hatred and offend more than 2 billion Muslims around the world.”
In response to this diplomatic row, the Indian embassy in Doha released a statement insisting that the comments were made by “fringe elements” and “do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India”.
The 57-member OIC . condemned the remarks and said it came in a “context of intensifying hatred and abuse toward Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims.” OIC also urged the United Nations to take necessary measures to ensure that the rights of minorities are protected in India. The Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a halt to any sort of violence, especially the one based on perceived religious differences and hatred, amidst protests in India over the controversial remarks against the Prophet by two now-suspended BJP leaders.
This gigantic diplomatic backlash comes on the heels of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken naming India while releasing the State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report (USCIRF) on June 2, 2022. Blinken said: “in India, the world’s largest democracy and home to a great diversity of faiths, we have seen rising attacks on people and places of worship.” Rashad Hussain, the Ambassador-at-Large for IRF called out the Indian government officials, who he said are “ignoring or even supporting rising attacks on people and places of worship.” The report also mentioned several Hindu extremist leaders; like Yati Narasinghanand, Maa Annapurna Bharti, Swami Paramatmananda, and BJP’s UP CM Yogi Adityanath, a close ally of PM Modi.
USCIRF has recommended U.S. Government to designate India as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA); Impose targeted sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ or entities’ assets and/or barring their entry into the United States.
“Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalon ko (Shoot the traitors of the country)”: Anurag Thakur, Sports Minister of India.
Right now, India’s global reputation as a viable Democracy and a Secular nation is under scrutiny as it has descended into a major milestone of steep descent into darkness of bigotry and Islamophobia. Modi that is known to invoke values of pluralism abroad, has remained silent as Indian democracy is humiliated with international backlash. It looks like Modi has successfully externalized his domestic agenda of targeting minorities, especially the 205 million Muslims with impunity and hate speeches, and with official sanctions. Prime example is Anurag Thakur who was elevated from a Junior Minister to Independent Minister after he made a remark in Jan 2020 targeting Muslims for protesting against Citizenship (Amendment) Act, “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalon ko (Shoot the traitors of the country)”
After assuming power in 2014, Modi has been allowing rather encouraging without punishment; Islamophobic remarks by members of his government, his Party BJP, state governments under BJP, Hindu organizations, Media & educational institutions. In all the BJP ruled states Muslims & Christians are openly being denied basic human rights, right to justice as well as right to worship. Muslims, especially male and female student leaders & activists are maliciously prosecuted under the directions from BJP ruled states or Modi’s central government. They are beaten & lynched in broad daylight. Muslim Houses are demolished in (Israeli style) Collective Punishment for valid protests termed as riots or turned into riots by BJP or RSS or other Hindu organizations or as unauthorized structures even if they are there for 30-40 years & some have government documents. Hindu owned houses with similar or worst status in the same vicinity are left untouched. On social media, female Muslim journalists, activist and social workers have been ferociously trolled and issued threats of the worst kind, including rape. Muslim women have been put up for sale in fake auctions. Islamophobic memes and hashtags, taunting and tainting Muslims in India has become the norm.
Also, since 2014, Islamic structures including Mosques are being targeted under the excuse that they were built 5-9 centuries ago after demolishing Hindu Temples. UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Taj Mahal, Jama Masjid, Qutub Minar etc. are being disputed as built on Hindu temples. BJP ruled Karnataka that is referred as “Silicon Valley of India” has gone one step further and started doing surveys of Christian Churches also to establish if they were built after demolishing Hindu temples. Whereas “The 1991 Act says that a mosque, temple, church or any place of public worship in existence on August 15, 1947, will retain the same religious character that it had on that day – irrespective of its history – and cannot be changed by the courts or the government”.
Fringe elements? Home Minister Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of UP Yogi Adityanath.
Modi’s government has maintained a studied silence or at the most has always blamed “fringe elements” for such actions. They do not hesitate even to include their own National Spokesperson currently Chairman of Tourism Department, “Sambit Patra as Fringe Element”. All this appears to have emboldened ordinary Hindus to beat Muslims in public, go online and tarnish Muslims with impunity. They publicly cry about being the victim and think they are entitled to revenge for what happened from 7th to 17th century. This itself constitutes a grave danger to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice and marginalization, which will create a cycle of violence and hate against Indian Muslims including public lynching.
Role of Indian Media in spreading Islamophobia in India:
The Godi Media of India
Prime Time debates in India since 2014 have become a platform to encourage Hindu hate mongers to speak ill about other religions. The anchors encourage hatemongering and allow BJP or RSS or other Hindu organizations spokesperson to speak rubbish that is corrupting the moral and social fiber of the society and can incite violence against believers of other religions.
These media houses are called as Modi’s Godi(lapdog), bikau (saleable), dalal(agent) and bharkau(inflammatory) Media This is how a major section of India’s mainstream media is labelled by most Indians, especially Muslims, Christians and low-caste Hindus, opposition parties, as well as ½ a dozen national media — all because of their brazen support for the ruling party BJP, its ideological parent RSS and the government.
Their journalists and anchors routinely engage in spreading hatred towards the country’s 205 million Muslim population and Islam, thus nourishing Islamophobia. They also demonstrate a clear bias against the country’s low-caste Hindus, the poor, and less privileged and weaker sections of society. They openly favor the rich and powerful that owns or finance their channels. Shamelessly they promote Hindutva & Hindu Rashtra– an ideology that seeks to establish the hegemony of Hindus and the Hindu way of life — spearheaded by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), its ruling political front Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Any criticism of the BJP is narrated as “anti-nationalist” and any individual challenging or demanding answers from the party is labelled “anti-Indian”.
Here is Media ranking in descending order in spreading Islamophobia in India:
Republic TV- co-founded and majority-owner Arnab Goswami is the channel’s editor and news anchor. Known for opinionated reporting in favor of BJP & RSS and their Hindutva-Hindu Rashtra agenda including uncritically reproducing government narratives, avoiding criticism of BJP/RSS figures, and presenting their political opponents in a negative light. He shamelessly shows his bias. He is the King; “No one can beat him in spreading hatred against Muslims and fake news”. On top of that no one can match him in shouting contest.
CNN News 18 owned by Poster Boy of Gangster Capitalism, billionaire Mukesh Ambani. A supporter & 2nd top financier of Modi, RSS, Hindu Rashtra; owns 65 channels: English, Hindi and 14 regional language news, business, entertainment, music, movies, youth, Kids, factual entertainment and shopping channels. Its star news anchor Amish Devgan is a Clone of Republic TV’s Arnab in shouting and arrogance, and routinely indulges in Muslim bashing and spreading fake news.
Aaj Tak – Owned by Arun Purie’s India Today Group, Aaj Tak has three of the worst Islamophobic anchors in the Indian media — Anjana Om Kashyap, Rohit Sardana and Sweta Singh. They are notorious for their vitriolic attacks against Muslims and spreading communal hatred. They routinely indulge in Muslim bashing, while show deferential surrender to anything the BJP does.
India Today (English) Also owned by Purie’s India Today Group with main anchors Rajdeep Sardesai and Rahul Kanwal. Rajdeep is mildly anti-BJP and a bit critical of Modi. Rahul Kanwal in 2020 became a full-time supporter of Modi, BJP & RSS and its ideology after a punishment for being openly critical of Modi.
Wion (World is One News) – operated by Essel Group, owns nearly two dozen Zee channels (some of them merged with Sony TV in Feb. 2022). Its chairman Subhash Chandra was a BJP supported Rajya Sabha MP till June 11, 2022. He has been promoting its Hindutva aka Hindu Rashtra agenda and anti-Muslim tirades. His star prime time news anchor Sudhir Chaudhary was jailed for demanding bribes for not publishing news; is also the editor-in-chief. He is the Hindi version of Republic TV’s Arnab as he openly supports the BJP, RSS and Modi.
Times Now- owned by Pro BJP/RSS Sahu Jain family of Times of India News paper’s Group. Rahul Shivshankar Editor in Chief, Navika Kumar Gp Editor; openly support BJP and RSS by promoting its Hindutva aka Hindu Rashtra and anti-Muslim agenda
India TV – Founder Rajat Sharma and his wife Ritu Dhawan. Rajat was a member of ABVP (Student Wing of RSS) & very close friend of late Arun Jaitley, the most corrupt Modi’s BJP Finance Minister in the history of India. He openly supports BJP and RSS by promoting its Hindutva aka Hindu Rashtra and anti-Muslim agenda.
ABP News – Owned Pro BJP Aveek Sarkar of Anandabazar Patrika Group. It used to be neutral, but it turned pro-BJP a couple of years ago. after the Modi government objected to criticism of the BJP and Baba Ramdev by its star journalists Punya Prasoon Vajpayee and Abhisar Sharma. Both were fired and Rubika Liyaquat joined to replace them to became the commander-in-chief of its news anchors. A Muslim, with angry rhetoric against Muslim leaders and do not allow any criticism of Modi or BJP or RSS or their policies.
Republic Bharat — This sister channel of Republic TV is funded by the BJP and RSS. Its anchor Sucherita Kukreti, a female version of Arnab Goswami in shouting and spitting the venom of hatred against Muslims.
Sudarshan News — Its chairman, Suresh Chavhanke, knowingly disseminates anti-Muslim content and manufactures fake news with communal overtones, which has earned him titles such as “bigot” and “dangerous”. He was a long-term RSS volunteer and associated with ABVP. And prefers that the news programs over his channel be viewed as opinionated campaigns.
News Nation – Deepak Chaurasia, the consulting editor of this channel, which is owned by News Nation Network, is known as a “puppet” of Modi. He always makes fun of all the political parties except the BJP and its allies. He is notorious for his over-the-top coverage of news issues and for being uncritical of the BJP government.
News24 (India) – Owner B.A.G. Films and Media, promoters are Anurradha Prasad, sister of BJP Union Minister R S Prasad, along with her husband, Pro BJP Congress politician Rajeev Shukla.
Ethnic Indian media in USA
Unfortunately, 97% of the Ethnic Indian media in USA are like their counterparts in India. Their anchors are no less than Arnab Goswami or Amish Devgan or Sudhir Chowdhary or Navika Kumar or Anjana Om Kashyap etc. when it comes to spreading Islamophobia and fake news while promoting BJP & RSS’s Hindutva & Hindu Rashtra agenda in USA.
A glance over the few important Islamophobic incidents in last 31/2 years that has led to the unprecedented international outcry against India for the Islamophobic comments made by ruling party BJP’s 2 senior leaders about Prophet Muhammad.
June 2018, Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochar was fired from JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai after he tweeted that followers of Islam had “terrorized” Hindus for 2,000 years.
Sep. 2018 in a public meeting, India’s Home (Interior) Minister Amit Shah compared the illegal Bangladeshi Muslims migrants with “Termites”.
April 2019 Home (Interior) Minister Amit Shah in an election rally again said, “Infiltrators are like termites in the soil of Bengal.” “A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government will pick up infiltrators one by one and throw them into the Bay of Bengal,” referring to illegal Muslim immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh.
April 2019, BJP’s Communal & a Criminal Hindu Priest CM Adityanath Yogi of UP the most populous state of India, spoke about a “green virus” in an election speech in reference to Muslim voters who he said were being wooed by opposition parties. In another election speech he referred Muslims as the “Taliban”
April 2019, BJP MLA Mayankeshwar Singh from UP’s Siddharthnagar in an election speech threatened Muslims with bodily harm for effectively just existing. “If Hindus in Hindustan wake up the beard will be pulled and made into a choti (a tightened braid). If you have to live in Hindustan you have to say ‘Radhe’ (chant Hindu God’s name), else, like those who went to Pakistan during the partition, you can go too… you have no use here,”
Dec 2019, PM Modi made a Islamophobic remark targeting Muslims protesting over Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA); “those indulging in arson “can be identified by their clothes”.
Feb. 2020, Modi’s Junior Minister Anurag Thakur while leading a pro CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC) rally called a slogan, “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalo ko (Shoot the traitors of the country)” targeting the ongoing Muslim women’s 24X7 sit in protest against CAA & NRC at Shaheen Bagh, Delhi. After Thakur’s rally, the city saw deadly communal riots which left 53 dead and 700 injured – majority of them Muslims. Shaheen Bagh protest (Dec 15, 2019 to March 24, 2020) was a peaceful sit-in protest in Delhi lead by women only. Anurag Thakur was rewarded and elevated to a Minister with independent charge in July 2021.
Nov. 9, 2019, Travesty of justice in Babri Masjid vs Ram Janma Bhumi; in a unanimous verdict the Supreme Court of India under CJ Ranjan Gogoi who was retiring on Nov. 17, 2019; awarded the land of disputed Babri Masjid to Hindus. However, the court added that the demolition of the Babri mosque was against the rule of law but do not propose any prosecution for those responsible for the demolition; basically acquitting all the 49 accused high ranking leaders of instigating the mob. Babri Masjid was built in 1528-29 and demolished by the Hindu mob under the top leadership of BJP, RSS, VHP & other militant Hindu organization in 1992. It led to riots in different parts of India that killed nearly 2,000 people. All the Hindu organizations led by BJP had started instigating the Hindus from 1989 to demolish the Mosque by making them believe that the land is the “Birthplace of Lord Ram”. On the other hand, Hindu scriptures say that “Kan Kan mei Vyape hein Ram” meaning “Lord Rama permeates every atom of this universe”. Ever since the Modi-led BJP came to power in 2014, India has seen deepening social and religious divisions. The demand for Ram Janam Bhumi became louder and clearer. Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi was rewarded by Modi regime in March 2020 by making him Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) member after awarding a verdict in favor of Hindus in Dec 2019.
April 2020, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya landed in a row for a tweet he had posted in 2015 with an “objectionable and disrespectful” comment about Arab Women. “95 percent Arab women never had orgasms in last few hundred years: Tarek Fatah.” Prominent businesspeople, lawyers and commentators in Dubai and Kuwait condemned his remarks. He deleted the tweet.
April 2020, When Indians living in Dubai began posting anti-Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi as a supper spreader of Covid, Princess Hend Al Qassimi warned that “anyone that is openly racist and discriminatory in the UAE will be fined and made to leave”. Under Modi’s Home Minister Amit Shah, attendees of Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi were accused of spreading the Covid-19 virus. Criminal cases were registered against several attendees including foreign nationals in the courts across India. in August 2020, the Bombay HC quashed three FIRs against 35 petitioners – 29 of them foreign nationals. The court observed: “A political government tries to find the scapegoat when there is pandemic or calamity and the circumstances show that there is probability that these foreigners were chosen to make them scapegoats. Some of the charge sheeted Muslims neither attended the Delhi congregation nor were they inclined to the Tablighi ideology, as evidenced in the case of eight charge sheeted individuals, whose case was dismissed by the Delhi’s Saket district court on 25 August 2020. The SC CJ Sharad Bobde observed “evasiveness” in that the Government of India’s affidavit filed in response to petitions challenging the discriminatory and communal coverage of the Tablighi Jamaat incident by some sections of the media. He termed it as “unnecessary, nonsensical” averments. On 16 December 2020, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of a Delhi Court, Arun Kumar Garg, acquitted the 36 foreign nationals from 14 countries of all the charges levelled against them.
August 2021, BJP leader and Supreme Court lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay made anti Muslim slogans including calling for Muslims to be murdered, in a rally in favor of the uniform civil code, at Jantar Mantar, Delhi.
Sep. 2021, BJP’s UP CM Adityanath Yogi in a public rally said that prior to his government’s formation in 2017, the ration (subsidized food grains) meant for the poor would get ‘digested’ by those who utter “Abba Jaan” as a communal reference to Muslims. In several parts of India, Muslims use the phrase “Abba Jaan” to refer to their fathers or as an endearment.
Oct. 2021, Uttarakhand BJP president Mandan Kaushik told the media, “Our party line is clear that no [religious] conversion [from Hinduism] will be tolerated.”
November 2021,BJP Leader Ashwini Upadhyay was featured on a panel on the imaginary bogey of ‘thook jihad (spit jihad).’ where he said, these thook (spitting) jihadis are either being taught all this by their parents or at their madrassas (schools).” He even suggested that Muslim men may be mixing other body fluids in the food they prepare for sale to Hindus.
December 2021, Upadhyay was a notable BJP presence at the now-notorious Dharma Sansad which took place at Haridwar. Known Islamophobic Militant Hindu Priest Yati Narsinghanand called Muslims “demons”, threatened to “eliminate” them and said he is striving to create an India “free of Islam”.
Swami Prabodhanand Giri said the country now belongs to Hindus. “This is why, like in Myanmar, the police here, the politicians here, the army and every Hindu must pick up weapons, and we will have to conduct this cleanliness drive,” he said while referring to Muslims. “There is no solution apart from this.”
Maa Annapurna Bharti, alias Pooja Shakun Pandey, “Nothing is possible without weapons. If you want to eliminate their population then kill them. Even if 100 of us are ready to kill 20 lakhs of them (Muslims), then we will be victorious, and go to jail.”
Suresh Chavhanke, owner of Militant Hindu channel “Sudarhan News”, administered an oath to turn India into a Hindu-first country. “We make a resolution until our last breath: We will make India a Hindu nation, and keep it a Hindu-only nation,” he said. “We will fight and die if required, we will kill as well.” He then tweeted a video of the oath to his half a million followers.
The event concluded with an oath-taking which called for the “protection” of the Hindu religion against all those who might pose a threat to it ‘by any means necessary.
Feb. 2022, BJP MLA from UP’s Dumariganj, in a video said, “Since I became an MLA, they (the Muslims) have stopped wearing skull caps. If you vote for me again, they will start wearing tilaks.” Again on February 15, 2022 panel on India TV, he interrupted a Muslim panelist to hurl religious slurs and abuses against him, threatening to feed pig’s milk (derogatory for Muslims) to the panelist, whom he described as a “b*****d dog and an illegitimate child of Hindus”. He was seen in another video threatening Muslims and accused all Hindus who did not vote for him of being Muslims. He said, “Any Hindu who doesn’t vote for me has Miyan (Muslim) blood in his veins. He’s a traitor. He is a b*****d son of Jaichand. He’s a sinner son of his father…I am warning you this time…traitors of Hindu religion will be destroyed.” Further he goes on to threaten Muslims by saying, “Listen Muslims, if any Hindu is insulted and if you look at any Hindu girl, then I’ll get you beaten so much and cut so much…that…”. The latter part of his warning drowns out amidst ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chants.
April 2022, Bihar BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul said that Muslims should be set ablaze just as Hindus burn Ravana effigies during the festival of Dussehra. Earlier in Feb 2022, he had also said that Muslims living in India should be stripped of “Voting Rights” and treated as second-class citizens.
May 2022, 3 BJP MLA’s K.G. Bopaiah, Appachuranjan and Suja Kushalappa from BJP ruled Karnataka state Assembly were present at the “Arms training camp’ organized by the anti-Islam militant Hindu “Bajrang Dal”. A viral video on social media showed youths, appearing to be minors, in possession of airguns, trishuls(Tridents) and other weapons.
May 2022 in BJP ruled MP, a 65-year-old Hindu with cognitive disabilities Bhawarlal Jain, was beaten to death by a BJP worker Dinesh Kushwaha suspecting him to be a Muslim.
NEW DELHI, INDIA – JANUARY 21: BJP candidate from New Delhi Constituency Nupur Sharma arrives at Jamnagar House to file her nominations for the upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections 2015 on January 21, 2015 in New Delhi, India. Polling in Delhi will be held on February 7 and the counting of votes will take place on February 10. (Photo by Saumya Khandelwal/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
May 27, 2022, BJP National Spokesperson & SC Lawyer Nupur Sharma’s made derogatory and insulting comments against Prophet Mohammad during a debate on Times Now with Anchor Navika Kumar on the dispute over the Gyanvapi mosque. Pro BJP Navika Kumar allowed Sharma to make insulting remarks about the prophet and his marriage. The party’s Delhi media head, Naveen Kumar Jindal, subsequently tweeted another offensive comment about Prophet Muhammad, the most revered figure in Islam. This has incensed Indian Muslims and a week later outraged more than a dozen Islamic nations.
Hindus claim that the Gyanvapi Mosque in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi is built on the ruins of a grand 16th Century Hindu shrine – destroyed in 1669 by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb – and some are now seeking a court’s permission to pray within the mosque complex.
May 27, 2022, Former Karnataka Deputy CM and at present BJP MLA Eshwarappa issued a statement to media that 36,000 temples were destroyed to build mosques over them. He stated that all of them would be reclaimed by Hindus legally.
June 5, 2022, repeat offender for Islamophobic comments including calling for genocide & derogatory comments against the Father of the Nation, Mahatama Gandhi; Maa Annapurna Bharti alias Shakun Pandey inked a letter “with her blood” to India’s President Kovind, asking him to take action against Friday Muslim prayers, which she claims are an “anti-Hindu congregation”. She said, “Friday is not a day for prayers. Instead, it is a day for terrorism. The Friday congregations by Muslims are not for worship but for the genocide of non-Muslims, loot, arson and sexual harassment. Hence, the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha demands that on Fridays, the entry of Muslims in small mosques should be restricted only to 10 Muslims while 25 Muslims should be allowed in bigger ones.
If all the above Islamophobic actions were done by the “Fringe Elements” then who is promoting and supporting “Islamophobia” in India? The answer is not difficult to find. It is India’s internationally known Hinduwadi and domestically known as Hindu Heart Throb aka Hindu Hriday Samrat aka Hindu King aka Prime Minister Narendra Modi…!! Under parliamentary system fashioned after the Westminster system the prime minister is the presiding and actual head of the government and head/owner of all the departments and executive power. The head of the state, the president in India, holds a largely ceremonial position, although often with reserve powers. In case of current President Kovind, it is a well-known fact that he only speaks the language of PM Modi.
Poster Boys of Gangster Capitalism of India. L to R: Rattan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, and Gautam Adani
The next question is who is financing Islamophobia and Modi that is representing each and every Hindu organization that wants to make India a “Hindu Rashtra” ? The answer is the gangster capitalist of India that is supporting Modi. The current top 3 Poster Boys of Gangster Capitalism of India are Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani, and Rattan Tata. Their net worth under Modi’s 8 years rule has gone up by 175% to 350% and now they own all the major industries, including defense and service sector of India.
“Modi’s eminence is due to the surrounding flatness of India”.
Unfortunately, here the flatness means; illiterate, communal & criminal Modi’s high reputation is only because of the terribly low morals, ethics, honesty and talents left in India these days. Since 2014, India under Modi has become a sad story. Over 60% Indians are gladly willing to pay Islamophobic Tax, even if it begets them unemployment, poverty, hunger and even starvation! No one can save a nation in death wish mode.
(Compiled by Devendra Makkar from various internet sources & writings of prominent journalists)
EDISON, CA (TIP): : Two Indian American girls, Rhea Jethvani and Monica Pal are among 30 high school seniors in Southern California Edison’s service area named 2022 Edison Scholars by one of America’s largest electric utility holding companies. Edison International will award a total of $1.2 million in scholarships intended to help these students pursue science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) studies, according to a press release.
Jethvani, a student of Oxford Academy, Cypress, California plans to dedicate herself to cybersecurity safety to protect her community and spread awareness of this danger. She led a team in creating IOTAnet, a centralized security management platform, which placed in the top five finalists of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs’ Apps for Digital Peace Competition.
Jethvani is also co-founder of her school’s first Hackathon Learnathon, where she hosted the Basics of Cryptography workshop to highlight the importance of password encryption.
“My pursuit of applying cybersecurity skills to help build a more resistant society is just beginning and I’m excited to protect my community from the evolving danger,” she says. Jethvani plans to major in computer science.
Pal of San Joaquin High School studied computer science all four years in high school and has plans to continue in college. Pal credits her goal of pursuing a degree in computer science to her two mentors: her mother, a former chemistry professor, who has supported and inspired women in science, and her cousin, currently completing his medical residency, who has mentored and advised Monica with programming skills. She too plans to major in computer science. “Congratulations to the 2022 Edison Scholars. They represent a diverse group of exceptional students who plan to pursue studies in STEM fields and create a better world,” said Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International. “My teammates and I are very proud that Edison International provides this support for deserving students. I wish them success in college and look forward to seeing how they plan to use their education. Our industry can certainly use their passion and commitment as we work toward a clean energy future that is equitable and affordable for everyone.” Each Edison Scholar will receive a $40,000 scholarship, paid over four years, to further their academic pursuit of STEM fields at a four-year accredited US college or university. All thirty Edison scholars will be celebrated at a reception held at SCE Headquarters on May 6, 2022. Since 2006, 730 high school seniors have earned more than $13.5 million in scholarships through the Edison Scholars Program.
“The Spirit of Charhdi-kala is all about rising to the occasion, whenever standing up and speaking out becomes quintessential, whether for one’s own rights or to protect another who is being subjugated, oppressed, tormented and annihilated. It also refers to wielding the sword, as the last resort, after all avenues have been explored and exhausted. It is optimism to the extent of intoxication with the Divine thought of “I (the soul) am fearless as my Parent (The Almighty Majesty) and so I must not buckle down”. Now, in such a state-of-mind, the very thought of being outnumbered 1 to 125,000 enemy-ranks, does not occur at all, and so the mind becomes absolutely fearless and invincible, just indomitable. It is not about winning or losing the battle, per se but it is only about being on the right side, ethically.”
A Sikh Day Parade in New York. (File photo)
There are various hues of the Spirit of Optimism ( ‘Charrhdi-kala’) which were inculcated in the Sikhs, right from the time of Guru Nanak Rai Sahib Ji (1469-1539)-the Divine Preceptor of ONENESS of humanity. It continued to be instilled amongst the Sikhs, during the lifetime of his nine successor Gurus.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the 10th Divine-Leader on the Spiritual Throne of Guru Nanak Sahib Ji, says: “When I empower sparrows to fight the hawks, when I transform the weak and the meek into fearless lions, when I make the castigated ones feel exalted, when I enable one Sikh face an army of one hundred and twenty-five thousand; and so I am recognized as Gobind Singh”. He says,“in egotism, one is assailed by fear, he passes his life totally troubled by fear.”
Innumerable hues and connotations of Optimism
There are various colors and shades of the Spirit of ‘Charrhdi-kala’, whether it is sacrificing oneself on the battlefront or maintaining peace on the home front, inside the nation or within the local community; be it attaining success in a diplomatic breakthrough like the re-opening of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor between India & Pakistan after over seven decades of the bloodshed and partition that accompanied India’s independence from the yoke of the British colonial, imperial monarchic occupation of India; or serving food, medications, vaccines, ventilators and oxygen concentrators during Corona pandemic; saving people during natural calamities as floods, earthquakes and hurricanes; or achieving resounding success which the farming-community of Punjab led from the front to unite nationwide workers and farmers to force the Indian establishment to revoke ‘the 3 Black farming Laws’; or successfully enhancing awareness about Sikhs, in the wake of rising hate-crimes in the post-9/ 11 scenario when many Sikhs were murdered and many more suffered near-fatal injuries, as a retaliatory measure whereby the mistaken-identity syndrome was rampant. The Spirit of Charrhdi-kala is all about rising to the occasion, whenever standing up and speaking out becomes quintessential, whether for one’s own rights or to protect another who is being subjugated, oppressed, tormented and annihilated. It also refers to wielding the sword, as the last resort, after all avenues have been explored and exhausted. It is optimism to the extent of intoxication with the Divine thought of “I (the soul) am fearless as my Parent (The Almighty Majesty) and so I must not buckle down”. Now, in such a state-of-mind, the very thought of being outnumbered 1 to 125,000 enemy-ranks, does not occur at all, and so the mind becomes absolutely fearless and invincible, just indomitable. It is not about winning or losing the battle, per se but it is only about being on the right side, ethically.
Sree Guru Nanak Sahib Ji says : “There is One Light of Our Creator pervading in the entire Creation and in all Creatures”.
Guru Nanak Ji was the pioneer, enunciating the cause of Inter-Religious Peace and Harmony. His tenets emphasize upon truthful living, humility, liberty, equality, justice, compassion, honest earning, serving the needy selflessly and protecting the weak and the meek. All this, he said would be tantamount to a Divine Life and real, true, actual worship and attainment of God and fulfillment of the purpose of human-birth. Guru Nanak was on a Divine Mission. He was a Spiritual Maestro, a Renaissance-Man, a Crusader for Interreligious Amity, an extraordinary social-reformist much ahead his era and yet he utters the absolute TRUTH that “he is, what he is, ONLY because of the Gracious Mercy of The Almighty and he is nothing without GOD”. In other words, Divine Guru is teaching humanity to embrace humility, by refraining from self aggrandizement.
The Golden Chain: The foundation of Sikhism was laid by Guru Nanak who infused his own consciousness into a disciple, then became Guru, subsequently passing the light on to the next, and so on. The word “Guru” is derived from the root words “Gu”, which means darkness or ignorance, and “Ru”, which means light or knowledge The Guru is the experience of Truth (God).
For over a thousand years, India was invaded by a small bunch of horse-riders, from Mongolia,Persia,Afghanistan, and other regions. Taimur, Ghazni, Ghori, Nadir Shah, Abdali, Durrani, Babar, Sher Shah Suri are only a few of those invaders, who plundered Hindu Temples, looted gold, took women and children as slaves, killed all and sundry who crossed their path.
And then, in 1469, appeared a man on earth, the likes of whom are seen, once in a millennium. God sent GURU NANAK, The Divine Preceptor of ONENESS of humanity and the epitome of humility to HEAL humanity. He was blessed by The Creator, to win the hearts of all, and to bring about massive transformation, wherever he went. The Divine Preceptor traversed various continents, 27000 miles in 25 years of his 70-year sojourn on this planet, fostering Goodwill amongst races, cultures, religions.
Two of the ten Gurus had to take up arms, to protect the masses from the extreme persecution and tyranny of the ruling elite. The sixth Guru Hargobind Sahibji and the tenth Guru Gobind Singhji, with their disciples were the Saint Warriors. The fifth Guru Arjan Sahibji and the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahibji embraced martyrdom, for refusing to follow the diktat of the barbaric regime. Such events forced the sixth and tenth Gurus to raise a martial force, the army named The Khalsa.
Guru Arjan Sahib and Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib attained martyrdom for the cause of Freedom of Religion and Interfaith acceptance and harmonious coexistence. Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, tenth Spiritual Master, sacrificed his entire family including four sons, all under 18, fighting the tyrannical regimes, bent upon annihilating the Freedom of Religion, Culture and Traditions. During these five centuries, hundreds of thousands of Sikhs have performed the supreme sacrifice of life, for the protection of their motherland.
They have been in the forefront against marauding invaders and the oppressive British regime. The maximum number of those exiled from India or those executed by the British, after fake trials, were Sikhs.
Illustrious Martyrs include Bhagat Singh, who instilled courage in the masses by kissing the gallows, as a reward for serving the cause of India’s freedom. Udham Singh avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre perpetrated by the British, after twenty-one years, and was also hanged.Kartar Singh Sarabha was the leading figure who played a predominant role, in the propagation of Ghadar Movement. He tried to dismantle the military structure established by the British who were fanning communal disharmony in the country.
Amongst the heroic Sikh soldiers Air Marshall Arjan Singh of the Indian Air Force and Lt. General Jagjit Singh Aurora are the shining stars. Hardit Singh Malik was an expert pilot of various jets in the World War theatre. Known as The Flying Sikh of Biggin Hill, Hardit Singh Malik was the first Indian pilot of the First World War and would go on to become a distinguished diplomat and Indian Ambassador to France. Sikh regiments and battalions have served the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces, worldwide, whether in war-torn countries or civil-wars, and in regions ravaged by natural calamities as famines, floods, droughts or earthquakes.
Fighting in the World Wars, as part of the British Indian Army, the highest number of “exceptional gallantry” Awards from the British Empire were bestowed upon the Sikhs. The epic saga of twenty-one Sikhs attaining martyrdom facing ten thousand Tribal Afghans is unparalleled in world history.
The role of the Sikhs in the Liberation of France is well recognized.Today, the Sikhs reside in several countries and have made a mark for themselves, in various spheres of endeavor. The Sikhs, whether in India or while living as law-abiding citizens and contributing significantly to the economic growth of their adopted nations of abode, have maintained strong connections with their land of origin. The foreign exchange remittances to India, from the Sikhs are enormousand contribute to rejuvenating the Indian economy.
Whether the armed forces or politics. science and technology, business or various professions, the arts or sports, Sikhs have excelled un-proportionately, in correlation to their very negligible percentage of the world populace.
Revered Saint Bhagat Puran Singhji, personally, served the residents in a leprosy-home which he established. Being an epitome of humility and selfless service, he refused to be nominated for the Nobel Prize.
There are several Sikh parliamentarians in various countries. Gurbax Singh Malhi, elected to the Canadian Parliament in 1992, created history, when laws had to be amended, to accommodate a turban- wearing member to sit in the Parliament.
In the scenario of the post 9/ 11 tragedy, several Sikhs were murdered and bore the brunt of hate crimes, due to the mistaken-identity syndrome, but succeeded through relentless endeavors, to enhance awareness about the Sikhs. During the current global pandemic, the Divine Guru’s teachings of compassionate sharing, came to the fore, when millions of people were served with edibles, medicines, clothing, shelter and all essential services.
During the unprecedented lockdown, several governments officially requested the Sikhs to prepare food in Gurdwaras, to be served to individuals, as well as to be sent to hospitals and other institutions for the old and the infirm, orphans, and economically weaker sections.
Wherever the Sikhs reside, they assimilate extraordinarily well, in the mainstream life of any nation, culturally, politically, socially, economically, lending a spiritual and ethically sublime touch to all that they are involved in or are called upon to do.Guru Gobind Singh Sahib ji says “Acknowledge Entire Humanity as One Race”
Myriad connotations of Freedom
Freedom cannot be awarded and attained by mere rhetoric of sloganeering or by guarantees in written constitutions of nations.
Besides political freedom, each and every human has the natural right to their aspirations and expressions. Only then would everyone be empowered to enjoy the bliss of a healthy and productive lifestyle, whose components are emotional, mental, psychological health. Freedom to practice the religion, faith, belief, tradition, custom, rituals of their liking is equally paramount.
Freedom of thought and expression is the natural birthright of all. The practices of amnesty and of diplomatic immunity are really very abhorrent, as these undermine the very premise and concept of human rights.
Guru Gobind Singh Sahib ji was the multi-dimensional Prophet, the Beacon-of-Light, who strictly proclaimed an injunction upon his followers thus: “I am an insignificant slave of the Primordial-Being. Those who worship me as GOD shall have to endure hell”.
Guru Gobind Singh ji was born on December22, 1666 at Takht Shri Patna Sahib in Bihar. He was anointed Guruwhen he was merely 9by his predecessor and father, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, when the latter marched towards Delhi to voluntarily court arrest, in support of the Kashmiri Pundits who were being forced by the Mughal emperor, to give up their religion or to face death. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was, then, martyred by being beheaded, after witnessing the torturous martyrdom of his three disciples, Bhai Mati Das Ji, Bhai Sati Das Ji and Bhai Dayal Das Ji. This was a turning point in Indian history, which led to another historic event. On the day of Vaisakhi in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh Ji formalized the martial institution of ‘The Order of The Khalsa’, the valiant force, making it mandatory for all Sikhs to wear a turban and to retain unshorn hair and beard.
Guru Gobind Singh created Khalsa on the day of Vaisakhi at Anandpur Sahib in 1699.
The creation of the Martial Force, ‘The Order of the Khalsa’ on the day of Vaisakhi in 1699 proved to be a harbinger in the history of Hindustan (India). In a dramatic fashion, Guru Gobind Singh Ji tested the fearlessness of his followers by asking for their head as offering to their Guru. After an eerie silence, five Sikhs came forward and they were anointed as the Five Chosen Devoted Disciples (5 Piaare of the Guru),
Such was this Spirit instilled in the Sikhs that all four sons (all under the age of 18) of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, also attained martyrdom, just like adult warriors. Two older ones martyred in the Battle of Chamkaur Sahib were Sahibzaada Ajit Singh Ji (17) and Sahibzaada Jujhar Singh Ji (14). The two younger sons, bricked alive at Sirhind, were Sahibzaada Zorawar Singh Ji (9) and Sahibzaada Fateh Singh Ji (6-year lad).
In our contemporary world, the Khalsa-panth (Pathway) or ‘The Way of Life’ is what The Guru gave to the Sikh community, which constitutes a large part of the global diaspora where several Sikhs are the influencers, being in positions of authority, as Parliamentarians and officials in government, in U.S.A., Canada, U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore amongst other nations. In numbers, Sikhism is the 5th largest religion in the world, with some 28 million adherents.
The Sacred Utterances of the Tenth-Divine-Sovereign includethe poetic Zafar-Nama (The Epistle of Victory) as a voluminous letter to the tyrant Aurangzeb, who felt such immense remorse upon reading it, that he died,soon thereafter. This communication clearly said that the Mughal Emperor did not behave as behoves a Sovereign ruler.
The Guru wrote: “The Lord is One and His Word is True. The Victory is of the Lord. Aurangzeb, you’ve been pretending to be a devout and pious Muslim, whilst in reality, you are a liar who committed a blasphemous act by swearing on the Oath of Holy Quran, which oath was falsified by your treacherous and devious actions like attacking my forces, who were promised safe passage, if we vacated the Fort of Anandpur Sahib. Furthermore, you ought to be castigated for the execution of my two minor sons, who were bricked alive in Sirhind”.
Guru Gobind Singh Sahibji authored the ‘Resplendent-Drama’ or Play (Bachitar or Vichitra Naatak) a poetic-autobiography about the time on the Hemkunt range of mountains, where he was immersed in meditation, merged in Communion with The Divine. Thence, he was Commanded by The Almighty Majesty to assume the human-frame, in the form of the 10th Embodiment on The Spiritual Throne of The Divine Preceptor, Guru Nanak Sahibji, in order to thwart the nefarious designs of tyrannical forces. Bachitar-Natak is part of the ‘Dasam Granth’, the Sacred Texts written by the 10th Guru. One stanza reads thus: “I have come into this mortal-world for this purpose. The Supreme Lord has sent me for the propagation of Righteousness, everywhere, and to seize and destroy the sinful and the wicked. I have taken birth for this purpose, let all holy men understand this. I have come to disseminate Divine Religion. I am committed towards the protection of saints; and for annihilating all the tyrants”.
Shri Daulat Rai Ji, a prominent figure in the Arya-Samaj sect of Hinduism, wrote a book ‘Sahib-E-Kamaal’ Guru Gobind Singh, the Spiritual-Master par excellence. It is dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh’s life, his noble thought and his mission so that the populace at large could have a just view of the Guru’s greatness.”
Mai Bhaago, the brave lady-soldier inspired the 40 deserters to return to the Guru and fight alongside of him against the Mughal forces, at the battle of Muktsar Sahib, he was rejoined by his 40 Sikhs, who had earlier deserted him. They were inspired by a brave lady Mai Bhaago Ji to return to the battlefield. Travelling through Gwalior, The Guru was headed towards The Deccan area, at the invitation of Aurangzeb who wanted to apologize. The Guru was forgiving and went ahead, considering that the Mughal Emperor was almost double his age. En-route, The Guru got news that Aurangzeb had died.
The Living Guru Sree Guru Granth Sahib at a Gurdwara in France
Finally, Guru Gobind Singh Ji decided to terminate human-Guruship and so he passed on the mantle to The Scripture, at Nanded, where Gurdwara Takht Hazoor Sahib attracts devotees and pilgrims, from all over the world. Now, The Scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib was anointed as the Eternal-Guru in 1708, when Guru Gobind Singh Ji realized his mission was accomplished and it was time to shed the mortal-frame. As a mark of humility, he did not include his Sacred Verses in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, as he opined, he was not evolved up to the level of 6 Gurus and 35 Hindu & Sufi Muslim Saints, whose compositions are enshrined therein.
Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchal Nagar Sahib, Nanded, India was the final resting place of Guru Gobind Singh who left for heavenly abode on October 7, 1708.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji was a Visionary, Saint, Scholar, Poet, Philosopher, Warrior, Connoisseur & Patron of artistes and skilled warrior. He sacrificed his parents, spouse and 4 minor sons, at the altar of upholding human dignity and Freedom of Faith/Religion & Right to Expression.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji mastered many languages including Sanskrit, Urdu, Hindi, Braj, Gurmukhi and Persian. He also learned martial arts to become adept in combat. In his 42-year sojourn on this planet, he authored several poetic compositions like ‘Akaal-Ustat’ (Pristine-Praise of the Timeless One). The Great Guru accomplished all of this while remaining mindful of his Divine Assignment of steadfastly being the Defender of Human Rights of the populace. Hence, he did not shirk his duty, when he was pulled into fighting 16 battles against the overpowering might of the Mughal Emperor of India, who was equipped with a massive army and large arsenals. Although he braved several acts of betrayal, treachery, deception, jealousy from various quarters, yet his utmost trust in ONENESS of humanity brought him loyalty from both sides, all of the Divine-conscious and conscientious Muslims and Hindus, when they sacrificed their life, fighting against tyrannical oppressive forces of darkness.
The five virtues recognized in Sikhism are Sat (Truth), Santokh (Contentment), Daya (Compassion), Nimrata (Humility) and Pyaar (Love). For the Sikhs, the final goal of life is to reunite or merge with God (Mukti). The Sikh Gurus taught that to achieve this goal it was important to work hard at developing positive human qualities which lead the soul closer to God. The Gurus taught that all human beings have the qualities they need to reunite with God but they must train their minds to make the most of these qualities. In order to reach the final goal of life, Sikhs believe that they must constantly develop their love for God by developing compassion for all God’s creation. The mind of someone who is gurmukh (literally, ‘Guru facing’), is constantly focused on God at all times; while the mind of Manmukh (literally, ‘mind facing’ or “mind centered”) is full of desire, attractions, doubts, greed, etc and he or she will be full of sorrow and pain.
‘The Spirit of Optimism and Oneness’ transcends race and religion. Amongst the faithful devotees of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, several notable loyal Hindus and Muslims are respected by all Sikhs. All these noble ones have gained immortality and have become a part of Sikh history.
Bhai Nand Lal Ji (c. 1633-1713) was an eminent poet laureate in the Guru’s Darbaar. He fled from Aurangzeb’s persecution.
Hakim Allah Yaar Khan Jogi, an unbiased Muslim poet/writer wrote two poems almost a century ago, one on Chamkaur, under the title Ganj-a-Shaheedan and the other on Sirhind, entitled Shaheedan -a-Wafa, in homage to the 4 minor sons of The Guru.
Pir Bhikan Shah saw the Divine Light emanating from the birthplace of The Guru and started bowing in Islamic Prayer, towards the East instead of towards Mecca in the West. He visited the newly born Guru, tested him by presenting two bowls (representing Muslims & Hindus). The Guru placed his hands on both. The Pir further said that he was immensely impressed and pleased with this act of the Holy child. The Pir, his disciples and servants then returned to his home and remained a steadfast supporter of the Guru for his entire life.
Pir Buddhu Shah was a Muslim-Divine whose real name was Badr ud Din, who was an admirer and ally of Guru Gobind Singh. He brought many hundreds of his followers and his family members to assist the Guru’s force. However, the Mughals executed him, after the battle, for supporting the Guru.
Diwan Todar Mal Ji was a wealthy Hindu merchant of Sirhind,performed the cremation of the three martyrs: the two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh, Gujri aged 9, Fateh Singh aged 6 and their grandmother, Mata Gujari Ji. The two children were bricked alive, for refusing to renounce their faith. Their grandmother at the news of the sudden and despicable execution of the innocent youngsters. This wealthy merchant had to cover the required ground for cremation with an estimated7,800 gold coins.
Baba Moti Ram Mehra Ji served edibles and milk to the two little Sahibzadas and Mata Gujri Ji. He did not conceal his act and boldly told the Nawab that it was his pious duty to serve edibles to the imprisoned innocent children and their grandmother. Hence, Baba Moti Ram Mehra, along with his family, were sentenced to death by being squeezed in a Kohlu (oil press).The Guru blessed the brother-duo,
Ghani Khan and Nabi Khan with a ‘Hukamnama’: a letter of commendation stating that both of them were the “Sons of Guru Gobind Singh”.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji blessed Nawab Sher Khan, Ruler of Malerkotla, for vociferously protesting against the inhuman act of bricking-alive two minor sons of The Guru. Muslim-dominated Malerkotla is the only Muslim majority city in Punjab with 68.5% residents being Muslim and the rest being Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians and Buddhists. Not a single one was harmed here, during the riots erupted during the partition of India.
The Guru was an empathetic humanist to the core, a brave commanding general as well as a soldier, leading from the front. The Divine Guru Gobind Singh Ji gifted his disciples, a practical ‘Way of Life’, after sacrificing his entire family for Human-Rights. His unflinching resolve to stand up and to fight for Equality, Justice, Liberty, Peace and Harmonious Co-Existence which are as relevant, today, as they were over three centuries ago.
“For this purpose was I born, let all virtuous people understand. I was born to advance righteousness, to emancipate the good, and to destroy all evil-doers root and branch.” —Guru Gobind Singh.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji blessed Bhai Kanhaiya Ji, who served water and administered first-aid to wounded soldiers of both warring sides. This supreme selfless service became the precursor to the founding of The International Committee of Red Cross. Bhai Joga Singh stood up, in the midst of ‘Anand-Kaaraj’ (his wedding ceremony) when Guru Gobind Singh Ji tested his loyalty and devotion, by sending his followers. to inform Joga Singh that the Guru required his presence soon.
Before the head of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was severed in Delhi, his disciples who were martyred included the two brothers Bhai Mati Das, who was sawed alive and Bhai Sati Das Ji, who was wrapped in cotton and burnt alive. Another follower, Bhai Dayal Das Ji was boiled alive in a cauldron.
The epoch-making epic battle of Fort Saragarhi witnessed 21 young Sikhs face the onslaught of the ferocious Pathan tribals in 1897. They did not surrender. Some of them were so young that they didn’t have a beard and moustache.
Baba Banda Singh Bahadur (16 October, 1670 – 9 June, 1716) aka Lachhman Dev alias Madho Dass Bairagi, originally from the Jammu region, is revered as one of greatest Sikh warriors as well as one of the most hallowed martyrs of the Khalsa Army.The Khalsa were engaged in a prolonged fight against the cruel Mughals, who were practising their tyranny and terrorism. His confrontation with the Mughal administration in Northern India, though brief, was strong and vigorous enough to shake the foundations of this evil empire.The agrarian uprising that he led in the Punjab was the underpinning on which the Dal Khalsa, the Sikh Misls and Maharaja Ranjit Singh built the edifice which finally culminated with Ranjit Singh capturing Lahore in 1799 and establishing the Sikh Kingdom of the Punjab. This resulted in the end of a dark period in the history of India.
The valiant one Nawab Kapur Singh. When Zakariya Khan, who became the governor of Lahore in 1726, adopted rigorous measures against the Sikhs, Nawab Kapur Singh organized a band of warriors, who, with a view to paralyzing the administration and obtaining food for their companions forced to seek shelter in remote hills and forests, attacked government treasuries and caravans moving from one place to another. Such was the effect of these depredations that the Delhi government, in 1733, at the instance of Zakariya Khan, decided to lift the quarantine forced upon the Sikhs and made an offer of a grant to them. Subeg Singh, a Sikh resident of Jambar, near Lahore, who was a police-inspector of the city under Mughal authority, was entrusted with the task of negotiating peace with the Khalsa.
General Hari Singh Uppal ‘Nalwa’conquered regions as far away in Afghanistan. He was held in immense awe by the ferocious Afghan Pathaan tribals, whom he vanquished but ruled with equality and respect.
The Conquest of Delhi was effected in 1783 by Generals Baba Baghel Singh, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, when they captured Shah Alam, the Emperor of India, and hoisted theKhalsa Insignia called the ‘Nishaan-Sahib’, atop the Red Fort in Delhi. The famed Peacock Throne of Mughal Dynasty was uprooted from theconcrete ground and was tied with iron chains, to be pulled by elephants and taken to Punjab. It is placed as a Souvenir or trophy, in the Ramgarhia Museum.
Sardar Sham Singh Attari (Circa 1785-1846), a Sikh general in the Sikh army of Lahore Darbar, belonged to a Jatt family of Sidhu Clan. was the only son of Sardar Nihal Singh Attari (d. 1817), and grandson of Sardar Gaur Singh Attari (d. 1763), The first in line to Convert to Sikhism in the early days of Sikh political ascendancy and joined the Jatha or band of Sardar Gurbakhsh Singh of Roranvala. He soon established his, protection over an area around Attari, a village he had founded some 16 miles west from the holy city of Amritsar. His son, Nihal Singh Attari, was known for his martial prowess and for his personal loyalty to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Nihal Singh’s son, Sham Singh Attari, entered the service of the Maharaja in 1817 and, in 1818, took part in the military campaigns of Peshawar, Attock and Multan. He also fought in Kashmir in 1819. He led Sikh forces against Sayyid Ahmad of Bareilly who had during the years 1826-31 carried on in the trans-Indus region a relentless crusade against the Sikhs. Sayyid Ahmad was overcome and killed on 6 May 1831, along with his chief lieutenant, Muhammad Ismail.
Emperor (Maharaja) Ranjit Singh, the 19th century ruler of the Sikh Empire in India,was voted as the best administrator in world history. He overcame competition from around the world, to be named the “Greatest Leader of All Time” in a poll conducted by ‘BBC World Histories Magazine’. He was instrumental for the Unification of Sikh Martial Groups (Misals) into a strong Confederation. The title of Divine Kingship can well be used while discussing Sikh Emperor Ranjit Singh, who stands out amongst the Greatest rulers, who treated their subjects with fair play, equality, justice, respect and benevolence. Wisdom, bravery, strategy and tolerance for all religions were his hallmarks. He donated tones of gold to Hindu, Muslim and Christian shrines just as to Sikh Gurdwaras. His ministers, advisors, generals and functionaries hailed from all religions, and some were of other races from other nations. In the first half of the 18th century, state terrorism against the Sikhs was on the steady increase and was intensified by Mir Mannu. In 1748, the Mughals appointed Mir Mannu as Governor (Subedar) of Lahore and also as a Nawab of Multan (1748-1753).
Sikhs were offered a choice : “conversion or death.
In order to pacify Hindus, Mir Mannu appointed a Khatri Hindu of Lahore named Kaura Mall as his diwan or minister. He then ordered 30,000+ army of mughals at Lahore to finish the Sikhs. The mughal army swept the countryside and killed many of the Sikhs they found. By now, the faith of the common people in Sikhi and the strength of the Khalsa had increased tremendously. Despite Mannu’s extreme torture and reign of terror, nothing could deter the Sikhs. A Panjabi folk song of that period goes like this in English:
The motto/slogan of the Sikhs was: “We are the plants and Mannu is a sickle; The more he cuts us, the more we grow.
This is the time when the army of Mir Mannu was going from house to house searching for Sikhs. Many of the Sikhs took shelter in jungles but some Sikhs who were living with their families in the cities and could not just leave right away or join any jathas. They were captured by the army and all were being sent to Lahore. Most of the prisoners were Sikh women and children.Many of the old women were killed on the way because they were weak and could not walk for a long time. All of the Singhni’s and their children were put in Lahore jail.At that time Sikh population was very negligible. A decade earlier, a governor had decided to kill all Sikhs. At that point people thought that all Sikhs were finished, but Bhai Gharjha Singh and Bhai Bota Singh came out of hiding and fought with Mughals, just to show them that Sikhs were far from finished.
Everyday Muslims would come and taunt them by saying “where is your Khalsa now? They can’t even come to rescue you. All of them have been killed by the army. So it is better for you to accept Islam and live a rich happy life.” Singhnis never ever thought of leaving Sikhi. The sacrifice of the Khalsa women that was so great that it became a part of the daily prayer. They kept reciting “Waheguru, Hail the Guru”.
Sikh Women in Mir Mannu’s Death Camps
Mir Mannu started deploying terror tactics. First of all, he ordered that all Sikh women be imprisoned. Every woman was given forty pounds of grain to grind daily. A very heavy stone was placed on the chest of those who could not grind. They were given just a bowl of water and a quarter of a piece of bread to eat in a single day. The tyrants then started killing the innocent children by throwing them up in the air and landing them on sharp spears. One soldier would throw a child up in the air and another soldier would spear the child before the child hit the ground. The dead bodies of these children were cut into pieces and the ladies were garlanded with those pieces. Pieces of flesh of the children were thrust into the mouths of their mothers.But the faith of Sikh women was unshakable.
Such is the invincible spirit of optimism of the Sikhs.
(The author is a thinker and a scholar on Sikhism. He can be reached at asa1ny@yahoo.com)
UNITED NATIONS (TIP): India has expressed dismay at the failure of the UN Secretary General’s report on ISIS to take note of the close links between proscribed terrorist groups, such as Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, despite New Delhi repeatedly flagging these concerns. India has been consistently highlighting the threat of terrorism in its neighborhood. It has said these security fears have been further exacerbated by the changed political situation in Afghanistan. The ‘14th report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIS to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of member states in countering the threat’ notes that the security landscape in Afghanistan changed dramatically on August 15, following a Taliban military campaign that took control in the country, including Kabul. The report says the dreaded Islamic State terrorist group aims to position itself as the “chief rejectionist force” in Afghanistan, expands into neighboring Central and South Asian countries and is viewed by the Taliban as its primary armed threat. Speaking at the Security Council briefing on ‘Threat to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts’ that took up the UNSG report, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti said on Wednesday, February 9, that India had been reiterating the close links between proscribed terrorist entities such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and other terror groups, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad. “It is essential that we don’t lose sight of the ease with which the proscribed Haqqani Network, with support from their patron state, have worked along with prominent terrorist organizations like Al-Qaida and ISIS-K in South Asia,” he said, in a reference to Pakistan.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): America’s relationship with India stands on its own merit and has not been impacted by the ongoing tension with Russia, the Biden administration said. “We have a relationship with India that stands on its own merits,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday, February 3. He was responding to a question if the US ties with India have been impacted due to the tension with Russia over Ukraine crisis. For the second time this week, the State Department spokesperson refrained from responding to questions related to India’s position on Ukraine in the United Nations Security Council. “I will leave it to our Indian partners to discuss their stance in the UN Security on this particular issue,” Price said. “We have been in touch with literally dozens of countries around the world, including our Indian partners, on our concerns regarding Russia’s military buildup and its unprovoked potential aggression against Ukraine,” he maintained. These are conversations that the United States is having at different levels, he said. “As I was saying in a different context earlier, Russian aggression against Ukraine and a Russian invasion of Ukraine would have implications for the security environment well beyond that neighborhood. Whether it is the PRC or India or countries around the world, the implications would be far-reaching. And I think there is a broad understanding of that,” the official added.
Mr. Ven Parameswaran, a former Indian diplomat with the United Nations and a regular contributor to The Indian Panorama lost his younger sister Bhagyalakshmi on January 16, 2022. She was 90. The staff at The Indian Panorama are grieved at the loss of Mr. Parameswaran. They pray for eternal peace to the dear departed soul. Mr. Parameswaran in the tribute to his sister said:” Bhagyalakshmi was born immediately after me and we grew up and played together. I have many everlasting memories of Bhagyalakshmi.
”Bhagyalakshmi was very loving and affectionate always to relatives and friends. She was a creative cook and enjoyed entertaining them. She took immense pleasure in preparing varieties of food liked by her guests, relatives and friends. Even when she was physically unable to cook, she would sacrifice her health and entertain her guests any time of the day or night. Whenever Bhagyalakshmi visited us, she would bring all our favorite food.
“ Immediately after marriage, Bhagyalakshmi lived with her husband and family in Payyannur, Kerala for a year or so. When I visited her, I found she was not happy in that environment. At my suggestion, she moved to Calcutta with her husband, Krishnan. She lived in Calcutta till 1978, when she immigrated to the USA. She has two children, Balu ( mentally handicapped) and Raju. Raju had a successful career at the U.N. and retired as Dy.Director. Unfortunately, stroke hit Raju six years ago and living in his house with his wife Jayanthi. Although my sister’s name represents good luck and prosperity, her life has been full of misfortune.
“My brother-in-law expired in 1998. Who would have expected Raju would not become normal 6 years after the stroke hit him? Poor Bhagyalakshmi was attacked by liver cancer and her suffering especially during the last six months was pathetic. My dear sister, Bhagyalakshmi suffered physically and psychologically for too long. Under these circumstances, I am glad God decided to take my sister Bhagyalakshmi away so that she does not have to suffer more pain.
“Bhagyalaskhmi lived in the US for 43 years. Compared to her life in Payyannur and Calcutta, living in the USA was a heaven. We used to visit Bhagyalakshmi very frequently and enjoyed her affection and love. We were also in daily contact by phone irrespective of my location. I had the closest relationship with my dear sister, Bhagyalakshmi, who always gave me courage when I was in distress.
“Life is real, life is earnest; and the grave is not its goal. I pray for Bhagyalakshmi’s soul. As long as I live, for me she is not dead because her values and spirits stay alive always. “
In Mourning
Ven Parameswaran (Brother)
Priscilla Sister-in-law)
Prem (nephew) Bhumika (niece -in-law) Trinity, Kayla and Hudson (Grandchildren to Ven and Priscila) join me in saluting my sister Bhagyalakshmi
Mogadishu (TIP): An Islamist suicide bombing outside a school in Somalia’s capital killed eight persons and wounded 17, including 13 children, the latest in a string of deadly blasts this year in a country beset by political turmoil and drought. The bombing at around 7.30 am was claimed by al Shabaab militants, who said they were targeting a United Nations security convoy passing near the school.
A UN spokesperson in Mogadishu declined to comment. A staff member speaking on condition of anonymity said no international personnel from the UN were hurt but they had no information on whether Somali employees were hurt. — Reuters
UK MP told not to bring her 3-month-old baby to parliament chambers; shares email
Londn (TIP): British MP Stella Creasy has called for reforms to the parliament’s rule book after receiving an official email banning her three-month-old baby in the chambers.
Creasy shared the email she received. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said a baby in the chambers “certainly wouldn’t distract me or get in the way of me doing my job”.
The Speaker of the House of Commons on Wednesday announced a review of the rules around babies being allowed into the Parliament chamber after she complained she was banned from carrying her three-month-old into the House.
Opposition Labour Party’s Stella Creasy was informed it was against the rules to bring a child to a debate at Westminster Hall within the Parliament complex after doing so on November 23.
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle asked the Commons Procedure Committee to look into the matter as he noted that it was “extremely important” for parents to be able to participate fully in the work of Parliament, which also has a nursery on the premises. Creasy, who took to Twitter after receiving an email informing her about the rule, has received the backing of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the matter.
“We completely understand the difficulties faced by MPs who are new mothers, new fathers or adopted parents and parliament has made some positive changes to becoming more family friendly in recent years, including on proxy voting,” a Downing Street spokesperson for Johnson said. “We want to make sure that all work places are modern, flexible and fit for parents. This is obviously a matter for the House. (TNS)
NEW YORK (TIP): The Indian Overseas Congress, USA, an advocacy organization that promotes democracy, human rights, and equal justice together with its supporters and friends, held a protest rally in front of the United Nations on Saturday, September 25, 2021, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was delivering his address to the General Assembly.
“Although we have no issues with a Prime Minister of India visiting the U.S. or the U.N. and promoting better bi-lateral relations or promoting world peace, it is imperative to let him know at the same time that we do not approve of his misgovernance in dealing with COVID epidemic or undermining the democratic institutions,” said George Abraham, Vice-Chairman of the IOCUSA. “If there is to be genuine economic progress and social development in India, political tranquility and social harmony is a pre-requisite without which there would be very little hope for the future. Let us, at the minimum, raise our voices, no matter how feeble it may be, because one day our next generation might ask where you have been when India took a turn towards authoritarianism and fascism,” Abraham added.
“I am glad to state that IOCUSA stands firmly behind India’s farmers who have been denied their rightful voice and concerns to be heard by the Modi government which has pushed a set of bills through the parliament for the benefit of the crony capitalists and to the detriment of our farmers” Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of the IOCUSA said. “We want Modi to know that the NRI voice will continue to be raised in support of their protest unless and until he resolves these issues,” Mr. Gilzian added.
Indian Overseas Congress, USA held a protest rally against Modi policies in front of the United Nations on Saturday, September 25, 2021
The protesters carried slogans and chanted examples to point out the failures of the Modi government, e.g., “Anti-Narendra Modi isn’t anti-national,” “We are all Indians. Stop discrimination based on religion, caste and language”, “Protect India’s constitution”, “IOCUSA supports democracy, freedom, and human rights”,” IOCUSA supports India’s farmers”, “IOCUSA -proud supporter of pluralistic India” and so forth.
Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of the IOCUSA, Mr. Harbachen Singh, Secretary-General, Mr. George Abraham, Vice-Chairman, Mr. John Thomas, Ms. Sophia Sharma, General Secretary, Vice-President, Ms. Leela Maret, President, Kerala Chapter, Mr. Amar Singh Gulshan and President, Haryana Chapter were among those who took part in the protest.
Jaishankar addresses G20 meeting on Afghanistan issue
September 23, 2021
TIP Special Correspondent
NEW YORK (TIP): The G4 has called for concrete outcomes in a fixed timeframe on the measures to reform the UN Security Council. “With G4 Foreign Ministers Heiko Mass, Moteging and Carlos França, sent a clear message on the need for reformed multilateralism,’’ said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar after meeting his German, Japanese and Brazilian counterparts in New York.
All four members of G4 are aspirants for permanent seats on the UN Security Council. In making their claims, India cites its large population and economic strength and Brazil absence of a Latin American nation among the five permanent members (P-5) while Japan and Germany feel the UNSC has rewarded only the victors of World War II.
Jaishankar also addressed the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting on Afghanistan where he said assistance providers must be accorded unimpeded, unrestricted and direct access. Taliban’s commitment not to allow use of Afghan soil for terrorism should be implemented and the government must have representation from all sections of Afghan society.
UNITED NATIONS (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the 76th session of the UNGA on September 25, 2021, said that countries with “regressive thinking” that are using terrorism as a “political tool” must understand that it is an equally big threat for them also.
Mr. Modi said that he represents a country which is proud to be known as the mother of democracy and cited his own rise from a tea seller at a railway station to the Prime Minister of India to underscore the strength of India’s democracy.
“I represent a country that is proud to be known as the mother of democracy. On 15th of August this year, India entered into the 75th year of its independence,” he said.
“We have had a great tradition of democracy that goes back to thousands of years”.
“Our diversity is the identity of our strong democracy,” he said.
“It is a country that has dozens of languages, hundreds of dialects, different lifestyles and cuisines. This is the best example of a vibrant democracy,” the Prime Minister said.
“The strength of our democracy is demonstrated by the fact that a little boy who at one time used to help his father at his tea stall at a railway station is today addressing the United Nations General Assembly for the fourth time as prime minister of India,” he said.
“I will soon have spent 20 years serving my countrymen as head of government. First, as the longest serving Chief Minister of Gujarat and then as the Prime Minister for the last seven years,” Mr. Modi said, adding that democracy has delivered.
Mr. Modi said that countries with “regressive thinking” that are using terrorism as a “political tool” must understand that it is an equally big threat for them also, in a veiled attack on Pakistan which is often accused by its neighbors of providing safe havens to terrorists.
Prime Minister also said that in order to strengthen the rules-based world order, the international community must speak in unison, in an apparent reference to China which is flexing its military muscles in the Indo-Pacific.
Noting that the world is facing an increased threat of regressive thinking and extremism, Mr. Modi said countries that are using terrorism as a political tool have to understand that terrorism is an equally big threat to them.
“It is absolutely essential to ensure that Afghanistan’s territory is not used to spread terrorism and for terrorist activities,” he said. “We also need to ensure that no country tries to take advantage of the delicate situation in Afghanistan and use it for its own selfish interests.” Pakistan’s neighbors, including Afghanistan and India, and the U.S. have long accused Islamabad of providing safe haven and support to militants, a charge denied by it.
Mr. Modi said that oceans are also a shared heritage.
“Our oceans are also the lifeline of international trade. We must protect them from the race for expansion. The international community must speak in one voice to strengthen a rule-based world order,” he added.
Mr. Modi underscored the need for the United Nations to reform itself to be able to be more relevant and deliver more effectively. He couched a message for the UN in his quote from the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore which recommended moving forward fearlessly on the path of righteousness and all weaknesses and doubts will disappear.
The country will need to take a stand on climate change action or risk being cast globally as an outlier
By Patrick Suckling
“The transition of the global economy to net zero emissions is the biggest commercial opportunity in history. In just the energy sector alone, an estimated $1.6 to $3.8 trillion of investment is required every year until 2050. China gets this, which is why it is investing heavily in gaining an advantage in the technologies of the new economy, be it renewable energy and storage, electric and hydrogen transport, low emissions industry, green cities or sustainable agriculture. India needs to be riding this wave.”
Yet, in the end, India’s tryst with destiny rests in its own remarkable hands, as it always has been. In a land where the earth is called mother, and Mahatma Gandhi, major religions and the Constitution enshrine environmental care, commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 should almost be foretold. The world hopes we will see it soon.
India is at the risk of being cast globally as an outlier on climate action, with a negative fallout. With over 50% of the global economy already committed to net zero emissions by 2050 — and China committing to be so before 2060 — this is not where you want to be.
The pace and scale of climate action is only set to increase, with the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report unequivocal on the need for urgent and stronger responses. Events around the world underline the point — towns washed away in Germany, subways turned into storm water drains in China, forests fried in the United States and so many more lives lost to flooding in India.
Massive opportunities
It is not only governments that are increasing climate action. The business world is too, not just to protect themselves against the risks of climate change but also to take advantage of the massive opportunities arising as the global economy shifts to net zero emissions. Last year, investors injected over $500 billion into climate transition. In my country, Australia, the number of major companies that have put in place a target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 has more than trebled in the past year.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November in Glasgow is shaping up to be the most important climate meeting since the Paris Agreement in 2015. It is squarely focused on supercharging global ambition and action on climate change, as all countries, including India, agreed to do in the historic Paris Agreement.
Over 100 countries have already committed to net zero emissions by 2050, with more expected at COP26. Two key holdouts are India and Australia. In the case of my country, under mounting pressure at home and internationally, the government is moving toward such an announcement and I am confident they will do so by or at COP26.
I am not so confident about India. From what I hear through networks from my time as the Australian High Commissioner to India and as Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment, India is resolutely not committing to net zero by 2050, including on the basis that as a developing country, it needs to see significant support from developed countries for climate action as part of making any such commitment.
Perhaps this is negotiating tactics. Either way, I fear India may shoot itself in the foot by resisting net zero by 2050.
First, India itself has a national interest in ambitious global and national climate action. Like Australia, it is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change and, therefore, should be among the more active against the threats. India faces harmful impacts related to sea level rise, heat stress, drought, water stress and flooding, biodiversity and natural disasters. Climate change is not coming — it is here.
Second, as a rising power, India naturally seeks stronger influence globally. Being an outlier on the global challenge facing our generation does not support this aim. India is already the third largest emitter in the world and is set to be the largest as the United States, China, and the European Union are all now signed up to net zero.
This will become a significant drag on India’s international diplomacy. This applies not just to key relationships like with the U.S., where President Joe Biden’s administration is mainstreaming climate action into its economic, foreign and security policy, but also with much of the Group of 77 (G77) states, who are increasingly concerned to see climate action, and in multilateral groupings such as the United Nations and ASEAN-APEC.
Finally, as the famous phrase goes, “it’s the economy, stupid”. There is no longer a trade-off between reducing emissions and economic growth. For example, the U.K. has reduced emissions over 40% and grown its economy over 70% since 1990. Solar energy costs have fallen 90% in recent years, providing the cheapest electricity in India ever seen. Also, given the negative impacts, addressing climate change in India’s economic development is now central to success, not an added luxury to consider. For example, agricultural policy that does not consider adaptive approaches to maximize productivity in the face of increased flooding and drought due to climate change is derelict.
The report also said that if climate change is addressed and acted upon boldly and rapidly in the next decade, average global temperature rises can be limited to around 1.5° Celsius by 2050. File photo
The transition of the global economy to net zero emissions is the biggest commercial opportunity in history. In just the energy sector alone, an estimated $1.6 to $3.8 trillion of investment is required every year until 2050. China gets this, which is why it is investing heavily in gaining an advantage in the technologies of the new economy, be it renewable energy and storage, electric and hydrogen transport, low emissions industry, green cities or sustainable agriculture. India needs to be riding this wave.
It is not as if India is at a standing start. It is set to significantly exceed its Paris Agreement commitment of reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35% below 2005 levels by 2030, providing ready room for higher ambition. India is impressing the world with its leading roll-out of renewable energy and target for 450GW by 2030, linked to its leadership on the International Solar Alliance and recent national hydrogen strategy. Indian corporates are also stepping up, with the Tata Group winning awards on sustainability, Mahindra committing to net zero by 2040 and Reliance by 2035. There is plenty on which to build.
A low-carbon future through sector-led change
And India should not be expected to build alone. India’s national interests on climate action are now engaged in ways that go significantly beyond waiting for donor support to drive ambition, notwithstanding reasonable arguments about historical responsibility, per capita emissions and equity. With growing wealth and stature, India is increasingly disinclined toward handouts. But that does not mean well-targeted donor investments and international partnerships should not be a factor in raising India’s climate ambition. In fact, they should be, as it is more and more obvious that the world needs to work together for success.
This could come in many guises, from stronger political engagement and dialogue to policy support in areas of mutual challenge such as energy policy, carbon markets and post-COVID green economic recovery. Practical support and cooperation in areas like rolling out renewable energy and integrating it with the national grid, zero emissions transport, decarbonizing hard to abate sectors like steel, cement and chemicals and decarbonizing agriculture offer significant scope to raise ambition. As does working with India on innovative green financing for decarbonizing investments, including using donor support to mobilize private sector finance, green bonds and climate transition funds. Whichever it is, they need to be lasting partnerships that deliver results.
Yet, in the end, India’s tryst with destiny rests in its own remarkable hands, as it always has been. In a land where the earth is called mother, and Mahatma Gandhi, major religions and the Constitution enshrine environmental care, commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 should almost be foretold. The world hopes we will see it soon.
(Patrick Suckling was Australia’s High Commissioner to India and Ambassador for the Environment. He is a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) and senior partner in Pollination, a specialist climate advisory and investment firm. This oped draws from his recent paper for ASPI on Catalysing India’s Climate Ambition)
Trump had cut off US funding to the WHO, saying it was “virtually controlled by China.”
WASHINGTON / UNITED NATIONS(TIP): The US rejoined the World Health Organisation (WHO) in one of the first official orders of the Joe Biden presidency, reversing a key foreign policy decision his predecessor Donald Trump took last year after accusing the UN health agency of incompetence and bowing to Chinese pressure over the coronavirus pandemic. In April last year, as the coronavirus pandemic was spreading across the globe, Trump cut off US funding to the WHO, saying it was “virtually controlled by China.” He then went further, triggering the process to pull the US completely out of the organisation.The withdrawal was due to go into effect in July this year, but Biden’s order will cancel it. Biden in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, the first day of his presidency, said, “The United States intends to remain a member of the World Health Organisation.” “The WHO plays a crucial role in the world’s fight against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic as well as countless other threats to global health and health security. The United States will continue to be a full participant and a global leader in confronting such threats and advancing global health and health security,” Biden wrote.
The UN Secretary-General welcomed the US’ re-engagement with the WHO, saying supporting the health agency is “absolutely critical” to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. He said Washington joining the global vaccine initiative will boost efforts to ensure equitable access to vaccines for all countries.
Guterres said now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop the virus and its shattering consequences.
The US has been the largest funder to the WHO, contributing more than USD 450 million per annum. The US has been a party to the WHO Constitution since June 21, 1948.
As the world reached a “heart-wrenching milestone” of two million COVID-19-related deaths less than a week ago, Guterres lamented that the deadly impact of the pandemic has worsened due to the absence of a global coordinated effort and said that “vocationalism” by governments is “self-defeating” that will delay a global recovery. Guterres has said the UN is supporting countries to mobilize the largest global immunization effort in history and the world organization is committed to making sure that vaccines are seen as global public goods – people’s vaccines.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden signed the executive order, reversing Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO. “This will strengthen our own efforts to get the pandemic under control by improving global health, and tomorrow we are not wasting any time,” she said.
The WHO’s Executive Board has been meeting virtually this week, and the Biden administration announced that a US delegation, headed by Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, will participate. Fauci will deliver a speech on January 21 to the WHO as head of a US delegation to lay out how the administration intends to work with the WHO on reforms, supporting the coronavirus response and promoting global health and health security
“Once the United States resumes its engagement with the WHO, the Biden-Harris administration will work with the WHO and our partners to strengthen and reform the organisation, support the COVID-19 health and humanitarian response, and advance global health and health security,” the White House said in a fact sheet.
Business Roundtable welcomed the decision of Biden to not to withdraw from the WHO. “We need international cooperation to get the COVID-19 pandemic under control here in America and around the world.
Business Roundtable applauds President Biden’s decision to re-engage with the WHO to improve the international response to the pandemic and welcomes his commitment to WHO reform to prevent and better respond to future public health crises,” it said,
Dhaka (TIP): A fire raced through a sprawling Rohingya refugee camp in southern Bangladesh on Thursday, destroying hundreds of homes, officials said. No casualties were reported.
The UNHCR said more than 550 homes sheltering about 3,500 people as well as 150 shops were either totally or partially destroyed in the fire.
The fire broke out early Thursday in Nayapara Camp in Cox’s Bazar district, where more than 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are staying. Nayapara is an old camp that was started decades ago.
Mohammed Shamsud Douza, a senior refugee official, said firefighters took two hours to bring the blaze under control.
No serious injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire was not immediately known.
A video showed many refugees searching through charred corrugated iron sheets for valuables.
“This is another devastating blow for the Rohingya people who have endured unspeakable hardship for years,” Save the Children’s country director in Bangladesh, Onno van Manen, said in a statement.
“Today’s devastating fire will have robbed many families of what little shelter and dignity was left to them.” About 700,000 Rohingya fled to the camps in Cox’s Bazar after August 2017, when the military in Buddhist-majority Myanmar began a harsh crackdown on the Muslim group following an attack by insurgents.
The crackdown included rapes, killings and the torching of thousands of homes, and was termed ethnic cleansing by global rights groups and the UN. — AP
NEW YORK (TIP): After months of speculation, United Nations chief António Guterres officially announced his bid for reelection this week through his spokesperson’s office.
The race might be a relatively straightforward and possibly short one; so far, no other candidates have stepped forward. And Guterres’ good standing with all five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council might discourage potential competitors, according to U.N. expert Richard Gowan. The Security Council holds the final vote to select the U.N. leader, and candidates require their government’s endorsement.
“It is fundamentally different from the last race in 2016, and I think the working assumption around the U.N. is that Guterres will win a second term without too much struggle,” Gowan said. “He gets a lot of credit from diplomats here for navigating the [U.S. President Donald] Trump era pretty well, overall, and the general idea is that if he wants a second term, which he clearly does, then he should have a chance to stay on.”
Guterres unofficially laid out a vision for a second term in July, when he called for a new social contract to better address “two seismic shifts” that will shape this century: the climate crisis and digital transformation. “Both could widen inequalities even further,” Guterres said in the speech. The COVID-19 pandemic, meanwhile, has presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to “build back a more equal and sustainable world,” he said.
From aviation to trade to industrial development, a number of top jobs at the United Nations are up for grabs this year. A second five-year term for Guterres would give him the chance to build on these efforts, which, in some cases, have suffered political blows. The U.S., one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, is likely to rejoin the Paris climate agreement under President-elect Joe Biden’s administration, among other expected reversals from Trump administration policies.
“When I read that [2020 speech], I felt confident Guterres assumed that if Biden won, he would run again. In a sense, that speech was his stump speech, and he was already laying out what this campaign is all about and a level of ambition that is much greater than would have been feasible in the last four years,” Gowan said.
The presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council are expected to soon release a letter that would formally initiate the selection process for the next secretary-general. Officially opening up the election process, as the General Assembly last did in 2015, to include more candidates will be an important step, even if they do not immediately appear, according to Enyseh Teimory, communications officer at the United Nations Association – UK. Setting a deadline for nominations, likely in the early spring, will also be part of this process.
“I don’t know if there will be other candidates coming forward, and so far, Guterres hasn’t done much to rock the boat.”
— Mandeep Tiwana, chief programs officer, CIVICUS
“We have not had anything specific from anybody, but we hope that someone somewhere will step forward, kind of just in terms of having an open and transparent process,” Teimory said.
“I think they [the president of the General Assembly and Guterres] have demonstrated in the language a commitment to opening up the process and to receiving potential multiple nominations,” Teimory continued.
Russia or China proposing another candidate would potentially change the election forecast, but so far there is no clear indication of this, according to Mandeep Tiwana, chief programs officer at civil society coalition CIVICUS.
“The incumbent usually has such an advantage. I don’t know if there will be other candidates coming forward, and so far, Guterres hasn’t done much to rock the boat,” Tiwana said.
Civil society organizations such as UNA-UK and CIVICUS have voiced concerns about the election process remaining transparent. In 2016, Guterres initially ran against 12 other candidates, but the number of competitors was eventually whittled down to four finalists, including Helen Clark, then-head of the U.N. Development Programme and former prime minister of New Zealand.
That election marked the first time that the race for secretary-general included public debates and speeches, instead of centering solely on closed-door political appeals and negotiations. The 1 for 7 Billion civil society campaign — a group of NGOs that convened for a transparent secretary-general election process — pushed for a woman to be selected as U.N. chief for the first time.
While Guterres was selected for secretary-general in October 2016, predecessors were confirmed for a second term earlier in the year. For example, Ban Ki-moon was reselected for secretary-general in June 2011.
“I think if it becomes clear that there isn’t an alternative candidate, then quite frankly the bulk of the Security Council members and the bulk of the General Assembly members would probably want it out of the way, and they might want it out of the way before the GA in September,” Gowan said.
Going through the motions of a traditional campaign would still set an important precedent for future campaigns and would also lend credibility to Guterres’ reelection bid.
“At the end of the day, the key for us is [that] the process is consolidated. It lends to legitimacy for whoever the SG is or continues to be. That legitimacy is fundamental at this time while they are leading and international organizations like the U.N. face such challenging times,” Teimory said.
TRIPS waiver proposal from India, South Africa and other members
By Brajendra Navnit
“The TRIPS waiver proposal is a targeted and proportionate response to the exceptional public health emergency that the world faces today. Such a Waiver is well-within the provisions of Article IX of the Marrakesh Agreement which established the WTO. It can help in ensuring that human lives are not lost for want of a timely and affordable access to vaccines. The adoption of the Waiver will also re-establish WTO’s credibility and show that multilateral trading system continues to be relevant and can deliver in times of a crisis. Now is the time for WTO members to act and adopt the Waiver to save lives and help in getting the economy back on the revival path quickly.”
While making the vaccines available was a test of science, making them accessible and affordable is going to be a test of humanity. History should remember us for the “AAA rating” i.e. for Availability, Accessibility and Affordability of Covid19 vaccines and treatments and not for a single “A rating” for Availability only. Our future generations deserve nothing less.
A proposal by India, South Africa and eight other countries calls on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to exempt member countries from enforcing some patents, and other Intellectual Property (IP)rights under the organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, known as TRIPS, for a limited period of time. It is to ensure that IPRs do not restrict the rapid scaling- up of manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. While a few members have raised concerns about the proposal, a large proportion of the WTO membership supports the proposal.It has also received the backing of various international organizations, multilateral agencies and global civil society.Unprecedented times call for unorthodox measures. We saw this in the efficacy of strict lockdowns for a limited period, as a policy intervention, in curtailing the spread of the pandemic.International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its October 2020 edition of World Economic Outlook states “…However, the risk of worse growth outcomes thanprojected remains sizable. If the virus resurges, progresson treatments and vaccines is slower than anticipated,or countries’ access to them remains unequal, economic activity could be lower than expected, withrenewed social distancing and tighter lockdowns”. The situation appears to be grimmer than predicted, we have already lost 7% of economic output from the baseline scenario projected in 2019. It translates to a loss of more than USD 6 trillion of global GDP. Even a 1% improvement in global GDP from the baseline scenario will add more than USD 800 billion in global output, offsetting the loss certainly of a much lower order to a sector of economy on account of the Waiver.
Merely a signal to ensure timely and affordable access to vaccines and treatments will work as a big confidence booster for demand revival in the economy. With the emergence of successful vaccines, there appears to be some hope on the horizon. But how will these be made accessible and affordable to global population? The fundamental question is whether there will be enough of Covid-19 vaccines to go around. As things stand, even the most optimistic scenarios today cannot assure access to Covid-19 vaccines and therapeutics for the majority of the population, in rich as well as poor countries, by the end of 2021. All the members of the WTO have agreed on one account that there is an urgent need to scale-up the manufacturing capacity for vaccines and therapeutics to meet the massive global needs. The TRIPS Waiver Proposal seeks to fulfil this need by ensuring that IP barriers do not come in the way of such scaling up of manufacturing capacity.
Why existing flexibilities under the TRIPS Agreement are not enough
The existing flexibilities under the TRIPS Agreement are not adequate as these were not designed keeping pandemics in mind. Compulsory licenses are issued on a country by country, case by case and product by product basis, where every jurisdiction with an IP regime would have to issue separate compulsory licenses, practically making collaboration among countries extremely onerous. While we encourage the use of TRIPS flexibilities, the same are time-consuming and cumbersome to implement. Hence, only their use cannot ensure the timely access of affordable vaccines and treatments. Similarly, we have not seen a very encouraging progress on WHO’s Covid19-Technology Access Pool or the C-TAP initiative, which encourages voluntary contribution of IP, technology and data to support the global sharing and scale-up of the manufacturing of COVID- 19 medical products. Voluntary Licenses, even where they exist, are shrouded in secrecy. Their terms and conditions are not transparent. Their scope is limited to specific amounts or for a limited subset of countries, thereby encouraging nationalism rather than true international collaboration.
Why is there a need to go beyond existing global cooperation initiatives?
Global cooperation initiatives such as the COVAX Mechanism and the ACT-Accelerator are inadequate to meet the massive global needs of 7.8 billion people.The ACT-A initiative aims to procure 2 billion doses of vaccines by the end of next year and distribute them fairly around the world. With a two-dose regime, however, this will only cover 1 billion people. That means that even if ACT-A is fully financed and successful, which is not the case presently, there would not be enough vaccines for the majority of the global population.
Past experience
During the initial few months of the current pandemic, we have seen that shelves were emptied by those who had access to masks, PPEs, sanitizers, gloves and other essential Covid-19 items even without their immediate need.The same should not happen to vaccines.Eventually, the world was able to ramp up manufacturing of Covid-19 essentials as there were no IP barriers hindering that. At present, we need the same pooling of IP rights and know-how for scaling up the manufacturing of vaccines and treatments, which unfortunately has not been forthcoming, necessitating the need for the Waiver.
It is the pandemic – an extraordinary, once in a lifetime event – that has mobilized the collaboration of multiple stakeholders. It is knowledge and skills held by scientists, researchers, public health experts and universities that have enabled the cross-country collaborations and enormous public funding that has facilitated the development of vaccines in record time – and not alone IP!
Way forward
The TRIPS waiver proposal is a targeted and proportionate response to the exceptional public health emergency that the world faces today. Such a Waiver is well-within the provisions of Article IX of the Marrakesh Agreement which established the WTO. It can help in ensuring that human lives are not lost for want of a timely and affordable access to vaccines. The adoption of the Waiver will also re-establish WTO’s credibility and show that multilateral trading system continues to be relevant and can deliver in times of a crisis. Now is the time for WTO members to act and adopt the Waiver to save lives and help in getting the economy back on the revival path quickly. While making the vaccinesavailable was a test of science, making them accessible and affordable is going to be a test of humanity. History should remember us for the “AAA rating” i.e., for Availability, Accessibility and Affordability of Covid19 vaccines and treatments and not for a single “A rating” for Availability only.Our future generations deserve nothing less.
(The author is Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to WTO)
The world has not seen a weapon that without a bomb launched or a bullet fired could devastate economies of all nations on earth in one fell swoop, and render their citizenry dead or fearing for life itself.
2020, to paraphrase FDR, is a year that will live in infamy, and it is also the year when Neville Chamberlain reigned supreme. Indeed, no less than President Trump – who has stood taller than any before him, including, Richard M. Nixon, when he was a Communism-buster up until prior to his 1967 abdication in Foreign Affairs’ pages with a quid pro quo op-ed entitled “Asia After Viet Nam” – called the Virus the “China Virus,” yet, then incredulously declared: that we are fighting “an invisible enemy.” No, we are not Mr. President. The Virus isn’t our enemy, just as on December 7, 1941 the Japanese bombs and bullets weren’t the enemy; Imperial Japan was, by attacking us at Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii. Then, FDR, after sentencing that day “to live in infamy,” unleashed the indominatable General Douglas MacArthur. The same General, who when first expelled from Philippines, left written messages for the people of Philippines: “I shall return.” And, return he did. Promise made; promise kept. Indeed, a short few years later on September 2, 1945 there was a Surrender Ceremony. A visit to the USS Missouri website proudly shows that the infamous history started at Peral Harbor was in-fact stopped, and a new history of American Freedoms, for all, was made to wit:
“On the teak decks of USS Missouri, WWII finally came to an end on 2 September 1945. The Surrender Ceremony, which formally brought an end to the bloodiest conflict in human history, lasted a mere 23 minutes. It began at 0902 with a brief opening speech by General Douglas MacArthur. In his speech, the General called for justice, tolerance, and rebuilding. After MacArthur’s speech, Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu, representing the Emperor of Japan, signed the Instrument of Surrender. He was followed by the Chief of the Army General Staff, General Yoshijirō Umezu, who signed for the Japanese Army. After this, General MacArthur signed the Instrument of Surrender as the Supreme Allied Commander with 6 pens. Of these pens, he gave two to former POWs Lt. General Jonathan Wainwright and Lt. General Lt. General Arthur E. Percival. Following MacArthur, other allied representatives followed in this order:
Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed for the United States; General Xu Yongchang for the Republic of China; Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser for the United Kingdom; Lt. General Kuzma Derevyanko for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR); General Sir Thomas A. Blamey for the Commonwealth of Australia; Colonel Lawrence Moore Cosgrave for the Dominion of Canada; General Philippe Le Clerc for the Provisional Government of the French Republic; Lt. Admiral Conrad E. L. Helfrich for the Kingdom of the Netherlands;Air Vice Marshal Leonard M. Isitt for the Dominion of New Zealand.
5-Star General MacArthur’s Remarks – that day – on the deck of the USS Missouri are illuminating, and hence, worthy of reproduction so we may escape, even belatedly, History’s “curse of repetition” upon those who forget the past, while cuddling up to happy-amnesia:
“We are gathered here, representatives of the major warring powers, to conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace may be restored. The issues involving divergent ideals and ideologies have been determined on the battlefields of the world, and hence are not for our discussion or debate. Nor is it for us here to meet, representing as we do a majority of the peoples of the earth, in a spirit of distrust, malice, or hatred.
But rather it is for us, both victors and vanquished, to rise to that higher dignity which alone befits the sacred purposes we are about to serve, committing all of our peoples unreservedly to faithful compliance with the undertakings they are here formally to assume. It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past — a world founded upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance, and justice. The terms and conditions upon which surrender of the Japanese Imperial Forces is here to be given and accepted are contained in the Instrument of Surrender now before you. As Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, I announce it my firm purpose, in the tradition of the countries I represent, to proceed in the discharge of my responsibilities with justice and tolerance, while taking all necessary dispositions to insure that the terms of surrender are fully, promptly, and faithfully complied with. I now invite the representatives of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters to sign the Instrument of Surrender at the places indicated.”
[After the Instrument of Surrender was executed by all, he concluded with:]
“Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world, and that God will preserve it always. These proceedings are closed.” (Emphasis added)
InWWII – we were united with USSR and China (not today’s Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) People Republic of China (PRC)), but the Republic of China (ROC) – today, known as Taiwan, when General Chiang Kai-shek was head of ROC. I cite the above snippet of history to document the gross geopolitical malpractice of leaders, here at home and abroad, since 1945. Indeed, CCP’s brilliant Chairman Mao, who had originally joined under the leadership of General Chiang, revolted, caused a civil war, and finally expelled him in 1949 from Mainland China to a mere island, Formosa, aka Taiwan. CCP’s China is a new world order – different from feudalism, communism, socialism, corporate-capitalism and our cherished Bill of Rights embedded in our Separated Powers regime – as it is an amalgam of all. Indeed, there are 99 million members of CCP – think corporate governance and the now-disappeared “Avon Lady.” Everybody in China is directly and intimately known by a CCP Member.
From Chiang Kai-shek, to Harry Truman, to Pandit Nehru, and above all others, to Richard Nixon who rolled out the red carpet for CCP’s China and gifted the critical multi-polar Permanent Seat on the United Nations Security Council – after unilaterally amending History and taking it away from ROC – the world could not, and sadly did not, see the slowly moving tortoise of CCP-China as a threat greater than the fast-moving Adolf Hitler.
We are at the Third Act of CCP’s “rejuvenation” of the Ming Dynasty’s Tribute System. Indeed, President Xi has honestly stated his China Policy to be “rejuvenation” – almost with as much delight as Edgar Allen Poe had in writing the Purloined Letter. What former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster warned about in The Atlantic on May 19, 2020 – “What China Wants” – but left off at, I have continued – as I must warn as Paul Revere did – that our “Emperor wears no clothes,” to metaphorically assert without doubt, that our China Policy – created and effectuated by our Deep State and Executive and Legislative Leaders – is both a misdiagnosis, and a mistreatment that embraces de facto, if not de jure, impotent Chamberlain while rejecting the necessary Churchill, who to them is truly “invisible,” let alone “necessary.” Giving us governmental malpractice that is both decrypt, as it is impotent.
The world has not seen a weapon that without a bomb launched or a bullet fired could devastate economies of all nations on earth in one fell swoop, and render their citizenry dead or fearing for life itself. Coronavirus, with its transplanted from Bats’ “Spike Glycoprotein (S)” – which I wrote about in my Open Letter to President Trump on April 14, 2020, and the next day United States opened its then-Preliminary Investigation of China – is now the very piece of protein that Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA-based vaccines now – in error – implant in every patient, and after the initial 2-shots, require a booster shot every 3 months, for life. Result: the enemy get refreshed, while our body’s “T cell” get exhausted or run out. Indeed, Merck’s CEO Kenneth C. Fraizer has correctly said: we don’t even understand the Virus yet, let alone treat it. How right he is. This vaccine frenzy is nothing short of a global clinical trial – worse than if you signed up for one – for now, as a patient, you don’t get paid, and if you suffer a severe reaction, you can’t sue as they have a liability shield, courtesy of Operation Warp Speed that didn’t have to do 10 years of public health studies to identify its efficacy, but its side effects. Risks vs Benefits. A patient with a migraine headache would never accept decapitation as a solution; yet, now, we are to accept this vaccine with a public health study over 10-years of time. Yes, we need a vaccine; but, we need the raw truth about the creation of SARS-CoV2, its escape from the Wuhan lab, its variations, etc., before we can figure out the correct cure.
Kompromat – is a term used to suggest Russia’s ability to control another person or nation through some act or knowledge that the target would not like exposed. Blackmail. In our social media-connected world, with data that documents one’s hallucinations as if “fact,” our exceptional separated powers regime is sadly checkmated. As 2021 is the Year of Hope, like never before, I end with a wish that just as the Ming Dynasty voluntarily gave up its Tribute system, so does President Xi Jinping; and, instead, he joins in transparent disarming of SARS-CoV2 and dismantles his Jaws of War (which I have previously described). Otherwise, let Churchill be re-born as an American – worthy of everyday hardworking Americans who toil to achieve the American Dream, as merit alone can – and uphold our Flag high and free, as those who died doing so in 1814 at Fort McHenry and caused lawyer-poet Francis Scott Keys to be so moved by their undying courage and national pride to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
(Ravi Batrais a senior attorney and advisor to many governments. Twitter @RaviBatra)
Threaten to shut all malls and petrol pumps in Haryana
I.S. Saluja
NEW DELHI (TIP):Continuing with their tactics of delaying acceptance of the demands of farmers to repeal the farm laws enacted in June 2020, government of India, on December 30, once again engaged the agitating farmer leaders in an exercise in futility, forcing the harden their attitude. Upping the ante ahead of the next round of talks, farmer unions on Friday, January 1, warned that they will start shutting all malls and petrol pumps in the State Haryana if the government fails to resolve their main demands for the repeal of three new farm laws and a legal guarantee for MSP at the January 4 meeting. Addressing a press conference at the Singhu border protest site, representatives of farmer unions said that only five per cent of the issues raised by them have so far been discussed in meetings with the government. They outlined multiple protest actions over a month if their main demands are not met, in an announcement a few days before Republic Day celebrations. Farmer leader Yudhveer Singh said if the central government thinks the farmers’ protest will go the Shaheen Bagh way, then it is mistaken. “They (government) cannot make us leave this place like they did in Shaheen Bagh,” he said.
Hundreds of protesters had camped at Shaheen Bagh for several months against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and later, the site was cleared by the Delhi Police following the coronavirus-induced lockdown in March last year. At the press conference, farmer leaders made it clear that they will have to take firm steps if the government does not take a decision in their favor in the January 4 meeting. Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav said that the government has not moved an inch on the two main issues—repeal of three agri laws and legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP).
He claimed that the government has denied giving in-principle commitment to the issue of legal guarantee for MSP.
Spelling out their next course of action, Yadav said that while talks with the Union government will go on, farmer unions will intensify the protest simultaneously and take it to every corner of the country.
“If the January 4 meeting with the government fails to end the deadlock, we will announce dates for shutting all malls, petrol pumps in Haryana,” another farmer leader, Vikas, told reporters.
At a meeting of Samkyukt Kisan Morcha—an umbrella body of around 40 farmer unions protesting at several Delhi border points—several decisions were taken.
According to the unions, if the results of the talks on January 4 are not satisfactory, a tractor march will be taken out from the protest site to the Kundli–Manesar–Palwal (KMP) Expressway on January 6 and a call will also be given to those farmers protesting at Shahjahanpur on the Haryana-Rajasthan border to move towards the national capital. Rallies, dharnas, sit-ins and press conferences will be organized across the country from January 6 to January 20 to counter alleged government propaganda that the protest was Punjab-centric.
Farmers will celebrate Women’s Day on January 18 and the modalities will be discussed later, farmer leaders said, adding that programs will be held to mark birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on January 23.
After the sixth round of formal negotiations on Wednesday, December 30, the government and farm unions reached some common ground to resolve protesting farmers’ concerns over rise in power tariff and penalties for stubble burning, but the two sides remained deadlocked over the main contentious issues of the repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee for MSP. After the talks between three union ministers and a 41-member representative group of thousands of farmers protesting on Delhi borders, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said at least 50 per cent resolution has been reached with mutual agreement on two out of four items on the agenda and discussions would continue on the remaining two on January 4 at 2 PM. Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting at various borders of the national capital for more than a month against these three new laws. The government has presented these laws as major agriculture reforms aimed at helping farmers and increasing their income, but the protesting unions fear that the new legislations have left them at the mercy of big corporates by weakening the MSP and mandi systems.
WASHINGTON(TIP): US President Donald Trump has extended the freeze on the most sought-after H-1B visas by Indian IT professionals, along with other types of foreign work visas and green cards through March 31 to protect American workers, saying that the reasons for which he had imposed such restrictions amidst the pandemic have not changed. The freeze on various categories of work visas was ordered by Trump through two proclamations on April 22 and June 22 last year. Hours before the freeze was set to expire on December 31, Trump issued another proclamation on Thursday, December 31, to extend it until March 31.
He said that the reasons for which he had issued such a restriction have not changed. The continuation of the restrictions, which comes with just 20 days left in the Republican President’s term, is the latest effort to bar the entry of immigrants to the US. Restricting immigration has been a focus of the Trump administration since its first days when it issued the travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries, and it has continued into Trump’s final year in office as the White House uses the coronavirus pandemic as cover.
US President-elect Joe Biden has promised to lift the suspension on H-1B visas, saying Trump’s immigration policies are cruel. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
They would now have to wait at least till the end of March before approaching the US diplomatic missions to get stamping. It would also impact a large number of Indian IT professionals who are seeking renewal of their H-1B visas.
President Trump said that the effects of COVID-19 on the US labor market and the health of American communities are a matter of ongoing national concern, and the considerations present in the two previous proclamations have not been eliminated. “The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to significantly disrupt Americans’ livelihoods. While the November overall unemployment rate in the United States of 6.7 per cent reflects a marked decline from its April high, there were still 9,834,000 fewer seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in November than in February of 2020,” Trump said in his proclamation.
The current number of new daily cases worldwide reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), for example, is higher than the comparable number present during June, and while therapeutics and vaccines are recently available for an increasing number of Americans, their effect on the labor market and community health has not yet been fully realized, he said. “Moreover, actions such as States’ continued imposition of restrictions on businesses still affect the number of workers that can be hired as compared with February of 2020,” Trump said, adding that his latest proclamation may be extended if necessary.
(Source: PTI)
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