THE attack on dalits in Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur district is symptomatic of the communal and caste forces unleashed in Uttar Pradesh after the BJP victory in the assembly election and the formation of the Adityanath government.Immediately after the new government assumed office, attacks on Muslims and dalits began. The closing down of meat shops and abattoirs directly affected the livelihoods of lakhs of Muslims and dalits. What is ominous is that with Yogi at the helm, rabid communal and upper caste forces are asserting themselves.

THE beheading of two soldiers, one from the army and the other from the Border Security Force, within the Line of Control in the Poonch sector, is a brutal provocation. Whether the killing and mutilation of the two soldiers was done by the Pakistani army, or by extremists who crossed over with their assistance, it is a barbaric act which goes against all military norms and the Geneva Convention.There has to be a measured response from the Indian army.

THE entire people of Kashmir valley are up in revolt against the Indian State.  This has been vividly brought out in the past week.  The by-election to the Srinagar parliamentary seat saw an abysmal participation with only 7.12 percent of the votes cast. This record low polling was not because of coercion and intimidation, but mainly by the people refusing to participate in the election.

BY launching a missile attack on a Syrian air force base, Donald Trump has acted as US presidents are wont to do, which is to violate the sovereignty of independent countries and to trample upon international law. In ordering the first military action against the Syrian government and its armed forces, Trump has also dispelled some of the fake news that he himself had purveyed.  During the presidential election campaign, Trump had criticised US military interventions to effect “regime change” and the folly of spending huge amounts of money in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  In fact, he h

THE Modi government has taken another surreptitious step to harness corporate funding for the BJP and to subject the political system to the sway of big money.While presenting the Union Budget, the finance minister had announced that the government would introduce “electoral bonds” as a means of funding for political parties.  According to this concept, anyone wanting to contribute money to a political party can, through a bank, purchase an electoral bond for a specified amount.  This bond can then be put into the account of a political party.  The noteworthy feature of this bond is that th