Silver Lining ..... Evolve !!! We're in for tough times :::: It may be timely now to think of an 'alternative' UN .... which is not blatantly pro-America

The Americans have consumed and dominated 'more' than they produced and contributed. And whenever in trouble like global meltdown -- they forced others to beg, borrow and meekly surrender.  

This is being felt not for the first time by India nor that such a realisation has dawned international community only in 2025. 

The 'miracle' Troika - Modi, Putin and Xi Jinping 

Way back in mid-nineties countries such as Zimbabwe and Malaysia were immensely annoyed the manner Washington tried to bull the smaller economies and these nations. India was hardly keen nor was it 'qualified' to play a game to break the rules.

New Delhi did not have the perceived to be with that 'extra ordinary courage' that the Narendra Modi regime is displaying today. Thus it may be in fitness of things for developing nations and emerging powers such as India in this era to thumb their noses at the United States to float a new club if necessary.

Post-tariffs battle unleashed by whims and fancies of a Nobel-prize crazy US President; India has given the much needed push to galvanise forces around BRICS and SCO.

The message from New Delhi is clear - no country will have to accept the constant bullying of the western and developed nations - chiefly the US - all the time.   

'The Economist' news magazine has made a stinging take on Trump tariffs on India

'The Economist' argues that alienating India was a 'grave mistake' by the US, and it could well be an opportunity for New Delhi to realise its claim of being a 'superpower-in-waiting'.  

The article says that Donald Trump has undone "25 years of diplomacy" by siding with Pakistan and by hitting India with higher tariffs than even China.

In its August 29 edition, titled 'India's next move', the UK-based magazine mentioned that India, facing a 50% tariff amid a downturn in its ties with the US, finds itself 

-- "humiliated, vindicated, and facing a defining test" all at the same time.

However, the magazine says:

"For America to alienate India is a grave mistake. For India, it is a moment of opportunity: a defining test of its claim to be a superpower-in-waiting. Narendra Modi must try to limit the damage in his relationship with Donald Trump".

Now back to the 1990s. At the Harare meeting of G-15; the then Malaysian PM Mahathir bin Mohammed had launched a broadside against the US for imposing sanctions against countries investing in Iran or Cuba.

So the so-called Russian oil is not a sudden discovery at all. President of Zimbabwe Robert G Mugabe had also flagged "the strong arm tactics and the unrelenting pressure" brought for the developing countries, seeking total surrender of national sovereignty. 

It was a different world. There were countries such as Afghanistan and many others who lacked self-confidence and for obvious reasons were dependent on the US. For its part, Washington knew that its power counts. 

Trump also took that power for granted in 2025 and though he got it away from countries such as Japan and South Korea; two prominent BRICS members India and Brazil resisted. 

In India's case Modi might have made it more difficult by declining to give Trump any credit for mediating the ceasefire with Pakistan. India has not only rejected Trump's claims on a number of occasions; the PM Modi or others including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and military officials have said that the Operation Sindoor is only paused. 

Blogger 

What the world is having over the decades now only an America and western block-dominated United Nations. Is it United Nations of America and hence there may be a need for an AUN -- Alternative United Nations.  Who can try these out ?

BRICS ... ok -- yes and no.

The same predicament may apply to the SCO as well. But maybe someone will explore what now looks impossible !!

The SCO launched in 1996 as a security bloc used to be called the “Shanghai Five”. 

Today, the SCO member states account for 43 percent of the world’s population, and 23 percent of the economy.

This is almost a quarter of the global economy and hence cannot be considered simply pushover.

SCO was formed by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to settle their border disputes following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

But in June 2001, the group evolved into a new format  including Uzbekistan.

In 2017, the group expanded to include India and Pakistan. Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024 were also added as full members.

In addition, the organisation has 14 key dialogue partners, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkiye, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. However, an argument in circulation is that the vision and identity of the group remain unclear.

As mentioned above, the US led most post-World War II multilateral organisations – the United Nations and even the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

But BRICS came as a good alternative. In that RIC is a powerful sub-bloc both in terms of economy, land, population and also military.

The end of the Cold War and evolution of Brazil and South Africa have led to “diversification".

Indian intellectual M V Kamath wrote in an article in 1996 -- "Is not it time to take some positive action to checkmate the United States and save our self respect ? 

Is not it time to help form an alternative United Nations?

Well - the time could be Sept 1st - of the calendar year 2025. 

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"Closer India-China ties a rational choice also a shared responsibility" :: Modi is drawing global attention and thus Ukraine president Zelenskyy dialed Indian PM

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in China; there are talks about "the dragon and the elephant dancing together".

How far will these go remains to be seen.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China provides a rare window of opportunity for improving the bilateral relations. 

The legacy has been hardly good. Both Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held several rounds of talks despite all that and two informal summits - the last one being in 2019. 

“No mountain or ocean can distance people who have shared aspirations,” China’s President Xi Jinping said in July 2024. 

On this backdrop Chinese Observers now say the two Asian giants are making efforts to manage their ties as "partners rather than rivals." 

It is now being argued in several quarters that while challenges remain in bilateral relations, both sides have to go for pragmatic cooperation and looking for geo-political strategies and ensure global strategic balance. 

On the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India, it may be now time for both sides to 'implement' the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries.

Of course, the US has targeted India for buying Russian oil, the implication is that it wants India to "pick a side".

In China, analysts say the same logic was applied for 'drawing' India into Quad.

However, New Delhi's versions may vary. New Delhi was more than keen participating in the quadrilateral partnership among the US, Japan, Australia and India. In Beijing again - the refrain has been it was win over India into the US bloc for the so-called "Indo-Pacific Strategy" to contain China. 

"Facts have shown that such small political cliques do not align with New Delhi's pursuit of full strategic autonomy," says a write up in Chinese's media such as 'Global Times'. 

Looking back at history, India was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. More than 70 years ago, China, India and other countries jointly advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which remain a basic norm of international relations. 

Today, as the "twin engines" of Asia's economic growth, key representatives of the Global South, and members of the SCO, BRICS, and the G20, China and India share a mission to push the international order toward greater democracy and fairness. 

Their interactions and cooperation within existing mechanisms are aimed at achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, which is a natural phenomenon in the process of building a multipolar world. 

Now coming to Xi Jinping's 2024 SCO speech -- “No mountain or ocean can distance people who have shared aspirations" -- we have to look at a few critical issues.  These rhetoric is actually based on an old Chinese saying. But there was a gap. Xi’s speech seemed over the top and divorced from reality because Narendra Modi gave the meeting a slip last year citing busy parliament session. 

But one year gap is a pretty big time especially Donald Trump as US president was more than keen to play a global destabiliser.

Now much of the world is grappling with the chaos and economic uncertainty unleashed by Trump’s tariffs.

Thus for Xi the SCO conclave he is hosting will serve as a platform for him to project his country as a stabilising force.

With Russian President Vladimir Putin and PM Modi by his sides, Xi may prove himself to be capable of uniting the Global South to counterbalance the US in particular and the west in general.  

The SCO deliberations and the talks on the sidelines will be important for Modi and Putin too. Modi is certainly getting global attention. Thus, it was not without good reason that Ukraine president Zelenskyy dialed Indian Prime Minister on a day he is in China and briefed him about his parleys with Donald Trump. 

The US will closely watch Modi’s meeting with Xi in Tianjin. For his part, Zelenskyy knows Modi may meet Putin as well.  

Since the beginning of 2025, international turbulence has intensified.

Mounting crises in the Middle East, Ukraine-Russia war and major shifts in US domestic politics and foreign policy. 

Trump;s tariffs-driven policy has shifted from "supporting allies" to "transactional diplomacy," and in Indian case was extracting benefits at the expense of allies and partners.

As you sow, so shall you reap. It may work in diplomacy pretty fast.

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PM Modi arrives in China .... after a long gap of 7 years ::: Key meeting on cards with Xi Jinping and Putin :::: Ukraine Prez Zelenskyy speaks to Namo to brief on 'talks with Modi'

 "Thanks President Zelenskyy for his phone call today," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted from China.

"We exchanged views on the ongoing conflict, its humanitarian aspect, and efforts to restore peace and stability. India extends full support to all efforts in this direction," Modi wrote.

The Prime Minister  arrived in China, his first visit in 7 years for the vital SCO meet 

Modi landed in Tianjin on Saturday, Aug 30th. He is scheduled to hold crucial talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday (Aug  31).

Journalist "shot at" in Laii village in Manipur's Senapati district :::: "A direct attack on press freedom and the democratic values"

 

Journalist Dip Saikia employed with Dimapur-based Hornbill TV was shot at on the evening of Saturday, August 30, 2025 sending shock waves in the media and political circles in the north east. 

He was on an official assignment, Editor of Hornbill TV Dzuthono Mekro said in a statement.

The communique from the Editor addressed to 'editors of Newspapers of Nagaland' said --

 

"We write this letter to express our deepest condemnation of the shocking and reprehensible attack on Hornbill TV reporter Dip Saikia, who was shot on the evening of August 30 while on assignment in Laii village, Senapati district, Manipur.

Journalists serve as the eyes and ears of the public, often risking their lives to bring truth to light. 

"The shooting of Mr Saikia while he was covering a cultural event is not only an assault on his person but also a direct attack on press freedom and the democratic values we uphold."

The statement also said:

"Hornbill TV is deeply concerned by the growing hostility journalists' face in the region, often subjected to intimidation, harassment, or violence for carrying out their professional duties.

We call upon the Government of Nagaland, the Government of Manipur, law enforcement agencies, and all relevant authorities to ensure a thorough, impartial investigation into this heinous attack". 

It said - "The assailant and any accomplices must be swiftly brought to justice to send a strong message that crimes against journalists will not go unpunished".

The Hornbill TV extended "solidarity to the family of Mr Saikia and wished him a speedy and full recovery". 

"Violence has no place in a democratic society, and it is the collective responsibility of the state, civil society, and citizens to safeguard press freedom," Mekro said. 

NPP Nagaland Strongly Condemns the Attack on Journalist in Manipur

The NPP (Nagaland unit) expressed its "deep shock and anguish over the brutal attack on journalist Dip Saikia".

"Such a heinous act against a member of the press is not only an attack on an individual but also a direct assault on freedom of the press and democracy itself" said the statement by NPP (Nagaland) media cell.

"The NPP Nagaland strongly condemns this act of violence and urges the Government of Manipur and central authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice. 

Journalism is the voice of the people, and any attempt to silence it is a grave threat to society at large," it said.

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Perhaps trying to register protest with the Modi regime, Jagdeep Dhankhar seeks pension as a former MLA of Rajasthan

Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resgined giving a shock to many, has now applied for pension as a former legislator in Rajasthan.

Dhankhar represented the Kishangarh Assembly constituency as a Congress MLA from 1993 to 1998.

He received pension as a former legislator until July 2019. It had to be discontinued after he was appointed the Governor of West Bengal.

In 2022 he moved to New Delhi as India's Vice President but the rest - as they say is - history.

With his tenure as the vice-president ending following his resignation citing "health issues" on July 21 (2025), there came an end to his exciting public life.

Dhankhar has now applied 'afresh' to the Rajasthan Assembly secretariat seeking resumption of his pension as a former MLA. 

The secretariat has initiated the process, and the pension will be applicable from the date his resignation as the vice-president was accepted, officials say.

Dhankhar, now 74, is entitled to Rs 42,000 pension per month as a former legislator, the officials said. 

That means he may not apply for any pension as a former vice president, analysts say. 

Recently Home Minister Amit Shah said there was nothing much about Vice President's resignation.

He has stepped aside on health ground and that must be accepted. 

'Human GPS' Bagu Khan, behind over 100 infiltration bids, eliminated by security forces in J&K encounter

Security forces eliminate Bagu Khan, aka Samandar Chacha, often called the "human GPS" of terror, in Gurez, ending his decades-long role in over 100 infiltration attempts.  

The killing of Bagu Khan will give a major blow to the 'logistical network' of terror outfits in the area.

He has been based in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) since 1995. 

One of the oldest and most prolific facilitators of infiltration, Bagu Khan, was shot dead along with another terrorist during an infiltration attempt from the Nowshera Naar area.  

He had been playing key role(s) in 'facilitating' more than 100 infiltration attempts from various areas of the Gurez sector, with the majority being successful due to his intimate knowledge of the region’s tough terrains. 

Hence, his elimination is a critical breakthrough from the security apparatus point of view.  

While he was a Hizbul commander, he helped every terror outfit in planning and executing infiltrations from the Gurez and neighbouring sectors along the Line of Control.

After evading security forces for years, his luck ran out during the latest infiltration attempt. This encounter came two days after the two terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the Line of Control in the Gurez sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district were gunned down by the Indian Army on Thursday.

The encounter took place near Naushehra Naar under Operation Naushera Nar IV, where alert troops engaged a group of heavily armed infiltrators trying to cross into Indian territory. A brief exchange of fire ensued, resulting in the elimination of two terrorists.

Infertility, anxiety about future, and Family Pressure --- are common in China, US and India ::::: In the season of 'forced friendship' between India and China; there's something strongly common between Mohan Bhagwat and Chinese Communist Party

The nation comes first. 

“..... In the national interest, every family should have three children and limit themselves to that” -- said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat in Delhi. 

Guess what is common between the Chinese Communist Party, Elon Musk and Mohan Bhagwat  

Let us get at the 'root' of the answers in a different way.

Family pressure, Infertility and anxiety about the future are common in three prominent global players in the new century - India, China and the US.

The US and India do not have any three-child policy. But it's a fact of life that Elon Musk and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat have something in common – they are both very powerful people who can sway government policies.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is a big proponent of the global depopulation theory.

Earlier this year he said that low birth rate was the primary factor in the fall of Rome and all civilisations.

“People who have kids do need to have 3 kids to make up for those who have 0 or 1 kid or population will collapse,” Musk advocated on X. Musk himself is the father of 14 children with five different women.

“I’m doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis,” he had said in 2022.  Births per woman in the US stands at 1.6, according to World Bank data of 2023. 

America had a birth rate of three per woman last in the mid-1960s.

In May 2021, the politburo of the Chinese Communist Party adopted a three-child policy, scrapping the two-child policy of 2016. Till 2016, China had a one-child policy.

China was the world’s populous country until 2023, when India surpassed it.

China’s current birth rate (2023) stands at one child per woman. The birth rate was three in the early 1980s.

There has been a continuous, steady fall in the birth rate in these three countries. But there are socio-economic challenges in achieving the objectives.

In India, states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh continue to have high fertility rates, while others such as Delhi, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have sustained below-replacement fertility.

“This duality reflects differences in economic opportunities, access to healthcare, education levels, and prevailing gender and social norms,” according to the United Nations Population Fund.

A 2025 World Population Report survey covering 14,000 respondents identified job insecurity, housing constraints and lack of reliable childcare as big reasons deterring families in India from having more children.

Infertility, anxiety about the future, and family pressure were other reasons. In China as well, high cost of living and life pressures have been identified as factors that have made couples apprehensive about the three-child policy.

The Xi Jinping government has adopted tax deductions, expanded childcare services and optimised leave policies to support childcare to help the three-child policy. 

Photo shopping - The Telegraph, Kolkata 

At 1.46 billion, India is the world's most populous nation but the total fertility rate has dropped to less than two children per woman, according to the UN Population Fund's 2025 report. The birth rate (births per woman in India) was three around 2005.

Bhagwat has said the population must remain "controlled, yet sufficient".  

India Story ---- Withered ‘family planning’! 

A collector named ‘Nirodh Kumar’ and how PM Rajiv Gandhi was misled

The ‘family planning’ issues are back among the headlines. 

But India’s experience with small family norm desire -- Hum Do, Hamare Do - always revolved around unique anecdotes, controversies and even blatant lies.

In the late eighties when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister and rows such as the Bofors scandal and Ayodhya-Shah Bano disputes were making news, the birth rate in Uttar Pradesh and some northern states was around 38-39 per 1000 for six years (from 1983 to 1988). 

This was five points higher than the national average.

It was around this time in a blatant paradoxical manner, Uttar Pradesh would always bag first or second prize for achieving ‘family planning targets’. Of course - Yogi's UP was not yet conceptualised and even Mandal politics beneficiaries - the BSP or Samajwadi Party were not in the scene.

A thought process persisted even in the nineties that ‘sons’ are like old age pensions. 

In villages especially in the cow belt, it was believed that more children would mean more hands to earn.

Some years before these, a Babu in the southern state of Kerala got the name ‘Nirodh Kumar’. 

S Krishna Kumar’s issue or act of omission or commission was that during his stint as the district collector of Ernakulam in the early 1970s, the massive Nirodh campaign was taken up.

In fact, the name ‘Nirodh’ for the contraceptive was reportedly suggested by a student of Indian Institute of Management. 

The word in effect means ‘protection’. 

Interestingly, the price was 0.25 paisa for each packet and it was found to be ‘expensive’ and later the price was brought down!

Of course, the bureaucrat later became a Minister under Rajiv Gandhi.

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