Is India’s mainstream media becoming a liability for Modi?   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmQpPOOPodI   The Listening Post
Al Jazeera English The tit-for-tat conflict between India and Pakistan lasted only a week before a ceasefire deal was reached, but it was long enough to provide an insight into the role the media might play in a longer war.  Hartosh Singh Bal – Executive editor, The Caravan magazine

The expectations placed on the Modi government by a section of the media, in fact boxed the government, and which also raised the level of skepticism   https://youtu.be/AmQpPOOPodI?t=272

The two and a half front war https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/up-front/story/20210125-the-two-and-a-half-front-war-1759580-2021-01-17 
The Indian Army's principal adversaries-China, on the northern front, and Pakistan, the western front-behaving more 'collusively', training and operating together and exchanging intelligence.

The threat of India’s two-and-a-half front war     https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/the-threat-of-india-s-two-and-a-half-front-war-101641647815971.html  war '-armyspeak for all its external and internal security challenges-is now a reality. The two fronts being China and Pakistan and the half front being counter insurgency.
ByRaghu Raman

Some years ago, during the Bastar conflict, a senior police officer told me that tribals never had any existence, nor will they ever have. No status, no life, no identity. Tribals are to be crushed and killed like insects. 

Recently, I received information that in the Karregutta forests, under the pretext of Maoists, a large number of tribal people were killed and brought down from the mountains. Their families are in great distress. They are hungry, thirsty, and fighting to retrieve the bodies, but the police administration is not handing them over.

In this situation, on May 12, 2025, I reached Bijapur District Hospital. Tribals from many villages were moving back and forth between the hospital and the Bijapur police station. I met with the villagers and started gathering information—what really happened on the Karregutta hills? Is what the police and the government are saying true? Tell us everything, only then can we help.

Many men, women, and children from several villages had come. Family members and villagers told me, “Sister, we’ve heard about the so-called encounter, but there was no such incident. It’s all fake. In reality, there was cross-firing between the CRPF’s CoBRA unit, DRG, and Telangana’s Greyhounds. These forces mistakenly fired at each other. Three policemen also died, and many were injured. These injuries were not caused by Maoist IEDs or explosives, but by mutual firing. This incident happened on May 7, 2025, around 7–8 AM.”

“We have come to claim the bodies. These are the bodies from that same day and date. The police surrounded and killed them—some were minors, some innocent tribals. Some were unarmed farmers, Sangham members. No one was a Maoist leader. There was no encounter on May 6–7.”

I asked the villagers how they knew the date was May 7. They said, “Some of our people are in the DRG. They called and informed us to come collect the bodies of our family members—they’ve been killed. We came on the 8th to get the bodies. We waited until the night of the 9th, hoping to take them, but the police didn’t hand them over. After two days without food or water, we had to return to our village on the 10th. We came again today, May 12, to claim the bodies. We don’t know if they’ll be given.”

I said, “Today, no matter what, we will take the bodies. We are all with you.” The families were extremely distressed. Time kept passing, and the police administration kept delaying. Why so much drama over handing over dead bodies? We couldn’t understand anything.

We all moved forward to take the bodies. Finally, the police were forced to start handing them over. As I approached the bodies, I saw that thousands of maggots were crawling on them. Every corpse was covered in insects. The dead tribal bodies were being devoured by worms. The officer’s cruel words were becoming reality before my eyes. 

The question should not be whether the dead person was a Maoist or an innocent tribal. All those killed were human beings. And they were all tribals of Bastar. The dead bodies of tribals are left to rot so that the families can’t recognize them. This time, it took the police administration and the government six days to build the lie of a fake encounter.

If an Adivasi mother has two sons, the government gives a gun to one and makes him a soldier. The other fights to protect his land. If the one fighting for the government dies, he is wrapped in the national flag and given a state funeral. But if the one fighting to protect his land dies, his body is left covered in worms. — Soni Sori

 7th May : 22 Maoists Killed in Karregutta Encounter  https://www.deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/telangana/26-maoists-killed-in-massive-encounter-in-karregutta-1877440  According to official sources, a joint task force comprising personnel from the DRG, COBRA, CRPF, STF, Bastar Fighters and the Chhattisgarh armed forces launched a large-scale anti-Maoist operation over the past 15 days in the Karregutta region.

31 Maoists killed in 21-day action at Karreguttalu hills in Chhattisgarh https://indianexpress.com/article/india/anti-naxal-operations-31-maoists-killed-karregutta-hills-crpf-dg-10005371/ The Union Home Minister further lauded the bravery and precision of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Special Task Force (STF), and the District Reserve Guard (DRG) for completing the 21-day-long anti-Naxal operation without any casualties among the security personnel. 

The West Is collapsing under its own lies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHtrLFwwVaI   | Yanis Varoufakis

https://www.marineinsight.com/maritime-law/understanding-international-waters-boundaries-jurisdiction-and-legal-implications/ The starting point of international waters is generally recognised as the point where a nation’s territorial sea ends, usually 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal state. This principle is enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) under Article 3.

International waters are subject to the concept of “freedom of the high seas,” which grants states and individuals certain freedoms and rights. The article 87 (1) of the 1982 Convention, the freedoms of high seas expressly enumerate the following freedom: a) freedom of navigation; 
b) freedom of overflight; c) freedom to lay submarine cables and pipelines;  d) freedom to construct artificial islands and other installations permitted under international law;  e) freedom of fishing; f) freedom of scientific research. 

Certain activities are universally considered illegal in international waters. These include piracy, drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal fishing, unauthorised dumping of hazardous materials, and engaging in acts of violence or terrorism.

How banks are fleecing customers   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjOzAXjENRk   Thomas Franco in The News Minute on
May 14, 2025  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued new guidelines on ATM operations across the country, covering aspects like security measures, transaction limits, and applicable fees. These norms determine the number of free transactions a customer can make at their own bank’s ATMs and those of other banks. Beyond these limits, customers are charged a transaction fee. The RBI also regulates ATM maintenance, cash loading, and security protocols. Thomas Franco, former General Secretary of the All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC),  raises concerns over how banks are increasingly turning into fund providers for corporates while neglecting the needs of the middle class. , Franco stresses the importance of banks playing an active role in building the inclusive development of the country.

Read more …

Moment of Reckoning for Liberal Progressives   Ajit Sahi  https://www.facebook.com/indiaresists/posts/1114605874027265/  https://www.facebook.com/100009440831018/posts/4183500368641283/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v 

Issue of duplication of EPIC numbers resolved, says EC - https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/issue-of-duplication-of-epic-numbers-resolved-says-ec/article69571934.ece   It was found that on average, around one voter in four polling stations faced the issue of EPIC number duplication, the sources added. There are about 1,000 electors per polling station... “During the field-level verification, it was found that holders of such similar EPIC numbers were genuine electors in different Assembly constituencies and different polling stations. All such electors have since been issued new EPIC cards with new numbers,” a senior official of the poll body told The Hindu.

Setting the record straight. Jairus Banaji:

 How Modi stands Buddha on his head. In his televised broadcast on 11 May, he told viewers: “𝐵ℎ𝑎𝑔𝑤𝑎𝑛 𝐵𝑢𝑑𝑑ℎ𝑎 𝑛𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖 𝑘𝑎 𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑎 𝑑𝑖𝑘ℎ𝑎𝑦𝑎. 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖 𝑘𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑔 𝑏ℎ𝑖 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑘𝑡𝑖 𝑠𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑘𝑎𝑟 𝑗𝑎𝑡𝑎 ℎ𝑎𝑖” (Lord Buddha showed us the path of peace. The road to peace lies through power.)  
Did Buddha ever say or suggest that the road to peace lies through power (which is code for more defence spending and more militarism)? Here is how one Buddhist scholar expounds Buddha’s views:

In relating with other states, hostility and aggression is forbidden and the cultivation of friendliness and neighborliness and mutually beneficial commerce is endorsed, both to conform with the dharma and on grounds of expediency and efficacy, that is, aggression does not serve one’s self-interest in the long run. Buddha counseled, “Hatred never ceases by hatred in this world. Hatred ceases by love—this is the ancient law” (𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐷ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑑𝑎, tr. Easwaran, 2007, p. 105).  A state could retain its army for defensive purposes but nonviolence is thought to be the higher ideal and Buddha counseled against the resort to war as a means of settling international disputes (Sallie King, ‘War and Peace in Buddhist Philosophy’, in 𝐴 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝐵𝑢𝑑𝑑ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑃ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑦, 2013, pp. 631-50). The first ethical principle in Buddhism is to refrain from killing or injuring any sentient being. There is little or no support for “just war” in Buddhism (Michael Jerryson, ‘Buddhist Traditions and Violence’, in 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑂𝑥𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝐻𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑉𝑖𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 2013, pp. 41-66; Lakshmi Jayasuriya, ‘Just War Tradition and Buddhism’, 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑆𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠, 46/4 (2009), pp. 423-38). Buddha said that wars only perpetuate future conflict. As noted, he also spoke out against the trading in weapons as “wrong livelihood.” (William Long, 𝐴 𝐵𝑢𝑑𝑑ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 (2021) 

US–China Trade War: Jayati Ghosh’s Must-Watch Breakdown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoUwLp960jc India & Global Left
Jayati Ghosh on Tariff Wars, Dollar Hegemony & Global Trade | US-China, Global South, Agriculture & Growth Models.  Tariff Wars & Protectionism – Who gains and who loses in the new trade order? US-China Trade Conflict – A deep dive into the economic, political, and strategic dimensions.  Agriculture & Tariffs – How farmers, food security, and rural economies are being reshaped. Dollar Hegemony & the US Deficit – Can the US sustain its global financial dominance?  Export-Led Growth in the Global South – Is it still a viable model, or do we need a new development path?  Crisis of Globalization – What comes after neoliberal free trade?
Substack: https://substack.com/@indiagloballeft

This was a way of containing China. They called it a trade war.  It was mostly a technology war It was mostly trying to prevent China from getting ahead in technology So much so that this was actually continued by Joe Biden So yes China is dependent on the US for exports but much much less so than it used to be.   One major feature of US public finance over the last 20 years has been progressive tax reductions for the wealthy beginning with Clinton by the way . Actually beginning with Reagan.  continuing over over these this entire period. that has meant a dramatically reduced  capacity to finance basic expenditures.  You know a crisis in the US is a signal for capital to come flooding back to the crisis because it's a flight to safety So it has been for now decades the lynch pin of the global monetary system and the US has had huge benefits from it contrary to what Trump and his adviser Peter Navaro seem to think.  US may not necessarily be at the top rung all the time in a very steady fashion anymore but we the the other developing world will be remain in the lower rung and so whenever there's uncertainty we will face capital flight .  We don't think that's possible and I I'm not sure he would say that that is really the aim uh you know a sort of
1:33
semi-autic shall we

[03:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoUwLp960jc&t=189s) What is driving Trade war?
[12:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoUwLp960jc&t=759s) Ken Griffin and restoring
[13:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoUwLp960jc&t=837s) China or US- Who will win?
[19:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoUwLp960jc&t=1198s) US Debt and deficit
[30:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoUwLp960jc&t=1800s) Bond sell off recently
[32:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoUwLp960jc&t=1964s) Impact of trade war on Global South
[39:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoUwLp960jc&t=2340s) Agricultural and tariffs
[46:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoUwLp960jc&t=2788s) Vision of a fair globalisation