Disinformation Hindus Human Rights Misinformation

‘Hatred against Hindus does not shock people’

Treated as ‘oppressors’, British Hindus face bullying, hatred, bigotry & slurs. Teaching on Hinduism with prejudice & colonial mind set Charlotte Littlewood Research I conducted last year for the Henry Jackson Society study found a 173 per cent increase in anti-semitic incidents in UK schools over the past five years. With the more general rise in anti-semitism a regular headline, what was almost more shocking than the research was just how little it shocked people. This year, we have looked into the experiences of Hindu pupils and found that 51 per cent of Hindu parents surveyed said their child had faced anti-Hindu hate in schools. Where are the protesters against this intolerance? Why is it that in an age of supposed anti-racism, attacks on both the longest standing victims of race hate and a people held under British colonial rule for hundreds of years draw so little concern? David Baddiel’s thesis rings true: Jews don’t count because they are not the right kind of victim. Contemporary anti-semitism draws on centuries-old bigotry that depicts them as “too rich” and “too powerful”. Now it seems this idea has barred another group of victims from victimhood: Hindus. For sections of the left, the world is divided into the “oppressor” and “oppressed”. Should you fall into the oppressor class you are everything that should be opposed and can never be a victim? Jews are viewed as white and powerful, imperialist and establishment, therefore deemed not able by definition to face racism and incapable of being victims. Hindus, it seems, have joined them. Last summer, more than 600 people took to the streets of Leicester in violent protest against alleged “Hindutva”, a term unfamiliar to many. To some it means Hindu nationalism, to others simply outward expression of “Hinduness”. While Muslim and Hindu youths had fought in what looked like gang-style territorial violence, there was little evidence of any political nationalist allegiances with India. Instead, concern over Hindu extremism lead to threats to find Hindus and “chop them up”, to “chase Hindus out of Leicester like they were chased out of Kashmir”, vandalism of vehicles and homes that displayed Hindu symbols and attacks on Hindu temples — all while the majority of mainstream media seemed to comment on any aspect other than Hindu-hate. Despite the evidence pointing towards youth gang violence dressed up as “Hindtuva” terrorism, reporting on the unrest in Leicester either endorsed the notion of “Hindutva” by giving a voice to key Islamist activists, or ignored the specific issues in Leicester by discussing nationalism on the subcontinent. Mohammed Hijab, for example, who declared at a pro-Palestine rally in 2021 that “we love death” and rallied the crowds in Leicester with anti-Hindu slurs, referring to them as “violent vegetarians” and declaring he was leading a Muslim patrol, was interviewed on Channel 4. The reporter described him as an influencer with conservative views. The results of our study showed parents reporting their children to have experienced anti-Hindu hate, with cases ranging from having beef thrown at them to physical assaults, being held accountable for politics in India and the caste system and being told the bullying will stop when they convert to Islam. But despite such harrowing case studies, less than one per cent of British schools have reported any form of anti-Hindu bullying incidents in the last five years. This particular form of hatred appears poorly understood and is at times fed by teachers with substandard and prejudicial colonialist teachings on Hinduism. Similar accusations have, of course, been made on teaching about Israel and Palestine in schools and a lack of consistent understanding and approach to defining antisemitism. The British Hindu community has joined the Jews in not being fit for victimhood. The perceived economic success of the community, the relative lack of engagement in issuing critiques against the West — indeed, enthusiastic embrace of it with a Hindu prime minister — bars Hindus from the class of the oppressed. India’s growing relationship with Israel has led far-left activists to associate Hindutva with Zionism, the death knell for leftist victim support. It is an uphill battle but we must challenge at every opportunity this narrative of “oppressed” and “oppressor” classes, which underlie antisemitic and anti-Hindu frameworks of thinking — or risk seeing intolerance and extremism continue on their upward trajectory. (Charlotte Littlewood is a researcher at the Henry Jackson Society. This article was first published in London-based The Jewish Chronicle)

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Does ‘The Guardian’ understand Hindu way of life?

Making intolerable, unsustainable charges of caste bias on Hindus in UK, US or elsewhere is untenable. Get your facts right! UK based ‘The Guardian’ editorial board has made a completely flawed off the mark comment on caste related issues in India. In the edition dated April 17, 2023, titled, “‘Caste is anti-Asian hate’: the activists fighting ‘less visible’ discrimination in the US”, written by Claire Wang, shows a fabricated story of Thenmozhi Soundararajan. The comment centres around Soundararajan and a few others like her. Families of these individuals seem to have go through caste based discrimination purportedly for being dalits. For the moment, none may want to even question the facts narrated by these individuals that formed an organization in New York infamously known as Equality Labs. These individuals and the organization brand themselves as staunch believers of Babasaheb Ambedkar and were low caste Hindus. Equality labs branded itself as an organization that undertakes community research, cultural and political organising, popular education and digital security. In practice, it disproportionately spews venum on the very concept of ‘Hindu dharma’, sanatan way of living and instigating most Americans against minority Hindus. Personal grouses of few individuals that had difficult past has been trumped up as a community issue of low caste Hindus in India and elsewhere in the world especially US through Equality Labs. For Instance, Thenmozhi was a University of California Berkeley student who purportedly was tramautised by her teacher. Well, there’s no documentary evidence or veracity of her story is unknown. But, she’s taken upon herself to paint all Hindus with a Demonic brush which has conveniently been propagated by ‘The Guardian’. Unlike Thenmozhi and her gang, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar never attempted or discussed demonisation of Hindus or Hindutva. In contrast, Ambedkar consistently advocated for equal rights for everyone, regardless of gender, caste, colour, or religion. For ‘Dharmic’ practitioners, discrimination of every kind is anathema as Hindus believe in an all inclusive and just society. Political director of Equality Labs is neither a Dalit or a Hindu. Sharmin Hossain, originally from Bangladesh, tweeted about the need to demolish Hindutva citing rampant dominant caste bias. Self proclaimed Dalit activists in reality do not want California school children to study contributions of Hindu sages from low castes as part of World History. Otherwise, there’s no plausible reason for Thenmozhi and her friends to campaign for removal of Dalits contributions from world history books. She allied with groups such as the South Asian Faculty Group (SAFG), which opposed inclusion of sages like Valmiki, Ravidasa, and Vyasa that have low caste origins in the text books way back in 2016. On November 7, 2017, she was found provoking and harassing Dalit, Bahujan and other Hindu American children as well asa parents gathered for a public hearing in the California Department of Education (CDE) in Sacramento. Eventually, she was removed from the building by police and security staff for an hour. This group also lobbied with several entities or individuals to prejudice their nefarious agenda. For example, Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey had once stoked a placard that read, ‘Smash Brahminical Patriarchy’. This action fuelled the anti-Hindu debate, and unsurprisingly that poster was designed by Thenmozhi Soundararajan. In reality, neither Dorsey had an inkling of what he was standing for nor Soundararajan. Falsification and manipulation by Thenmozhi didn’t stop here. During the organised Farmer’s Protest or Citizenship Amendment Act of India, Equality Labs, led by Thenmozhi manipulated information and pretended to be a victim. However, Thenmozhi and her self-identified Dalit community were never a discussion point in the protests that were centred around agriculture reforms and price issues. On Seattle City Council resolution relating to trumped up caste discrimination issues, First Hindu and Indian State Senator of Ohio, Niraj Antani, said, “I condemn in the strongest terms the ordinance passed by the Seattle City Council. Caste discrimination simply doesn’t exist now.” “Adding it to their non-discrimination policy is Hinduphobic and is a tool for those who are anti-Hindu to use to discriminate against Hindus in America, India, and around the world. Instead of passing this racist policy, Seattle should be passing policies to protect Hindus from discrimination, ” Niraj Antani added. On April 10, 2023, the California Civil Rights Department voluntarily dismissed a case against Cisco systems engineers Sundsar Iyer and Ramana Kompella who were victims of false allegations of caste based discrimination for the past three years. Iyer and Kompella were blatantly targeted because of their Hindu identities. Equality Labs promotes a narrative against Hindus citing upper-caste and Brahmins which is potentially dangerous, particularly given recent events in America and in India wherein, misinformation has lead to violent attacks on Hindus. For instance, the organisation has linked Hindu festivals like Holi to Hindu fascism and Brahmin dominance. Hindus and Hinduism is not exclusivist and its known for inclusivity. Equality Labs has been accused of supporting the Pakistani deep state-funded “free Kashmir” campaign and labelling Delhi riots, where the majority of victims were Hindus, as an “anti-Muslim pogrom.” Equality lab allied with radically anti-Hindu groups and participates in conferences like Dismantling Global Hindutva which perpetuates Hindu hatred and Anti-India agenda. It constantly looks for an opportunity to denigrate India and promote Hindu hatred using run of the mill speeches and activities from business interactions.

Disinformation Hindus Media Misinformation

576

What ails ‘The Nation’?

Abolitionists’ magazine in US has gone topsy-turvy on Russia, India and Jews, Hindus; hogged headlines for its toxic work culture CIHS Desk Is US based weekly magazine ‘The Nation’ swinging wild, unpredictable and swayed by its beliefs on issues ignoring facts and realities? The drift from practicing classical liberalism to far Left and then to spread of Hinduphobia seems pretty obvious in this ‘new avatar’ of ‘The Nation’. A cursory analysis of its news packaging and opinion pages over years demonstrate radical change in the classical liberalism based discourse that it was once known for. ‘The Nation’ has come under close scrutiny more than once in recent past due to its intransigence and lack of sensitivity towards its readers’ preferences and sensitivities. Toxic work environment and charges of sexual harassment within the editorial organization also became the media fodder. From pursuing anti-Semitism, coverage of Russia to peddling false narratives about India and Hindu culture apart from top deck changes in editorial leadership has brought the magazine to focus for unenviable reasons. This downslide of ‘The Nation’ has not happened in a jiffy. Way back in 2015, the publication had to offer an unqualified apology for having written a stinging piece against Senator Bernie Sanders. The Senator with Jewish origin was targeted for his stance on Israel. The Nation’ and its editorial board seem to have not learnt its lessons from this unsavoury episode. Otherwise, it would not have committed another flip flop down the line. In an article, the magazine had demonized Jews by drawing a comparison of Israeli policies towards Palestinians with the Holocaust which was crass. While ‘The Nation’ management brazened out accusations of promoting anti-sematic ideas, it denied any wrong doing on its part. These were not just a couple of instances where ‘The Nation’ bungled on its editorial waywardness. In 2014, the magazine published an essay by filmmaker Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick that held United States responsible for the rise of ISIS, Islamic State. It kicked up a row and was widely booed as its conspiracy theory was regarded as misguided and unfounded. It’s not just the editorial inconsistency that ‘The Nation’ came to be known for. The media company came to limelight after its personnel complained of toxic atmosphere and sexual predation. In 2017, a former intern at The Nation accused contributing editor Stephen F. Cohen of sexually harassing her during a trip to Russia. The magazine investigated and forced to sever its ties with Cohen. The incident raised broader questions about sexual harassment in American media and journalistic fraternity as well. Close on the heels were several women charging then literary editor, Leon Wieseltier of sexual harassment. The accusations, which were detailed in a report by the magazine’s ombudsman included claims that Wieseltier had made inappropriate comments and touched women without their consent. Wieseltier was again forced out from The Nation. Even as ‘The Nation’ struggled to smart after these insidious incidents, in 2019 yet another explicitly work place issue hit the publication. Its poetry editor Stephanie Burt resigned from her position after being accused of sexual harassment by a former student. The student alleged that Burt had engaged in years of inappropriate behaviour including sending sexually explicit messages, touching her without her consent. Burt denied the allegations but resigned from The Nation shortly after these came into public domain. About a year later, several former interns at The Nation wrote an open letter alleging that they had experienced sexual harassment and misconduct while working at the magazine. The letter published in ‘The Cut’, detailed several instances of harassment by senior staff members including unwanted touching and comments about their appearance. The Nation’s then editor, Katrina vanden Heuvel, apologized to the former interns and announced that the magazine would be conducting an investigation into these allegations. Not much was known on the outcome of this probe. While sex scandals made ‘The Nation’ a talking point, its stand on Russia and India apart from changes in editorial leadership turned the magazine into a rag pick. In 2018, through an article by Aaron Maté, ‘The Nation’ challenged reports relating to Russian interference in the presidential elections of US. The article argued that evidence on Russian involvement was weak and it was distracting the people from issues like role of money in politics. The article led the publication into a controversy with some of its readers accusing it of promoting Russian propaganda.[i] In 2019, the magazine published yet another article written by James Carden who argued that US should improve its relationship with Russia. It contended that US was too quick to demonize Russia, this could help ease tensions and promote stability. But, some readers argued to the contrary and pointed out that Russia was a security threat and that US should take a more confrontational stance. On India, ‘The Nation’ reportage has been completely off the mark, one sided and promoted Hinduphobia. For instance, in a write up headlined ‘India’s Press Crackdown: The Silencing of Journalists in Kashmir’, little known author Suchitra Vijayan failed to flag key issues confronting people in Kashmir valley. The write up was silent on dubious role played by Pakistan’s security establishment, its dirty tricks department, ISI and funding radical islamists leading to spread of radicalism in a few areas of Kashmir valley. Instead, ‘The Nation’ targeted Indian government’s handling of terror modules in the valley.[ii] ‘The Nation’ seems to have forgotten the widely agreed position that terror has no colour, creed, gender, region and religion. Again, in 2020, the magazine gave its forum to one, Ahmed bin Qasim who wrote a piece, ‘Delhi Is on Fire and My Kashmiri Parents Are in Prison’. Qasim argued that Indian government’s crackdown in the valley was part of a broader campaign to suppress dissent and promote Hindu nationalism in India. The article argued that Hindu nationalism led to authoritarianism in India thereby hate crimes against minorities. The article portrayed a false fearful image of Indian minorities.[iii] These were not isolated instances of ‘Hinduphobic’ stand

Disinformation Hindus Human Rights Media Misinformation Opinion

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Ram Navami processions Reality, Myth & Propaganda

Citizens & Lawyers Initiative, a relatively unknown organization or forum of any consequence in a bundled voluminous report on ‘Ram Navami’ and ‘Hanuman Jayanti processions has the audacity to describe these festival marches that are in vogue for millennia as ‘Routes of Wrath’. Justice Rohinton Nariman, a former judge of Supreme Court of India has lent his name with the foreword to this ‘hit job’ of an ‘agenda driven’ report that’s full of falsehoods, half-truths and propaganda to drive ‘Hinduphobia’ globally and further divide an intrinsically sensitive socio-economic groups that constitute Indian society. Divisiveness is the narrative in this report. Agenda is to ‘criminalize’ the over one billion Hindus in India and elsewhere. Break the social fabric that’s delicately balanced and stir up communal divide apart from weakening India in perceptions and narrative battle waged by a few self-centered individuals, organizations and groups that are well funded, groomed and motive under question.

Fact Sheet Geopolitics Hindus Human Rights Leadership Misinformation

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Majority Sikhs with India, against Khalistan

Western powers allowing handful Khalistanis to over their streets, resort to vandalism may be a way to pressurise India on Russia Neha Dahiya / New Delhi Barring a miniscule, vociferous and terror prone variety, majority Sikhs in India and elsewhere may not subscribe to the very concept of Khalistan. Silent majority may not have come out openly to say so. But, groundswell opinion of Sikhs may not be found in columns of print media, digital networks or TV shows that are beamed across. Whether Sikhs want a separate homeland called Khalistan becomes increasingly significant in wake of recent developments in Punjab and noisy, violent as well as aggressive protests being staged across world capitals. Also, for a research-based organization like Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies (CIHS), gauging the mood of Sikh society was important before making out a case on the issue. Ground inputs, media reports, publicly available intelligence suggests that there’s no popular support for Khalistan whatsoever either within or outside India. Violence and demonstrations orchestrated by Khalistani proponents is only to drum up support for their elusive concept of a separate homeland. There’s enough documentation in public domain to drive home the point that Khalistan and Kashmir (K2) were a project of Pakistan’s dirty tricks department, ISI to foment trouble in Indian Border States by propping up sub-nationalism, religious activities. Otherwise, Amritpal Singh, a small time businessman from Dubai is just a handle with drug lords that are pushing narcotics illegally from across the border. He’s a fugitive with no popular support and seen by some as a ‘robin hood’ variety. And, Amritpal is not a ‘preacher’ as made out by the Western media that lacks basic understanding of the issue. Otherwise, there’s no reason why Sikh leaders in India and abroad would dare come out against this fugitive on the run from law enforcement agencies in India. They are of the view that Amritpal and his outfit Waris Punjab De may have captured imagination of a few misled youth. But, publicly influential Sikh leaders hold the view that he has ruined dignity of the Sikh community and teachings of Gurus. On March 19, 2023, Khalistani protestors pulled down the Indian tricolour and made an attempt to storm the Indian High Commission in London. Prior to this, Khalistanis have had derided India and called martyr Bhagat Singh as a traitor or a terrorist, defaced statues of Mahatma Gandhi in western cities and did not spare Hindu religious places scribbling provocative, anti-India, anti-Hindu and Pro-Khalistan slogans on the walls of the temples. Silent majority in Sikh society have begun to speak out slow but cautiously. For instance, President of Takht Sri Patna Sahib managing committee Jagjot Singh Sohi condemned the incident of pulling down our national flag. It has sent the wrong message across the world. “We would request the London government to take strict action against those people responsible for this shameless act. There are few people living outside the country and engaged in such work. The people of the Sikh community are doing great work in the world, but time and again, such people malign the name of our community”, added Jagjot Singh Sohi. “No one else except Gurpatwant Singh Pannu — founder of banned Khalistani terrorist organisation — is behind this episode. He is a controversial person and keeps on doing such things. He has no followers in India, and he has only a handful of people supporting him”, Sohi said. There’s considerable underlying anger within the Sikh society on tactics, activities and posturing by the Khalistani elements. Insult to Indian flag has disappointed several prominent leaders that do not subscribe to Khalistan or dissociate from India for a separate homeland. Balgendra Singh Shami, a sikh community leader from Washington DC partly blamed the western media for the ‘hype’ around Khalistani activists violence unleashed in San Francisco and the American capital Shami said, “There are more than a million sikhs who live in North America and out of that only 50 show up outside Indian Embassy (San Francisco) to protest.” Sounding a word of caution and reconciliation Balgendra Singh Shami, “Whatever happened in Punjab is very unfortunate. I also condemn the violent incident that happened in the United Kingdom and the Indian consulate in the United States. As we are a democratic country, we have full right to protest, but it should be peaceful”. Another Sikh leaded Jasdeep Singh was quoted as saying “We condemn any violence that has happened outside the Indian Embassy in San Francisco or the desecration of the Indian flag in London. Everybody has a right to protest, but it should be peaceful & no violence or vandalism should happen”. Moderation has been hallmark of most sikh leaders in western cities. Interestingly, not many have even referred to Khalistan or even offered lip sympathy. Former president of Haryana Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak committee, Baljit Singh Daduwal, said, “We should not take any such step which will affect the sikh community across the world. Punjab needs peace, brotherhood and development”. Most sikh and Hindu leaders have pushed the development plank as a meeting point for larger peaceful co-living within and outside India. United Kingdom Member of Parliament, Bob Blackman summed up the violence in Western cities by a handful of Sikhs. Blackman said, “this (Khalistanis) is a very small, ultra-small section of the sikh community. Vast majority of sikhs in this country (UK) absolutely reject the Khalistani project. It’s not going to happen, as we know… My message is very simple to the police, when this (violence) happens; those people need to be arrested and dealt with properly.” President of Shiromani Akali Dal Sukhbir Singh Badal was more emphatic notwithstanding his party’s rejection in the last couple of state elections. Badal pointed out, “The people of Punjab do not know Amritpal. Media has built him up and media has created the fear that Khalistani sentiment is reviving and growing in Punjab. We Sikhs do not want Khalistan. We want a strong and

Geopolitics Leadership Policy

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Tactical Power Shift

India & Japan for open Indo-Pacific, game changing bilateral ties define Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to New Delhi Prachi Mishra Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s two-day visit to India is part of on-going bilateral engagement between the countries agreed in 2006. Since then, Indian and Japanese leaders have consistently worked on strengthening ties and auguring a stronger and open Indo-Pacific. Prime Minister Kishida’s visit signals growing influence of QUAD. It is also significant as India and Japan presently hold the G20 and the G7 presidencies respectively. Kishida’s visit comes in the wake of San Shinzo Abe’s tragic death. Prime Minister Abe is regarded as a great friend of India seeking to reconnect two classical civilizations. Kishida’s statements have pointed to a turning point with continuity in bilateral strategic relations. Highlight of his visit was to unveil a plan on Open and Free Indo-Pacific for which he committed US $ 75 billion. Japan and India have a long and shared history of bilateral relations, strategic cooperation, and a resolve to build a peaceful Indo-Pacific. Historical connect India and Japan share centuries-old relationship. Their ties can be traced back to the sixth century when Buddhism was introduced in Japan and adopted as a way of life in Japanese society. In 752 AD, Bharatiya Buddhist monk Bodhisena consecrated the Todaiji Temple at Nara. The towering Buddha statue at Tara has weathered many storms and stood the test of times. All through the last few centuries, India and Japan have never been adversarial towards each other and their relations have been free of disputes. In the recent past, Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore, and JRD Tata have been Indian cultural ambassadors to Japan[1]. In contemporary times, India and Japan signed a peace treaty after the Second World War which not only established India’s diplomatic relations in Japan but also uplifted morale of Japanese people who were recovering from the aftermath of the war. India also extended its iron resources to the war-torn Japan and helped immensely in its reconstruction. The first yen-loan was extended by Japan to India after Premier Nobusuke Kishi’s official visit to India in 1957. The two nations also find a lot of commonality in upholding democratic principles and rule of law. There have been umpteen trade and commerce deals between India and Japan. Set up in 1903, the Japan-Indian Association is the oldest global informal organisation in Japan. Economic and commercial cooperation Trade and commerce ties between India and Japan have steadily strengthened over last few decades. Both nations have a mutually beneficial relationship; Japan has tapped into India’s emerging and expanding market while India has relied on Japan for technology transfers and financial assistance. India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed in 2011 is the most holistic agreement that not only facilitates movement of goods and services but also human resource, shared development of intellectual property, and custom processes. Japan has been the largest financial donor for India. Over the years, Japan has supported India in infrastructure and technological development in sectors like railways and roadways, power, and environment. The most recent and the most relevant projects are Ahmedabad – Mumbai High Speed Rail, Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, and the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation was also facilitated by Japanese assistance. Table 1 lists items of trade between India and Japan. Table 1. Import-export goods in Indo-Japan trade ties. Imports from Japan to India Exports from India to Japan Machinery and instruments Petroleum products Transport equipment Chemicals and compounds Iron and steel goods Fish and by-products of fisheries Electronic equipment and goods Metal ores and scrap Organic chemicals Clothing, textiles, accessories Tools Iron and steel products During financial year ending March 31, 2022, India was the 18th largest trading partner for Japan. Concomitantly, Japan was the 13th largest trading partner for India. Also, Japan’s foreign direct investment has soared in the last few years, with India becoming the 5th largest investing country for 2021-22. India has seen a sharp rise in the number of Japanese firms totalling to 1455 that operate in India. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show the value of trade carried out between the two countries since 2008. Fig. 1.Trade values of Indo-Japan trade. Source: Ministry of Trade and Commerce, Government of India. Ministry of Economy, Trade, Industry, Government of Japan. CIHS Analytics Fig. 2. Foreign direct investment from Japan to India in the last few years. Source: Ministry of Trade and Commerce, Government of India. Ministry of Economy, Trade, Industry, Government of Japan. CIHS Analytics. India has been the biggest recipient of the Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans in the last few years. India receives these loans from Japan under the latter’s “Act East” policy and “Partnership for Quality Infrastructure”. Table 2 summarises Japan’s ODA towards India. Table 2. Japan’s ODA towards India[2] Loans 312.25 billion Yen 2021-22 Grants 5.12 billion Yen 2020-21 Technical Cooperation 8.5 billion Yen 2021-22 The two countries have strengthened their relationship by focusing on developing strong supply chains through the India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership. Both India and Japan have also been striving for environmental protection and reduction of greenhouse gases. Their Clean Energy Partnership which was formulated in March 2022 focuses on achieving carbon neutrality and working towards energy security. Along with the Japan-India Energy Ministerial Dialogue, it also aims for a strategic cooperation plan in the fields of hydrogen, ammonia, and LNG. Science and technology cooperation Both India and Japan have benefitted from their science and technology cooperation over last several decades. While Japanese firms have revolutionised the Indian technology market, Indian software engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and technologists have contributed immensely to scientific research and development in Japan. India and Japan signed bilateral Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement in 1985 to foster an era of scientific advancement in the Indo-Pacific. Subsequently, the India-Japan Science Council (IJSC) was set up in 1993 facilitated several advancements. Till date, it has[3] Over 550 students have attended exchange programs through a

Media

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Explainer: Recognition of same-sex marriages

On March 13, 2023, Indian apex court transferred a plea for recognition of same-sex marriages to the constitutional bench. Justice DY Chandrachud, PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala listed the hearing from April 18, 2023. In an affidavit, Indian government has opposed the plea seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriages. Indian government said that marriage is accepted ‘statutorily, religiously and socially’ only between a biological man and a woman. The affidavit argued that any deviation from this accepted form could only be voted by lawmakers and not ruled by courts.

Geopolitics Leadership Policy

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Stability or chaos, What next in Nepal?

Rohan Giri Amid political uncertainty and bleak future, Himalayan former Hindu Kingdom, Nepal elected its new President in 78-year-old Ram Chandra Paudel. Paudel is a senior Nepali Congress leader and defeated Nepal Communist Party (United Marxist Leninist) backed Subas Chandra Nembang. In the 52,628 weightage-based votes, Paudel secured 33,802 and was anointed Nepal’s President while Nembang polled 15,518 votes. After Nepal Pratinidhi Sabha or House of Representative was in session for 64-days with 275 members, Nepal Communist Party (United Marxist Leninist) broke away from the ruling coalition alliance and the government. The break up in ruling coalition was triggered by reported disagreement on the presidential candidate. As per Nepal Parliament’s current status, a party or an alliance will have to muster the support of at least138 members to gain majority and continue in governance. Nepal Communist Party (United Marxist Leninist), the second-largest party in the coalition government with 79 members has recently deserted the ruling alliance. The alliance, however, does not appear to have suffered significant losses since the Nepali Congress Party has 89 members, Nepal Communist Party (Maoist Center) – 32 members, and Rashtriya Swatantra Party has 20 members. These three parties command a comfortable majority with no threat to the government as of now. Desertion of CPN (UML) is widely being attributed to Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, “Prachanda” violation of December 25, 2022 agreement put together to assume power by the coalition. As a consequence, eight CPN (UML) ministers including Deputy Prime Minister in the Prachanda-led incumbent government resigned en masse thereby creating a flutter. Previously, in 2017, the alliance between China’s front-man Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli and Maoist guerrilla Pushpa Kumar Dahal fell apart. The churn in political coalitions demonstrates the potential for future uncertainties in Nepal. In an earlier report, it was predicted that the coalition would be difficult to survive as the co-existence of Maoists and Marxists influenced by China has seen about ten swearings-in and then thrown out of power in the last few years. To deal with such a situation, “under Clause 2 of Article 100 of the Constitution of Nepal, a prime minister would be required to seek a vote of confidence again if a coalition partner or political ally broke away or withdrew support from the government. In such a situation, Prime Minister will have to secure a fresh vote of confidence in 30 days. If the prime minister failed secure confidence vote by March 26 in the present context, Prachanda will lose office. Given the present numbers and assuming there would be no further cross overs or desertions, Prime Minister Prachanda is expected to sail through in the Parliament. Nepal, which established democracy in 2008 by ending the monarchical system of about 240 years, was successful in establishing democracy. However, with the change in the design, have they left behind their values as well? Nepal, a Hindu nation, has fallen into China’s trap. As a result, China’s debt has grown in the name of the country’s development, the leaders have become China’s puppets, and the path to instability is being taken in the name of disagreement. This mountain kingdom was different from that. The way to increase Nepal’s development and reduce instability will come from the nation’s own values, which are the Hindu values of a Hindu nation. Looking back ten to fifteen years, the contradiction between Hindu majority India and Nepal, which were very close, has grown. The Nepali leadership’s increasing closeness to the dragon is the only reason for this. So the actual cause for breaking the alliance is different from what we see on the information mediums; in reality, Beijing’s representative, KP Sharma Oli, wanted to take all the important political, economic, and strategic calls internally and externally but failed to do so. The following trust vote will decide who will lead Nepal and the next strategy. If the situation as it is now seen remains the same, then the current coalition can stay in power even further. (Rohan is a journalism graduate from Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) New Delhi, and Manager Operations at CIHS.)

Policy Security Technology

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India’s battle in the Skies: The Fight Against Pakistan’s Terror Drones

RahulPAWA | @imrahulpawa Recently, skies over India have become a battleground for an insidious new threat – terror drones. The severity of this menace was laid bare once again yesterday when Indian security forces detected a drone that had violated Indian airspace and was flying in from Pakistan near the international border in Gurdaspur district of the north Indian state of Punjab. In a swift retaliatory response, the Indian security forces fired upon the drone, causing it to retreat towards Pakistan. This incident follows a similar pattern from the previous month, where Indian security forces discovered a high-end Chinese-made DJI Matrice 300 RTK quadcopter in Gurdaspur that had infiltrated from Pakistan. The discovery of this sophisticated drone, valued at a staggering USD $13,700, is a sobering reminder of the growing use of advanced aerial technology by malevolent actors across borders. Moreover, not only Punjab has seen Pakistan-operated terror drones in violation of Indian airspace. Earlier this year, a drone was shot down in Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar sector. Indian security forces recovered five packages of narcotics from the wreckage of that drone. In another incident of illegal cross-border drone droppings from November last year in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Samba district. The police recovered two unassembled improvised explosive devices with detonators, two Chinese-made pistols, four magazines loaded with 60 rounds, and half a million Indian rupees that were dropped by a terror drone controlled from Pakistan. With this recent uptick in Pakistan’s unmanned aerial vehicle activity, it is becoming incessantly clear that the incidents involving their terror drones in India are not isolated occurrences; rather, they represent a calculated and deliberate escalation of modern-day asymmetrical warfare aimed at undermining India’s security. The usage of such drones by Pakistan for activities like hostile reconnaissance, drug and weapon trafficking, and transporting explosives and ammunition into India has increased four times in Punjab alone since the beginning of this year. As a countermeasure, Indian security forces stationed along the international border states have ramped up their vigilance and intercepted more than a dozen terror drones from Pakistan in the past few weeks alone. It is no secret that Pakistan is deeply involved in the insidious practice of narco-terrorism. This is not mere hearsay but a widely acknowledged fact, confirmed by international organisations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL), and prominent forums such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+). The FATF’s demand last year for Pakistan to demonstrate concrete action against terrorism was a reminder of its precarious position on the FATF grey list. Recent scrutiny of Pakistan’s government-sponsored terrorism has also been directed towards its bid to revive a 2019 bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). There were serious concerns over using bailout funds, given Pakistan’s history of fostering secessionism and terrorism in India. Pakistan’s tumultuous past has been characterised by widespread criticism of its army’s rampant corruption, the government’s lack of developmental policies, and a blatant disregard for its citizen’s welfare. The country has been notorious for its efforts to cultivate jihadist extremism and sponsor terrorism against India, which has ultimately resulted in its downfall. Subsequently, a classic case study for the world to see as an example of how states that harbour and endorse extremism, sponsor terrorism, and lack coherent plans for their people’s growth and development are bound to fail. Concerningly, the increasing and escalating use of terror drones launched from Pakistan against India epitomises the mindset of the country’s deep state and army. Alarmingly, Pakistan seems to have decided to persist in diverting its valuable resources towards supporting terror, thereby continuing to nurture the monster of terrorism that it created, even though it has already bankrupted the country. By resorting to narco-terrorism, small arms smuggling and financing of terrorism by the use of terror drones with an aspiration to destabilise India, especially its youth. Pakistan is exposing itself to further repercussions at the hands of an able Indian national security apparatus and extreme scrutiny from its financial backers, organisations, unions and nations that greatly benefit it. Pakistan has active loans from international lending agencies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), among others. It is also a partner in the Paris Pact Initiative, which seeks to combat opiate trafficking, consumption and related issues along the Afghan trafficking routes. Pakistan benefits from Europe’s preferential tariff programmes, including the GSP+. However, Pakistan’s blatant support for organised crime, extremism and terrorism has seriously undermined its credibility. As a result, these agencies and entities have imposed new stringent rectification requirements on Pakistan’s support for terrorism and extremism to maintain their support. The country’s unwavering commitment to pursuing this treacherous path endangers regional stability and poses a significant threat to global peace and security. At this crucial juncture, the international community must recognise the gravity and implications of Pakistan’s “terror drones” deployment against India. Moreover, global leaders must take note of the nations that endorse and enable Pakistan’s actions. Pakistan’s long-standing ally, the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) led China, which boasts an unbreakable friendship with Pakistan, has become a source of concern. Recent findings of Pakistan-operated terror drones and weaponry recovered in Indian territory offer tangible evidence of Chinese technology, equipment, and weaponry being used for narco-terror and related terrorist activities in India. A considerable proportion of the drones used by Pakistan in cross-border operations in India are supplied by the Chinese firm SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd. In December 2020, the US government listed DJI on a trade-restricted list due to concerns about its connections to the CPC government. Notably, some of the batteries that power these drones are manufactured by a company based in Karachi, Pakistan. Despite the CPC’s repeated claims of a firm commitment to combat international terrorism, doubts have arisen due to its continued support for Pakistan’s backed

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Ajay Banga, right man for the moment

Climate finance, funding private entrepreneurship, rebuilding war-torn Ukraine apart from democratizing World Bank should be priority K.A.Badarinath Ajaypal Singh Banga, nominee of US President Joe Biden to head the multi-lateral World Bank, has his task cut out. Banga may not turn out to be a traditional banker in the sense like many of his predecessors. Nor does he have experience of the US treasury like the present incumbent David Robert Malpass who would complete his term by June end. But Ajay Banga, 63 and son of a former Indian Army officer has all the credentials to flaunt and take charge of the World Bank at a very crucial juncture on geo-political front and the world of finance, banking and markets. God willing and other stakeholders support, Banga will head the bank beginning July 1 this year. Banga does not mince words to say that he’s ‘made in India’ referring to his modest Indian origins. He’s for long been poster boy of the Wall Street and a brilliant mind who as a naturalized US citizen is considered ‘compassionate banker par excellence’ by the democratic White House. His eventful innings at Master Card, Citibank, KFC, Pizza Hut and Nestle provider the requisite experience to lead the World Bank that’s considered ‘a big boys club’ which is either inaccessible or provides limited linkages to the least developed or developing small economies. Democratizing leviathan World Bank may be a daunting task for even Banga who admits to making ‘easy friends’ all over. Biggest challenge may come from the most powerful industrial countries that are unwilling to let go of their strangle hold on this Bretton Woods institution of 1944 vintage which came into being as post-world war workhorse. Turning the World Bank relevant and expanding its footprint in today’s world of development finance sans apprehensions by humanity is a challenge which Banga may have to face once he occupies the corner room. Providing ‘humane development face’ to the institution largely regarded rudderless and seen as one that pushes the countries it engages into unsustainable indebtedness is yet another challenge. Reforms at World Bank that progressed at sluggish pace or rather not taken off must be hastened. These reforms and World Bank’s governance must get aligned to current realities where large developing countries like India emerged with formidable economic strength and on way to achieve $5 trillion size. Both voting rights and actual shareholding in World Bank institutions like IBRD, IDA, MIGA and IFC must reflect the change agent that the organization aspires to achieve lifting itself over narrow powerful coteries. India may not be the only country that would look for better foothold and say in World Bank’s governance. Countries like South Africa and Brazil have periodically aired their grievances. Toughest nut to crack for Banga would be to deny US the veto vote on World Bank board thereby delinking shareholding from vote share. Reformed World Bank should kick off restructuring in the other multilateral organization, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Yet another vintage institution that’s incorrigible and invokes more of fear and scare for countries seeking restructuring support rather than turning a helping hand without hassles. Litmus test for Ajay Banga will be when the war torn Ukraine seeks the support of World Bank and IMF to rebuild itself after having engaged in a conflict with Russia. Non-NATO forces are bound to resist World Bank support to Ukraine that may try and pick up pieces to build a new country. In case Russian side continues to veto proposals for ending the conflict, then rebuilding Ukraine may turn that much difficult as well. Committing World Bank to climate finance for countries that seek to go full throttle in energy transition and address climate change issues is something that Ajay Banga can take lead in. Financing technology development, transfers and providing cost-effective funds to facilitate this transition is something Banga can push big time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged the issue with finance ministers and central bank governors from G-20 group that met in Bengaluru recently. Countries like India will alone need a whopping $2.5 trillion in green finance to achieve national development goals and another $ 10 trillion by 2070 to achieve net zero emissions. Climate finance is huge business that cannot be foregone by World Bank under Ajay Banga. And, he has to gear up to meet the opportunity and challenges to finance greening of economies. Given his inroads into corporate world and private equity markets, evolving IFC as the largest financing avenue for both private sector debt and equity can be enlisted as a priority. (author is Director & Chief Executive at New Delhi based non-partisan think tank, Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies)

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