asiapacificresearch--2020-01-14--India’s Kashmiri Detainee Self-Censorship Demand Is Undemocratic

India ’ s demand that thousands of Kashmiri detainees sign a bond that commits them to not to make any comments on “ recent events ” as a condition for their release after they were previously apprehended without charge for five months already is the definition of an undemocratic practice which exposes the fundamental hypocrisy behind the self-professed “ world ’ s largest democracy ” .
Sputnik reported that India demanded that that thousands of Kashmiri detainees sign a bond that commits them to not make any comments on “ recent events ” as a condition for their release after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five months already .
So as not to be accused of misportraying the report in question , its contents are being republished below in full prior to being analyzed by the author : “ Thousands were detained under India ’ s Public Safety Act , a law that allows authorities to imprison someone for up to two years without charge or trial , in Jammu and Kashmir before the Narendra Modi-led government revoked Articles 370 of the Constitution , stripping the state of its special status on 5 August .
The detained people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months of imprisonment , have to sign a bond where they say they will not make any comment or statement on the “ recent events ” in Jammu and Kashmir .
The bond , signed under Section 117 of the Code of Criminal Procedure ( CrPC ) , includes Section 107 , which states that the executive magistrate has the power to apprehend any individual for not more than a year on information that a person is likely to disturb peace and public tranquillity .
“ I undertake that in case of release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make any comment ( s ) or statement ( s ) or make public speech ( s ) , ( or ) hold or participate in public assembly ( s ) related to the recent events in the State of Jammu and Kashmir , at the present time , since it has the potential of endangering the peace and tranquillity and law and order in the State or any part thereof for a period of one year , ” section two of the bond reads .
Nearly 4,000 people were arrested and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Article 370 , over fears of outbreaks of unrest and “ most of them were flown out of Kashmir because prisons here have run out of capacity ” , news agency AFP had quoted an official as saying .
The government bifurcated the state into two federally-administered territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh .
The union territory then imposed a communications clampdown as new charges for mobile phone services were imposed .
Postpaid mobile calling and messaging services along with broadband internet have been resumed , but internet services remain suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ termed the restrictions unconstitutional .
A delegation of envoys from 15 countries such as the United States , South Korea , Vietnam , Bangladesh , Maldives , Morocco , Fiji , Norway , Philippines , Argentina , Peru , Niger , Nigeria , Togo and Guyana visited the Jammu and Kashmir on 9 January.
” There are many observations that can be made from Sputnik ’ s report , the most obvious of which is the very fact that one of Russia ’ s main publicly funded international media outlets is reporting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international reputation .
This speaks both to the outlet ’ s efforts to remain somewhat “ impartial ” regarding regional events and also Russia ’ s own efforts to “ balance ” regional affairs .
The second point is that the widespread awareness of India ’ s “ lawfare ” against what the government is “ officially ” supposed to regard as its own “ citizens ” contradicts its self-professed claim of being the “ world ’ s largest democracy ” .
No substantively real democracy would force people who were detained without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from commenting on “ recent events ” .
That policy in effect prohibits them from discussing any possible human rights abuses during their imprisonment , notwithstanding the fact that detaining them in the first place without charge is arguably among them .
As such , they could have their bond revoked and be re-arrested if they violate the terms of their release by opining on their UNSC-recognized disputed region ’ s annexation .
Moreover , considering that their very imprisonment without charge was due to “ recent events ” , the state might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jailing them if it ’ s discovered that they shared their personal experiences over the past five months in prison with trusted family and friends , blogged about it on social media , or spoke to local , national , or international media about it .
Another point of pertinence is what Sputnik reported about the released detainees ’ obligation not to participate in any public assembly related to recent events either .
Protests sometimes spontaneously erupt after Friday prayers , so it ’ s foreseeable that someone who might not have any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply be caught in the action , which thus intimidates them against practicing their religion .
What ’ s all the more ironic about this is that India is staging carefully choreographed tours of the occupied region for foreign envoys in order to project the image that everything is fine and dandy , yet those visiting dignitaries aren ’ t allowed to speak to any of the former detainees on pane of the latter being imprisoned for violating the terms of their release .
The US has no problem with this undemocratic practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a quid pro quo for India choosing to team up with it in pursuit of their shared goal of “ containing ” China .
On the other hand , the US regularly criticizes China for its anti-terrorist and deradicalization program in Xinjiang , yet foreign dignitaries and even journalists are allowed to speak to former detainees , unlike in Indian-Occupied Kashmir .
Trump just tweeted over the weekend that “ The government of Iran must allow human rights groups to monitor and report facts from the ground on the ongoing protests by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another massacre of peaceful protesters , nor an internet shutdown .
The world is watching.
” He ’ s not , however , making any such demand of India despite New Delhi doing the exact same thing as Iran is accused of .
India has committed wanton acts of violence against the Kashmiris over the years and proudly detained thousands of them without charge since last August , to say nothing of having shut down their internet service for over five months already .
It ’ s not being criticized , though , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in remaining on its good side , playing “ bad cop ” only when it concerns trade ties and Russian arms imports .
The takeaway from all of this is that India is more like the world ’ s largest fascist state ( especially when considering the recent political violence carried out by the “ Modi Mob ” against protesting students ) than the “ world ’ s largest democracy ” , but that most of the world chooses to remain silent either because they ’ re eyeing its enormous market potential like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand like many Muslim ones are .
It was therefore a journalist service to the rest of the world that Sputnik thought it fitting to inform its global audience about India ’ s undemocratic treatment of Kashmiri detainees who were already in custody for over five months without charge .
That in and of itself is a gross violation of human rights , but it ’ s made all the worse by these victims being unable to share their experiences without fear of being thrown back into prison .
Note to readers : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below .
Forward this article to your email lists .
Crosspost on your blog site , internet forums .
etc .
This article was originally published on OneWorld .
Andrew Korybko is an American Moscow-based political analyst specializing in the relationship between the US strategy in Afro-Eurasia , China ’ s One Belt One Road global vision of New Silk Road connectivity , and Hybrid Warfare .
He is a frequent contributor to Global Research .

India’s demand that thousands of Kashmiri detainees sign a bond that commits them to not to make any comments on “recent events” as a condition for their release after they were previously apprehended without charge for five months already is the definition of an undemocratic practice which exposes the fundamental hypocrisy behind the self-professed “world’s largest democracy”.
Sputnik reported that India demanded that that thousands of Kashmiri detainees sign a bond that commits them to not make any comments on “recent events” as a condition for their release after they were previously apprehended without charge for five months already. So as not to be accused of misportraying the report in question, its contents are being republished below in full prior to being analyzed by the author:
“Thousands were detained under India’s Public Safety Act, a law that allows authorities to imprison someone for up to two years without charge or trial, in Jammu and Kashmir before the Narendra Modi-led government revoked Articles 370 of the Constitution, stripping the state of its special status on 5 August. The detained people, who are being released after five months of imprisonment, have to sign a bond where they say they will not make any comment or statement on the “recent events” in Jammu and Kashmir. The bond, signed under Section 117 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), includes Section 107, which states that the executive magistrate has the power to apprehend any individual for not more than a year on information that a person is likely to disturb peace and public tranquillity. “I undertake that in case of release from the detention, I will not make any comment(s) or statement(s) or make public speech(s), (or) hold or participate in public assembly(s) related to the recent events in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, at the present time, since it has the potential of endangering the peace and tranquillity and law and order in the State or any part thereof for a period of one year,” section two of the bond reads. Nearly 4,000 people were arrested and some political leaders were detained after the revocation of Article 370, over fears of outbreaks of unrest and “most of them were flown out of Kashmir because prisons here have run out of capacity”, news agency AFP had quoted an official as saying. The government bifurcated the state into two federally-administered territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The union territory then imposed a communications clampdown as new charges for mobile phone services were imposed. Postpaid mobile calling and messaging services along with broadband internet have been resumed, but internet services remain suspended. India’s apex court has termed the restrictions unconstitutional. A delegation of envoys from 15 countries such as the United States, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Maldives, Morocco, Fiji, Norway, Philippines, Argentina, Peru, Niger, Nigeria, Togo and Guyana visited the Jammu and Kashmir on 9 January.”
There are many observations that can be made from Sputnik’s report, the most obvious of which is the very fact that one of Russia’s main publicly funded international media outlets is reporting on something very unflattering for India’s international reputation. This speaks both to the outlet’s efforts to remain somewhat “impartial” regarding regional events and also Russia’s own efforts to “balance” regional affairs.
The second point is that the widespread awareness of India’s “lawfare” against what the government is “officially” supposed to regard as its own “citizens” contradicts its self-professed claim of being the “world’s largest democracy”. No substantively real democracy would force people who were detained without charge to sign a bond prohibiting them from commenting on “recent events”.
That policy in effect prohibits them from discussing any possible human rights abuses during their imprisonment, notwithstanding the fact that detaining them in the first place without charge is arguably among them. As such, they could have their bond revoked and be re-arrested if they violate the terms of their release by opining on their UNSC-recognized disputed region’s annexation.
Moreover, considering that their very imprisonment without charge was due to “recent events”, the state might further abuse its “writ” by jailing them if it’s discovered that they shared their personal experiences over the past five months in prison with trusted family and friends, blogged about it on social media, or spoke to local, national, or international media about it.
Another point of pertinence is what Sputnik reported about the released detainees’ obligation not to participate in any public assembly related to recent events either. Protests sometimes spontaneously erupt after Friday prayers, so it’s foreseeable that someone who might not have any intention to participate in such assemblies might simply be caught in the action, which thus intimidates them against practicing their religion.
What’s all the more ironic about this is that India is staging carefully choreographed tours of the occupied region for foreign envoys in order to project the image that everything is fine and dandy, yet those visiting dignitaries aren’t allowed to speak to any of the former detainees on pane of the latter being imprisoned for violating the terms of their release.
The US has no problem with this undemocratic practice and instead chooses to remain silent as a quid pro quo for India choosing to team up with it in pursuit of their shared goal of “containing” China. On the other hand, the US regularly criticizes China for its anti-terrorist and deradicalization program in Xinjiang, yet foreign dignitaries and even journalists are allowed to speak to former detainees, unlike in Indian-Occupied Kashmir.
Trump just tweeted over the weekend that “The government of Iran must allow human rights groups to monitor and report facts from the ground on the ongoing protests by the Iranian people. There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching.” He’s not, however, making any such demand of India despite New Delhi doing the exact same thing as Iran is accused of.
India has committed wanton acts of violence against the Kashmiris over the years and proudly detained thousands of them without charge since last August, to say nothing of having shut down their internet service for over five months already. It’s not being criticized, though, because the US has grand strategic interests in remaining on its good side, playing “bad cop” only when it concerns trade ties and Russian arms imports.
The takeaway from all of this is that India is more like the world’s largest fascist state (especially when considering the recent political violence carried out by the “Modi Mob” against protesting students) than the “world’s largest democracy”, but that most of the world chooses to remain silent either because they’re eyeing its enormous market potential like Western nations are or its growing oil demand like many Muslim ones are.
It was therefore a journalist service to the rest of the world that Sputnik thought it fitting to inform its global audience about India’s undemocratic treatment of Kashmiri detainees who were already in custody for over five months without charge. That in and of itself is a gross violation of human rights, but it’s made all the worse by these victims being unable to share their experiences without fear of being thrown back into prison.
*
Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.
This article was originally published on OneWorld.
Andrew Korybko is an American Moscow-based political analyst specializing in the relationship between the US strategy in Afro-Eurasia, China’s One Belt One Road global vision of New Silk Road connectivity, and Hybrid Warfare. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research.
Featured image is from OneWorld


asiapacificresearch--2020-01-10--The Indian Protesters Are Misled, but Not in the Way that Modi Says

The Indian authorities are right in saying that the protesters are misled , but they ’ re wrong in claiming that this is because of fake news about the “ Citizenship ( Amendment ) Bill ” since the truth is that most of the country was duped for decades into thinking that India was really a secular state all along when this was never actually the case , hence why so many people are reacting the way that they are because Modi finally shattered their illusions by showing that India ’ s founding myth was a total lie .
India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the promulgation of the so-called “ Citizenship ( Amendment ) Bill ” ( CAB , also known as CAA with the last “ A ” standing for “ Act ” ) granted citizenship to supposedly persecuted non-Muslim minorities from Afghanistan , Bangladesh , and Pakistan who came to the country before 2015 while also creating a fast-track to citizenship for any others who follow them .
This development triggered a wave of unrest not seen in the country since the 1975-1977 “ emergency ” because it brought disparate dissatisfied groups together under a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation .
The Assamese fear that their native culture will be “ replaced ” by an even larger-scale influx of Bangladeshi “ Weapons of Mass Migration ” ( this time Hindu ones instead of Muslims ) , while indigenous Muslims see the writing on the wall and finally realize that they ’ re officially second-class citizens since allegedly persecuted people of other faiths have an easier chance receiving citizenship than their fellow co-confessionals abroad who might one day migrate to India .
The country ’ s leftist-secular opposition to the ruling BJP “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meanwhile , are appalled at the government ’ s efforts to turn their constitutionally secular state into a “ Hindu Rashtra “ .
It ’ s this last-mentioned development that acts as the common denominator uniting the three most prominent elements of the protest movement , though everything isn ’ t as clear cut as they make it seem .
In fact , the Indian authorities are right in saying that the protesters are misled , but not in the way that the state claims .
They ’ re not being provoked by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but rather , they realized that their country ’ s founding myth about secularism was a total lie after Modi finally shattered their illusions by showing India ’ s true face .
Whatever one ’ s opinion about the BJP might be , nobody can accuse them of being “ inauthentic ” since they embody what India has truly stood for since independence , even if some of the ideological trends that they most heavily promote such as Hindutva remained just below the surface for decades .
Contrary to what was previously thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truly secular state despite what was enshrined in its constitution , and the best example for proving this rests with the experiences of its Sikh community .
The Indian Constitution wrongly regards Sikhs , who constitute the world ’ s fifth-largest religion , as Hindus .
This was the “ legal ” genesis of India ’ s gradual evolution into the full-fledged “ Hindu Rashtra ” that the BJP is now actively promoting .
The Hindu personal and family laws , marriage act , succession act , and adoption act have since been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their religious freedoms and factually proves that India isn ’ t at all a secular state .
Furthermore , while many regard Congress as being the champions of Indian secularism , this also isn ’ t true at all since it was under them that these laws were first promulgated .
Not only that , but it was the Congress-led government that actively connived with the BJP ’ s ideological RSS forefathers to carry out “ Operation Blue Star ” against the Sikh ’ s holiest temple in 1984 , after which “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleanse Indian Punjab of this minority on the pretext of so-called “ anti-terrorist operations ” that reportedly killed over 100,000 people in the ensuing decades .
The slow-motion genocide of the Sikhs ( occasionally punctuated by acute acts of state-supported violence ) has mostly been met with silence by the Indian population at large as well as the international community which for their own reasons decided not to draw too much attention to this “ politically inconvenient ” fact .
Congress ’ supporters couldn ’ t contradict their leaders ’ narratives that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting against the RSS ’ ( and later the BJP ’ s ) Hindutva agenda , while those latter two tacitly supported those developments because they advanced their religious-ideological causes .
Indian Muslims , meanwhile , were either unaware of these crimes or might have felt the ones being committed against them by the state deserved more attention .
As for foreign powers , they ’ ve always been trying to court India , and each of them knows that calling out its artificial secularism would make it less likely that they could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another ( whether of an economic , political , military , and/or strategic nature ) .
The age-old adage of “ see no evil , hear no evil ” aptly applies to India , though Modi finally shattered its founding myth of “ secularism ” by going overboard with his party ’ s Hindutva agenda in recent years , which in turn triggered the ongoing massive protests precisely because it made this issue impossible to ignore any longer .
Instead of being directed against India ’ s approximately 24 million Sikhs , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 200 million Muslims , thus increasing the number of potential victims by close to a magnitude of 10 and affecting a population almost equal to the combined number of people in Mexico and Germany .
The hidden hand of Hindutva pulled this off because it successfully manipulated the “ Overton Window ” concept by gradually making modern-day India ’ s de-facto religious foundations ( unconvincingly disguised under the thin veneer of constitutionally enshrined “ secularism ” despite the aforementioned religious laws that are also discriminatory against Sikhs ) the socio-cultural standard , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moves seem “ natural ” .
India has therefore arrived a moment of reckoning whereby it ’ s experiencing its most fundamental identity crisis since independence .
The founding myth of secularism has been shattered , yet those who are the most upset by it were also inadvertently complicit in allowing everything to get to this point .
Practically everyone stayed silent when the Sikhs were “ legally ” subsumed under Hinduism by the supposedly “ secular ” Congress government , and ditto when that same party connived with the RSS to massacre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unfortunately much more political capital to be made in promoting Muslim causes than any other minority ’ s in India , hence why the government didn ’ t start experiencing intense internal and international criticism until it started to openly discriminate against its entire Muslim community through the CAB/CAA and not just against the ones in Occupied Kashmir like it always has regardless of whichever party was in power at the time .
None of this is to suggest that the ongoing protests themselves are misguided — they aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who are participating in them that are misguided if they really think that India was ever anything other than a de-facto religious state .
There ’ s nothing wrong in principle with a state being based on religious , secular , or ideological ( ex : communist ) values , but the model that it ultimately implements shouldn ’ t be at the expense of a critical mass of its minorities .
That didn ’ t happen in either case with India , which attempted to hide its “ soft ” Hindutva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ cultural hegemony ” to kick in and “ justify ” the “ hard ” implementation thereof under Modi .
In addition , the very vision of imposing a “ Hindu Rashtra ” goes against the interests of the 20 % of its non-Hindu population , which is the definition of a critical mass of minorities seeing as how they number at least 240 million in this country of approximately 1.2 billion people .
It ’ s sad that so many people stayed silent when the Sikhs were victimized , but that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected .
Note to readers : please click the share buttons above or below .
Forward this article to your email lists .
Crosspost on your blog site , internet forums .
etc .
This article was originally published on OneWorld .
Andrew Korybko is an American Moscow-based political analyst specializing in the relationship between the US strategy in Afro-Eurasia , China ’ s One Belt One Road global vision of New Silk Road connectivity , and Hybrid Warfare .
He is a frequent contributor to Global Research .

The Indian authorities are right in saying that the protesters are misled, but they’re wrong in claiming that this is because of fake news about the “Citizenship (Amendment) Bill” since the truth is that most of the country was duped for decades into thinking that India was really a secular state all along when this was never actually the case, hence why so many people are reacting the way that they are because Modi finally shattered their illusions by showing that India’s founding myth was a total lie.
***
The “Coalition Of Malcontents”
India’s been engulfed in protests since the promulgation of the so-called “Citizenship (Amendment) Bill” (CAB, also known as CAA with the last “A” standing for “Act”) granted citizenship to supposedly persecuted non-Muslim minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who came to the country before 2015 while also creating a fast-track to citizenship for any others who follow them. This development triggered a wave of unrest not seen in the country since the 1975-1977 “emergency” because it brought disparate dissatisfied groups together under a common banner in opposing this piece of legislation. The Assamese fear that their native culture will be “replaced” by an even larger-scale influx of Bangladeshi “Weapons of Mass Migration” (this time Hindu ones instead of Muslims), while indigenous Muslims see the writing on the wall and finally realize that they’re officially second-class citizens since allegedly persecuted people of other faiths have an easier chance receiving citizenship than their fellow co-confessionals abroad who might one day migrate to India. The country’s leftist-secular opposition to the ruling BJP “Hindu nationalists” (Hindutva), meanwhile, are appalled at the government’s efforts to turn their constitutionally secular state into a “Hindu Rashtra“.
Source: OneWorld
It’s this last-mentioned development that acts as the common denominator uniting the three most prominent elements of the protest movement, though everything isn’t as clear cut as they make it seem. In fact, the Indian authorities are right in saying that the protesters are misled, but not in the way that the state claims. They’re not being provoked by the tactical use of fake news, but rather, they realized that their country’s founding myth about secularism was a total lie after Modi finally shattered their illusions by showing India’s true face. Whatever one’s opinion about the BJP might be, nobody can accuse them of being “inauthentic” since they embody what India has truly stood for since independence, even if some of the ideological trends that they most heavily promote such as Hindutva remained just below the surface for decades. Contrary to what was previously thought by many, India never was a truly secular state despite what was enshrined in its constitution, and the best example for proving this rests with the experiences of its Sikh community.
Anti-Sikh Suppression
The Indian Constitution wrongly regards Sikhs, who constitute the world’s fifth-largest religion, as Hindus. This was the “legal” genesis of India’s gradual evolution into the full-fledged “Hindu Rashtra” that the BJP is now actively promoting. The Hindu personal and family laws, marriage act, succession act, and adoption act have since been imposed upon the Sikhs, which violates their religious freedoms and factually proves that India isn’t at all a secular state. Furthermore, while many regard Congress as being the champions of Indian secularism, this also isn’t true at all since it was under them that these laws were first promulgated. Not only that, but it was the Congress-led government that actively connived with the BJP’s ideological RSS forefathers to carry out “Operation Blue Star” against the Sikh’s holiest temple in 1984, after which “Operation Woodrose” was commenced to systematically cleanse Indian Punjab of this minority on the pretext of so-called “anti-terrorist operations” that reportedly killed over 100,000 people in the ensuing decades.
The slow-motion genocide of the Sikhs (occasionally punctuated by acute acts of state-supported violence) has mostly been met with silence by the Indian population at large as well as the international community which for their own reasons decided not to draw too much attention to this “politically inconvenient” fact. Congress’ supporters couldn’t contradict their leaders’ narratives that the party is a “secular” force fighting against the RSS’ (and later the BJP’s) Hindutva agenda, while those latter two tacitly supported those developments because they advanced their religious-ideological causes. Indian Muslims, meanwhile, were either unaware of these crimes or might have felt the ones being committed against them by the state deserved more attention. As for foreign powers, they’ve always been trying to court India, and each of them knows that calling out its artificial secularism would make it less likely that they could enter into mutually beneficial relations with one another (whether of an economic, political, military, and/or strategic nature).
The “Overton Window”
The age-old adage of “see no evil, hear no evil” aptly applies to India, though Modi finally shattered its founding myth of “secularism” by going overboard with his party’s Hindutva agenda in recent years, which in turn triggered the ongoing massive protests precisely because it made this issue impossible to ignore any longer. Instead of being directed against India’s approximately 24 million Sikhs, it’s now directly affecting its nearly 200 million Muslims, thus increasing the number of potential victims by close to a magnitude of 10 and affecting a population almost equal to the combined number of people in Mexico and Germany. The hidden hand of Hindutva pulled this off because it successfully manipulated the “Overton Window” concept by gradually making modern-day India’s de-facto religious foundations (unconvincingly disguised under the thin veneer of constitutionally enshrined “secularism” despite the aforementioned religious laws that are also discriminatory against Sikhs) the socio-cultural standard, which thus made the BJP’s radical moves seem “natural”.
India has therefore arrived a moment of reckoning whereby it’s experiencing its most fundamental identity crisis since independence. The founding myth of secularism has been shattered, yet those who are the most upset by it were also inadvertently complicit in allowing everything to get to this point. Practically everyone stayed silent when the Sikhs were “legally” subsumed under Hinduism by the supposedly “secular” Congress government, and ditto when that same party connived with the RSS to massacre that minority from 1984 onward. There’s unfortunately much more political capital to be made in promoting Muslim causes than any other minority’s in India, hence why the government didn’t start experiencing intense internal and international criticism until it started to openly discriminate against its entire Muslim community through the CAB/CAA and not just against the ones in Occupied Kashmir like it always has regardless of whichever party was in power at the time.
Concluding Thoughts
None of this is to suggest that the ongoing protests themselves are misguided — they aren’t — but just that it’s those who are participating in them that are misguided if they really think that India was ever anything other than a de-facto religious state. There’s nothing wrong in principle with a state being based on religious, secular, or ideological (ex: communist) values, but the model that it ultimately implements shouldn’t be at the expense of a critical mass of its minorities. That didn’t happen in either case with India, which attempted to hide its “soft” Hindutva founding long enough for Gramsci’s “cultural hegemony” to kick in and “justify” the “hard” implementation thereof under Modi. In addition, the very vision of imposing a “Hindu Rashtra” goes against the interests of the 20% of its non-Hindu population, which is the definition of a critical mass of minorities seeing as how they number at least 240 million in this country of approximately 1.2 billion people. It’s sad that so many people stayed silent when the Sikhs were victimized, but that’s finally changing now that Muslims are affected.
*
Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.
This article was originally published on OneWorld.
Andrew Korybko is an American Moscow-based political analyst specializing in the relationship between the US strategy in Afro-Eurasia, China’s One Belt One Road global vision of New Silk Road connectivity, and Hybrid Warfare. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research.
Featured image is from OneWorld


asiapacificresearch--2020-01-10--Incendiary Extinctions: Australian Fires and the Species Effect

Cocooned as it is from the world of science scepticism , the handling of the bush fire catastrophe unfolding in Australia is going to one of the more notable ( non ) achievements of the Morrison government .
They were warned ; they were chided ; they were prodded .
But the measures lagged and the flames came .
To a certain extent , this remains unfair .
Australian governments , across colours and persuasions , have found managing the environment a problematic , and inconvenient affair .
Being a country rich in resources readymade for digging and export , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mining rights and interests before the preservation of flora and fauna species .
Miners , rights , not Earth rights , are what counts .
Talk of climate change responses is heavily weighted in favour of pro-emission and polluting measures ; greening projects look like acts of ecological pantomime .
Australia remains a country transfixed and terrified by Nature , even as it mangles or ignores it .
With that in mind , the flames that continue to consume Australia have not merely destroyed agriculture , property and human life ; they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that remains hard to measure .
As a general rule , these events now have the makings of the unprecedented , at least in terms of human records .
There are fire fronts that stretch like scars of battle across terrain .
Smoke plumes half the size of Europe have been noted .
Updates on the progress of the flames resemble a relentless disaster narrative .
Over 25.5 million acres of land , or territory the size of South Korea , is a figure that has caught the eye of news outlets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , its Suomi-NPP satellite and the Himawari 8 Japanese satellite of the Japanese Meteorological Agency , have shown the international print being left by the fires .
Little wonder that the more terrestrial assessments of impacts have turned their focus on species extinction , a point that was bound to happen given Australia ’ s already unflattering honour of having the highest rate of mammal extinction on the planet .
They are far more than the shrieks and howls of pain coming from koalas as they are incinerated to death , or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funereal silver-ash landscape .
It is the post-apocalyptic aftermath , when species find themselves in a world of ash and remains , with food and shelter miserably scarce .
The extinction literature , speculative and more solidly grounded , is burgeoning .
Six Australian professors have stuck to the safe , if dark premise by claiming in The Conversation that “ most of the range and population of between 20 and 100 threatened species will have been burnt .
Such species include the long-footed potoroo , Kangaroo Island ’ s glossy black cockatoo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unnerving estimate from January 3 , and applicable to the state of New South Wales alone , put the toll of birds , mammals and reptiles affected by the conflagrations at 480 million .
( The number did not include insects , bats or frogs . )
“ Many of the affected animals are likely to have been killed directly by the fires , with others succumbing later due to the depletion of food and shelter resources and predation from introduced feral cats and red foxes.
” Within five days , an updated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the initial NSW figures .
Across the continent , a billion animals are said to have perished .
In an interview with National Public Radio in the US , Dickman suggested that the figures were exceptionally staggering .
“ I think there ’ s nothing quite to compare with the devastation that ’ s going on over such a large area so quickly .
It ’ s a monstrous event in terms of geography and the number of individual animals affected.
” The disaster for such species is one of ongoing affects ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with these being particular savage .
According to wildlife rescue volunteer Sarah Price , “ We are not seeing the amount of animals coming into care or needing rescuing that we would normally anticipate.
” The implication is hard to avoid : “ We think a lot perished in the fires.
” Some animals might well survive the scorching , but insatiable and uninterrupted land clearing coupled with the busyness of introduced fauna varieties does the rest .
The impacts of fire events also remove habitat sanctuaries for wildlife , be they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important as food sources , or log and tree hollows .
Should there ever be an ecological tribunal vested in powers to assess government actions over the years on the subject , the failure to put in measures to protect species from calamity may well have to top the list .
A reckless , occasionally malicious stupidity might count as motivation , but by then , not much will be left to protect .
Any punishment will be left without a purpose .
The management of biodiversity and ecosystems , involving measures taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catastrophe – for they will be more – matter far more .
The discussion , as it stands , remains asphyxiated by the smoke and rage , with an overwhelming focus on human suffering , the calls for donations to human survivors , the search for compensation .
The earth and its non-human inhabitants remain the statistics of silent suffering and , after this event , some will go the way of their doomed ancestors .
As ever , Australia remains , as Dickman claims , the canary in the coal mine in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And the canary is not looking too good .
Note to readers : please click the share buttons above or below .
Forward this article to your email lists .
Crosspost on your blog site , internet forums .
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Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College , Cambridge .
He lectures at RMIT University , Melbourne .
He is a frequent contributor to Global Research and Asia-Pacific Research .
Email : [ email protected ]

Cocooned as it is from the world of science scepticism, the handling of the bush fire catastrophe unfolding in Australia is going to one of the more notable (non)achievements of the Morrison government. They were warned; they were chided; they were prodded. But the measures lagged and the flames came.
To a certain extent, this remains unfair. Australian governments, across colours and persuasions, have found managing the environment a problematic, and inconvenient affair. Being a country rich in resources readymade for digging and export, environment ministers have become the executing tribunes of mining rights and interests before the preservation of flora and fauna species. Miners, rights, not Earth rights, are what counts. Talk of climate change responses is heavily weighted in favour of pro-emission and polluting measures; greening projects look like acts of ecological pantomime. Australia remains a country transfixed and terrified by Nature, even as it mangles or ignores it.
With that in mind, the flames that continue to consume Australia have not merely destroyed agriculture, property and human life; they have had an impact on animal species that remains hard to measure. As a general rule, these events now have the makings of the unprecedented, at least in terms of human records. There are fire fronts that stretch like scars of battle across terrain. Smoke plumes half the size of Europe have been noted.
Updates on the progress of the flames resemble a relentless disaster narrative. Over 25.5 million acres of land, or territory the size of South Korea, is a figure that has caught the eye of news outlets. Images from NASA’s Earth Observatory, its Suomi-NPP satellite and the Himawari 8 Japanese satellite of the Japanese Meteorological Agency, have shown the international print being left by the fires.
Little wonder that the more terrestrial assessments of impacts have turned their focus on species extinction, a point that was bound to happen given Australia’s already unflattering honour of having the highest rate of mammal extinction on the planet. They are far more than the shrieks and howls of pain coming from koalas as they are incinerated to death, or the charred remains of kangaroos left in a funereal silver-ash landscape. It is the post-apocalyptic aftermath, when species find themselves in a world of ash and remains, with food and shelter miserably scarce.
The extinction literature, speculative and more solidly grounded, is burgeoning. Six Australian professors have stuck to the safe, if dark premise by claiming in The Conversation that “most of the range and population of between 20 and 100 threatened species will have been burnt. Such species include the long-footed potoroo, Kangaroo Island’s glossy black cockatoo and the Spring midge orchid.”
Another unnerving estimate from January 3, and applicable to the state of New South Wales alone, put the toll of birds, mammals and reptiles affected by the conflagrations at 480 million. (The number did not include insects, bats or frogs.) “Many of the affected animals are likely to have been killed directly by the fires, with others succumbing later due to the depletion of food and shelter resources and predation from introduced feral cats and red foxes.”
Within five days, an updated assessment from Professor Chris Dickman almost doubled the initial NSW figures. Across the continent, a billion animals are said to have perished. In an interview with National Public Radio in the US, Dickman suggested that the figures were exceptionally staggering. “I think there’s nothing quite to compare with the devastation that’s going on over such a large area so quickly. It’s a monstrous event in terms of geography and the number of individual animals affected.”
The disaster for such species is one of ongoing affects; the fire leaves the initial destructive mark, with these being particular savage. According to wildlife rescue volunteer Sarah Price, “We are not seeing the amount of animals coming into care or needing rescuing that we would normally anticipate.” The implication is hard to avoid: “We think a lot perished in the fires.”
Some animals might well survive the scorching, but insatiable and uninterrupted land clearing coupled with the busyness of introduced fauna varieties does the rest. The impacts of fire events also remove habitat sanctuaries for wildlife, be they layers of fallen leaves, specific shrubs important as food sources, or log and tree hollows.
Should there ever be an ecological tribunal vested in powers to assess government actions over the years on the subject, the failure to put in measures to protect species from calamity may well have to top the list. A reckless, occasionally malicious stupidity might count as motivation, but by then, not much will be left to protect. Any punishment will be left without a purpose.
The management of biodiversity and ecosystems, involving measures taken to bolster and buffer against the next catastrophe – for they will be more – matter far more. The discussion, as it stands, remains asphyxiated by the smoke and rage, with an overwhelming focus on human suffering, the calls for donations to human survivors, the search for compensation. The earth and its non-human inhabitants remain the statistics of silent suffering and, after this event, some will go the way of their doomed ancestors. As ever, Australia remains, as Dickman claims, the canary in the coal mine in terms of climate effects and human response. And the canary is not looking too good.
*
Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research and Asia-Pacific Research. Email: [email protected]
Featured image is from Wikimedia Commons


asiapacificresearch--2020-01-10--Massive All-India General Strike Protests Modi’s Pro-investor, Communalist Policies

Tens of millions of Indian workers , youth and rural toilers joined a one-day nationwide general strike yesterday to protest the Bharatiya Jananta Party ( BJP ) government ’ s pro-investor and communalist policies .
Since winning re-election last May , with massive big business and corporate media support , the BJP government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dramatically escalated its assault on the working class .
Through changes to the country ’ s labour laws , it is promoting the proliferation of precarious contract-labour jobs and further limiting workers ’ right to strike and organise .
It has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sector enterprises , moving forward with plans to sell off India ’ s railways , open up the coal industry to private investors , and privatise Air India and Bharat Petroleum .
It has also provided big business with another bonanza by slashing the corporate tax rate by 8 percentage points , or more than a quarter .
At the same time , with the aim of splitting the working class and mobilising its Hindu-supremacist base as a battering ram against mounting social opposition , the Modi government has taken a series of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muslim minority .
These include illegally abolishing the special , semi-autonomous constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir , hitherto India ’ s only Muslim-majority state , and , last month , rushing into law a discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act ( CAA ) .
Yesterday ’ s strike was called by 10 central union federations , and had the explicit support of the Stalinist parliamentary parties—the Communist Party of India ( Marxist ) or CPM and the Communist Party of India ( CPI ) —and the implicit support of the big business Congress Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aligned .
Key union demands—formulated in a 12-point charter—include measures to provide jobs for the unemployed , now estimated to number 73 million or almost 8 percent of the workforce ; basic social protections for all workers ; and increases in pensions and the derisory minimum wage .
The strike also demanded the repeal of the CAA and the scrapping of the government ’ s plan to force all of the country ’ s 1.3 billion residents to prove their entitlement to Indian citizenship , a scheme transparently aimed at intimidating and harassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , big business , and the Modi government are all trying to downplay the impact of yesterday ’ s protest strike .
However , while the strike ’ s size and scope did vary across states and sectors of the economy , there is no doubt that it had a massive impact overall , and that yesterday ’ s action attested to both the growing militancy and the immense social power of the working class .
According to the Stalinist-led Centre of Indian Trade Unions ( CITU ) , 35 million bus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strike .
In many urban centres , including in the eastern Indian states of West Bengal , Odisha , and Bihar , and in Kerala in the southwest , much or most of public transport was shut down .
Bank workers also joined the strike in huge numbers to protest the BJP government ’ s plans to merge and privatise many state-owned banks , which , like India ’ s financial system as a whole , are weighed down by massive corporate debts .
Many government workers joined the strike in defiance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BJP-led central government and various state governments .
A central government order stated that workers who joined the strike would face “ consequences , ” including “ deduction of wages ” and “ appropriate disciplinary actions.
” News reports indicate that industrial workers , including in India ’ s globally connected auto sector , came out in force .
Outlook India reported that workers walked out at Honda Motorcycle and Scooter ’ s Manesar , Haryana , plant and numerous auto parts plants in the Manesar-Gurgaon industrial belt , which lies on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delhi .
The strike also crippled production at the Bajaj Auto plant in Chakan , Maharashtra , and at Volvo bus and truck , Toyota car , and Bosch auto parts , and Vikrant Tyres plants in neighbouring Karnataka .
Hundreds of thousands of Coal India workers in Jharkand and across India , and jute plantation workers in West Bengal also joined the strike .
The power sector was heavily hit by the strike , with electricity production down by as much as 5 percent , as 1.5 million engineers and other power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge support for the strike from the extremely poorly paid , state-funded Anganwadi or rural child care workers , the vast majority of whom are women .
In some states , there were mass arrests of strikers and strike supporters .
In Tamil Nadu , the AIADMK state government , an ally of the BJP , ordered police to arrest protesters in the state capital , Chennai , and in Coimbatore , a textile manufacturing centre , where more than a thousand people were detained .
In West Bengal , led by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right-wing regional rival of the BJP , there were clashes between security forces , TMC goons , and strike supporters .
After strike supporters blocked trains , Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went on a tirade , accusing the CPM and its Left Front allies of seeking “ cheap publicity by calling bandhs [ strikes ] and hurling bombs at buses.
” According to the Newsclick website , farmers and agricultural workers joined rallies , road blockades and other protests in nearly 480 of India ’ s 732 districts , and students at 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike took place amid the countrywide wave of mass protests that erupted in response to the passage of the discriminatory CAA .
These protests , while spearheaded by Muslim youth , have cut across the communal , caste and ethnic divisions that the ruling elite has long cultivated so as to set working people against each other .
Roiled by the seemingly sudden , but in reality deeply-rooted , emergence of mass opposition , the BJP government has responded with massive state repression—including lethal police violence , blanket bans on protests , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Hindu communalism .
In late December , Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat , flouting elementary democratic-constitutional principles , rallied to the government ’ s support , labeling the anti-CAA agitation as “ violent ” and chastising students for “ misleading ” the nation .
Modi has since promoted him to be India ’ s first Chief of Defence Staff .
Last Sunday evening , in an outrage for which even the Hindu has held the BJP government responsible , members of the ABVP , the student group linked to the BJP and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , savagely assaulted students at Delhi ’ s Jawaharlal Nehru University ( JNU ) .
More than 40 students had to be hospitalised , many with serious injuries after being attacked with iron rods , field-hockey sticks and stones .
JNU has been an especial target of the BJP government and Hindu right since at least 2016 , because of its long association with left-wing activism and socialist politics .
Meanwhile , global and domestic capital are demanding that the BJP government introduce a new wave of “ big bang ” neo-liberal reforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to pull the Indian economy out of an accelerating slowdown .
In line with these demands , the BJP government has reportedly decided to slash its annual spending in the remaining three months of the 2019-2020 fiscal year by 2 trillion rupees ( US $ 27.87 billion ) or the annual equivalent of 7 percent .
Even so , due to a massive revenue shortfall , the budget deficit is expected to swell from a planned 3.3 percent of GDP to 3.8 percent .
To gird itself to contend with mounting economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government is moving to further strengthen the Indian bourgeoisie ’ s reckless and incendiary anti-China alliance with Washington .
On Tuesday , as Trump was discussing the next steps in the US war drive against Iran following his criminal assassination of Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Suleimani , Modi telephoned the US president .
According to a White House statement , Modi and Trump discussed “ ways to further strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership in 2020.
” The mounting working-class challenge to the Modi regime is part of a global upsurge in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has seen major strikes and sustained , and in some cases insurrectionary , protest movements around the world , including in Chile , Ecuador , Haiti , Mexico , the United States , France , Britain , Algeria , Sudan , Lebanon , and Sri Lanka .
As everywhere , the pressing task in India is to politically arm the growing working-class counter-offensive with an international socialist programme and revolutionary leadership .
In diametrical opposition to the needs and aspirations of the tens of millions of workers and youth who joined yesterday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stalinist parties are seeking to channel the mass opposition to the BJP and the bitter fruits of three decades of India ’ s capitalist “ rise ” behind the Congress Party and a parade of right-wing ethno-chauvinist and caste-ist parties .
For them , yesterday ’ s strike was a manoeuvre aimed at burnishing their “ militant ” credentials , the better to contain , defuse and suppress working-class opposition .
Their hostility to genuine class struggle is epitomised in their callous abandonment of the 13 Maruti Suzuki workers jailed for life on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of leading resistance to contract labour and a brutal work-regime , and their pleas for Modi to resume regular meetings of the tripartite Indian Labour Conference .
For decades , in the name of opposing the Hindu supremacist BJP , the CPM , CPI and their respective union affiliates , the CITU and All India Trades Union ( AITUC ) , have supported right-wing governments , most of them Congress-led , that implemented pro-market policies and pursued ever-closer relations with Washington .
In a statement distributed to strikers yesterday , “ Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight Modi , capitalist austerity , and communal reaction , ” the World Socialist Web Site explained : Note to readers : please click the share buttons above or below .
Forward this article to your email lists .
Crosspost on your blog site , internet forums .
etc .

Tens of millions of Indian workers, youth and rural toilers joined a one-day nationwide general strike yesterday to protest the Bharatiya Jananta Party (BJP) government’s pro-investor and communalist policies.
Since winning re-election last May, with massive big business and corporate media support, the BJP government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dramatically escalated its assault on the working class. Through changes to the country’s labour laws, it is promoting the proliferation of precarious contract-labour jobs and further limiting workers’ right to strike and organise. It has also dramatically accelerated the privatisation of public sector enterprises, moving forward with plans to sell off India’s railways, open up the coal industry to private investors, and privatise Air India and Bharat Petroleum. It has also provided big business with another bonanza by slashing the corporate tax rate by 8 percentage points, or more than a quarter.
At the same time, with the aim of splitting the working class and mobilising its Hindu-supremacist base as a battering ram against mounting social opposition, the Modi government has taken a series of provocative steps targeting the country’s Muslim minority. These include illegally abolishing the special, semi-autonomous constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir, hitherto India’s only Muslim-majority state, and, last month, rushing into law a discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Yesterday’s strike was called by 10 central union federations, and had the explicit support of the Stalinist parliamentary parties—the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM and the Communist Party of India (CPI)—and the implicit support of the big business Congress Party, with whom the Stalinists are closely aligned.
Key union demands—formulated in a 12-point charter—include measures to provide jobs for the unemployed, now estimated to number 73 million or almost 8 percent of the workforce; basic social protections for all workers; and increases in pensions and the derisory minimum wage. The strike also demanded the repeal of the CAA and the scrapping of the government’s plan to force all of the country’s 1.3 billion residents to prove their entitlement to Indian citizenship, a scheme transparently aimed at intimidating and harassing the Muslim minority.
The corporate media, big business, and the Modi government are all trying to downplay the impact of yesterday’s protest strike.
However, while the strike’s size and scope did vary across states and sectors of the economy, there is no doubt that it had a massive impact overall, and that yesterday’s action attested to both the growing militancy and the immense social power of the working class.
According to the Stalinist-led Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), 35 million bus, truck, and auto rickshaw drivers joined the strike. In many urban centres, including in the eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar, and in Kerala in the southwest, much or most of public transport was shut down.
Bank workers also joined the strike in huge numbers to protest the BJP government’s plans to merge and privatise many state-owned banks, which, like India’s financial system as a whole, are weighed down by massive corporate debts.
Many government workers joined the strike in defiance of threats of reprisals issued by the BJP-led central government and various state governments. A central government order stated that workers who joined the strike would face “consequences,” including “deduction of wages” and “appropriate disciplinary actions.”
News reports indicate that industrial workers, including in India’s globally connected auto sector, came out in force. Outlook India reported that workers walked out at Honda Motorcycle and Scooter’s Manesar, Haryana, plant and numerous auto parts plants in the Manesar-Gurgaon industrial belt, which lies on the outskirts of India’s capital, Delhi. The strike also crippled production at the Bajaj Auto plant in Chakan, Maharashtra, and at Volvo bus and truck, Toyota car, and Bosch auto parts, and Vikrant Tyres plants in neighbouring Karnataka. Hundreds of thousands of Coal India workers in Jharkand and across India, and jute plantation workers in West Bengal also joined the strike.
The power sector was heavily hit by the strike, with electricity production down by as much as 5 percent, as 1.5 million engineers and other power workers walked out.
There was also huge support for the strike from the extremely poorly paid, state-funded Anganwadi or rural child care workers, the vast majority of whom are women.
In some states, there were mass arrests of strikers and strike supporters. In Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK state government, an ally of the BJP, ordered police to arrest protesters in the state capital, Chennai, and in Coimbatore, a textile manufacturing centre, where more than a thousand people were detained.
In West Bengal, led by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), a right-wing regional rival of the BJP, there were clashes between security forces, TMC goons, and strike supporters. After strike supporters blocked trains, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went on a tirade, accusing the CPM and its Left Front allies of seeking “cheap publicity by calling bandhs [strikes] and hurling bombs at buses.”
According to the Newsclick website, farmers and agricultural workers joined rallies, road blockades and other protests in nearly 480 of India’s 732 districts, and students at 60 universities boycotted classes.
Yesterday’s strike took place amid the countrywide wave of mass protests that erupted in response to the passage of the discriminatory CAA. These protests, while spearheaded by Muslim youth, have cut across the communal, caste and ethnic divisions that the ruling elite has long cultivated so as to set working people against each other.
Roiled by the seemingly sudden, but in reality deeply-rooted, emergence of mass opposition, the BJP government has responded with massive state repression—including lethal police violence, blanket bans on protests, and Internet shutdowns—and by ratcheting up its promotion of Hindu communalism.
In late December, Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat, flouting elementary democratic-constitutional principles, rallied to the government’s support, labeling the anti-CAA agitation as “violent” and chastising students for “misleading” the nation. Modi has since promoted him to be India’s first Chief of Defence Staff.
Last Sunday evening, in an outrage for which even the Hindu has held the BJP government responsible, members of the ABVP, the student group linked to the BJP and its fascistic ideological mentor, the RSS, savagely assaulted students at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). More than 40 students had to be hospitalised, many with serious injuries after being attacked with iron rods, field-hockey sticks and stones.
JNU has been an especial target of the BJP government and Hindu right since at least 2016, because of its long association with left-wing activism and socialist politics.
Meanwhile, global and domestic capital are demanding that the BJP government introduce a new wave of “big bang” neo-liberal reforms, so as to attract the investment needed to pull the Indian economy out of an accelerating slowdown.
In line with these demands, the BJP government has reportedly decided to slash its annual spending in the remaining three months of the 2019-2020 fiscal year by 2 trillion rupees (US$27.87 billion) or the annual equivalent of 7 percent. Even so, due to a massive revenue shortfall, the budget deficit is expected to swell from a planned 3.3 percent of GDP to 3.8 percent.
To gird itself to contend with mounting economic turbulence and working-class opposition, the Modi government is moving to further strengthen the Indian bourgeoisie’s reckless and incendiary anti-China alliance with Washington. On Tuesday, as Trump was discussing the next steps in the US war drive against Iran following his criminal assassination of Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Suleimani, Modi telephoned the US president. According to a White House statement, Modi and Trump discussed “ways to further strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership in 2020.”
The mounting working-class challenge to the Modi regime is part of a global upsurge in the class struggle. The past year that has seen major strikes and sustained, and in some cases insurrectionary, protest movements around the world, including in Chile, Ecuador, Haiti, Mexico, the United States, France, Britain, Algeria, Sudan, Lebanon, and Sri Lanka.
As everywhere, the pressing task in India is to politically arm the growing working-class counter-offensive with an international socialist programme and revolutionary leadership.
In diametrical opposition to the needs and aspirations of the tens of millions of workers and youth who joined yesterday’s strike, the unions and Stalinist parties are seeking to channel the mass opposition to the BJP and the bitter fruits of three decades of India’s capitalist “rise” behind the Congress Party and a parade of right-wing ethno-chauvinist and caste-ist parties. For them, yesterday’s strike was a manoeuvre aimed at burnishing their “militant” credentials, the better to contain, defuse and suppress working-class opposition.
Their hostility to genuine class struggle is epitomised in their callous abandonment of the 13 Maruti Suzuki workers jailed for life on frame-up murder charges for the “crime” of leading resistance to contract labour and a brutal work-regime, and their pleas for Modi to resume regular meetings of the tripartite Indian Labour Conference.
For decades, in the name of opposing the Hindu supremacist BJP, the CPM, CPI and their respective union affiliates, the CITU and All India Trades Union (AITUC), have supported right-wing governments, most of them Congress-led, that implemented pro-market policies and pursued ever-closer relations with Washington.
In a statement distributed to strikers yesterday, “Indian workers need a revolutionary socialist program me to fight Modi, capitalist austerity, and communal reaction,” the World Socialist Web Site explained:
“The only viable strategy to defend democratic rights and defeat communalist and fascist reaction in India, and around the world, is one based on the international class struggle and the independent political mobil is ation of the working class against the decrepit capitalist order.”
*
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asiapacificresearch--2020-01-09--India’s Democracy Is Facing an Existential Threat

India ’ s Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu made a curious comment on 28 December .
“ Express dissent in a democratic way , ” he said .
Before he became the Vice President – a largely symbolic role – Naidu was the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) , the far-right political organization that now governs India .
Naidu made his comment in the context of nation-wide protests against an exclusionary set of laws and policies pushed by his party .
These laws and policies include the Citizenship Amendment Act ( CAA ) , the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Register of Citizens ( NRC ) .
These laws and policies deeply discriminate against India ’ s 200 million Muslims .
Peaceful protests have been taking place across the country .
Every public event seems to be transformed into a demonstration against not only these laws , but the government itself .
In Kolkata – from where I write these words – the annual Rainbow Pride Walk combined Gay Pride with opposition to these laws .
Signs at the march read , “ No CAA ” and “ No to Fascism.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen at these events – was everywhere , a symbol of the fight over how ‘ India ’ should be understood .
Street signs indicate widespread opposition to these laws and policies from a range of political parties : everyone , except the BJP , seems to be against them .
It has invigorated a serious debate about whether India ’ s State remains secular , and whether Indian society contains resources for secularism .
Secularism in the Indian context means that the State should respect and tolerate all religions ; Indian society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What secularism has not meant is that the State should drive a policy for the secularization of society , which would include promotion of rationality over mysticism and the taxation of religious institutions .
Even the weak form of Indian secularism is in dispute now with the BJP pushing for the Indian State and Indian society to be dominated by their own rigid and narrow view of Hinduism .
The BJP ’ s divisive politics threatens the secular compact with India ’ s large non-Hindu population , particularly the 200 million Muslims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The BJP ’ s political and cultural logic is against the respect and toleration of Islam and of Muslims .
It is a politics of cultural suffocation , impracticable for India ’ s social and cultural diversity .
BJP leaders – including Prime Minister Narendra Modi – continue to use the language of secularism to justify their political agenda .
Over the course of the past decade , the Indian State and the courts have formulated policies that accommodate the demands of minority groups , including on regressive grounds ( such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the name of secularism , the BJP has gone after these laws , using their existence to suggest that it is not the BJP but Muslims who are not secular ; an illustration of this is the BJP ’ s attempt to undercut the Muslim Personal Law by a Uniform Civil Code .
By this sleight of hand , the BJP masquerades as a defender of the Indian compact even as it undermines it .
This confusion now seems to be over .
The BJP ’ s strong anti-Muslim agenda over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defended as the BJP ’ s commitment to secularism ; it is seen for what it is – far-right bigotry .
One mechanism to preserve the diversity of India has been to emphasize the federal system over a central State .
India is divided into twenty-eight regional states and nine union territories .
One of these states – Jharkhand – had a provincial election as these protests cascaded .
The ruling BJP state government was defeated , and a coalition of a regional party – the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha – and the Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swearing in of the new chief minister – Hemant Soren – political leaders from a range of non-BJP parties came to make the ceremony into a political rally .
These leaders – chief ministers of states and leaders of political parties , including the Communists – argued that this election was a mandate against the BJP .
By March 2018 , the BJP ( with its allies ) ruled over 21 states , which account for 70 per cent of India ’ s population .
It appeared as if the BJP was unassailable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the state level fell , with the BJP losing power in five important states – Madhya Pradesh , Rajasthan , Chhattisgarh , Maharashtra , and Jharkhand .
Many of the non-BJP ruled states have said that they will not honor the slate of discriminatory laws .
This is a direct political challenge to the BJP .
If the non-BJP opposition parties which gathered to celebrate Soren ’ s victory in Jharkhand are able to form a principled alliance , then it is likely that they will weaken the BJP ’ s political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the authoritarianism of the BJP .
So too is the attempt by opposition parties to isolate the BJP .
A combination of the BJP ’ s arrogance and its failure to subordinate India ’ s diversity has shown that its authority is not derived from public acceptance of its agenda but from money and muscle power .
Unable to defend its discriminatory agenda , the BJP has taken recourse to raw police power .
BJP leader Yogi Adityanath , who is the Chief Minister of India ’ s largest state – Uttar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – has shut off the internet in key areas and used the full force of the police to beat , arrest , and intimidate anyone who opposes the BJP policy .
Of the twenty-seven people killed across India over these protests , nineteen were killed in Uttar Pradesh .
A fact-finding team found that Yogi was running a “ reign of terror ” in the state against protestors .
When five women drew chalk drawings ( kolam ) with slogans against the discriminatory laws in Chennai ( Tamil Nadu ) , they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police on behalf of the women , the police arrested the lawyers .
They join the thousands who have been arrested or held in preventative detention .
Meanwhile , the internet has been cut off for large parts of the country .
Two foreign nationals who had protested the laws – including a German student – have been deported .
A fact-finding team found that the Delhi Police – which is controlled by the BJP government – was “ unrelenting and cruel ” in its behavior at Delhi ’ s Jamia Milia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that dissent should be expressed in a democratic way .
He was merely reflecting reality , since the protests have all been extraordinarily peaceful and respectful ; the protestors have reclaimed the Indian flag and its Constitution and are holding fast to the view that they have the law and the public sentiment on their side .
It is the documented behavior of the BJP officials and of the police that needs to be chastised by the Indian Vice President .
The violence that has taken place is the violence of the BJP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not the violence of the dissenters ( as noted by many observers , including Human Rights Watch ) .
It has become formulaic for the BJP to accuse its opponents of being “ anti-national ” ; now public sentiment suggests that it is the BJP which is anti-national .
In January , the trade unions and the left parties have called for a week of protests from 1 January onwards , which will culminate in a general strike on 8 January .
Last year ’ s trade union strike brought 180 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ momentum of these protests remains , then this strike on 8 January will be enormous ; it could weaken the BJP ’ s political power fatally .
Note to readers : please click the share buttons above or below .
Forward this article to your email lists .
Crosspost on your blog site , internet forums .
etc .
This article was produced by , a project of the Independent Media Institute .

India’s Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu made a curious comment on 28 December. “Express dissent in a democratic way,” he said. Before he became the Vice President – a largely symbolic role – Naidu was the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the far-right political organization that now governs India. Naidu made his comment in the context of nation-wide protests against an exclusionary set of laws and policies pushed by his party. These laws and policies include the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Population Register (NPR), and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). These laws and policies deeply discriminate against India’s 200 million Muslims.
Peaceful protests have been taking place across the country. Every public event seems to be transformed into a demonstration against not only these laws, but the government itself. In Kolkata – from where I write these words – the annual Rainbow Pride Walk combined Gay Pride with opposition to these laws. Signs at the march read, “No CAA” and “No to Fascism.” The Indian flag – not often seen at these events – was everywhere, a symbol of the fight over how ‘India’ should be understood.
Street signs indicate widespread opposition to these laws and policies from a range of political parties: everyone, except the BJP, seems to be against them. It has invigorated a serious debate about whether India’s State remains secular, and whether Indian society contains resources for secularism.
Secularism
Secularism in the Indian context means that the State should respect and tolerate all religions; Indian society should equally be tolerant of religious diversity.
What secularism has not meant is that the State should drive a policy for the secularization of society, which would include promotion of rationality over mysticism and the taxation of religious institutions.
Even the weak form of Indian secularism is in dispute now with the BJP pushing for the Indian State and Indian society to be dominated by their own rigid and narrow view of Hinduism. The BJP’s divisive politics threatens the secular compact with India’s large non-Hindu population, particularly the 200 million Muslims who live scattered across this vast country. The BJP’s political and cultural logic is against the respect and toleration of Islam and of Muslims. It is a politics of cultural suffocation, impracticable for India’s social and cultural diversity.
BJP leaders – including Prime Minister Narendra Modi – continue to use the language of secularism to justify their political agenda. Over the course of the past decade, the Indian State and the courts have formulated policies that accommodate the demands of minority groups, including on regressive grounds (such as laws of marriage and divorce).
In the name of secularism, the BJP has gone after these laws, using their existence to suggest that it is not the BJP but Muslims who are not secular; an illustration of this is the BJP’s attempt to undercut the Muslim Personal Law by a Uniform Civil Code. By this sleight of hand, the BJP masquerades as a defender of the Indian compact even as it undermines it. This confusion now seems to be over. The BJP’s strong anti-Muslim agenda over the definition of citizenship cannot be easily defended as the BJP’s commitment to secularism; it is seen for what it is – far-right bigotry.
Federalism
One mechanism to preserve the diversity of India has been to emphasize the federal system over a central State. India is divided into twenty-eight regional states and nine union territories. One of these states – Jharkhand – had a provincial election as these protests cascaded. The ruling BJP state government was defeated, and a coalition of a regional party – the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha – and the Congress Party won the election. At the swearing in of the new chief minister – Hemant Soren – political leaders from a range of non-BJP parties came to make the ceremony into a political rally. These leaders – chief ministers of states and leaders of political parties, including the Communists – argued that this election was a mandate against the BJP.
By March 2018, the BJP (with its allies) ruled over 21 states, which account for 70 per cent of India’s population. It appeared as if the BJP was unassailable. Then the BJP’s fortunes at the state level fell, with the BJP losing power in five important states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand.
Many of the non-BJP ruled states have said that they will not honor the slate of discriminatory laws. This is a direct political challenge to the BJP. If the non-BJP opposition parties which gathered to celebrate Soren’s victory in Jharkhand are able to form a principled alliance, then it is likely that they will weaken the BJP’s political power.
Federalism is a defensive barrier against the authoritarianism of the BJP. So too is the attempt by opposition parties to isolate the BJP. A combination of the BJP’s arrogance and its failure to subordinate India’s diversity has shown that its authority is not derived from public acceptance of its agenda but from money and muscle power.
Muscle
Unable to defend its discriminatory agenda, the BJP has taken recourse to raw police power. BJP leader Yogi Adityanath, who is the Chief Minister of India’s largest state – Uttar Pradesh (population: 200 million) – has shut off the internet in key areas and used the full force of the police to beat, arrest, and intimidate anyone who opposes the BJP policy. Of the twenty-seven people killed across India over these protests, nineteen were killed in Uttar Pradesh. A fact-finding team found that Yogi was running a “reign of terror” in the state against protestors.
When five women drew chalk drawings (kolam) with slogans against the discriminatory laws in Chennai (Tamil Nadu), they were arrested; when three lawyers went to the police on behalf of the women, the police arrested the lawyers. They join the thousands who have been arrested or held in preventative detention. Meanwhile, the internet has been cut off for large parts of the country. Two foreign nationals who had protested the laws – including a German student – have been deported. A fact-finding team found that the Delhi Police – which is controlled by the BJP government – was “unrelenting and cruel” in its behavior at Delhi’s Jamia Milia Islamia University.
Vice President Naidu warned that dissent should be expressed in a democratic way. He was merely reflecting reality, since the protests have all been extraordinarily peaceful and respectful; the protestors have reclaimed the Indian flag and its Constitution and are holding fast to the view that they have the law and the public sentiment on their side.
It is the documented behavior of the BJP officials and of the police that needs to be chastised by the Indian Vice President. The violence that has taken place is the violence of the BJP’s hooligans and of the police, not the violence of the dissenters (as noted by many observers, including Human Rights Watch). It has become formulaic for the BJP to accuse its opponents of being “anti-national”; now public sentiment suggests that it is the BJP which is anti-national.
In January, the trade unions and the left parties have called for a week of protests from 1 January onwards, which will culminate in a general strike on 8 January. Last year’s trade union strike brought 180 million people onto the streets. If the momentum of these protests remains, then this strike on 8 January will be enormous; it could weaken the BJP’s political power fatally.
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This article was produced by Globetrotter , a project of the Independent Media Institute.
Vijay Prashad is author of Red Star Over the Third World (LeftWord, 2017) and the Chief Editor of LeftWord Books. Featured image is from The Bullet