Obnoxious India-hating Countries (OIC)!

Giving an international twist by the West Asian countries like Oman, Iran, Kuwait, and Saudi usual to the overstepping of a TV debate by lowly party functionaries is a politically immature act. By such an act, the Islamic countries, and organizations like OIC expose and alienate Indian Muslims, which must not be.

The prompt action by the BJP national headquarters on the offenders was extreme and must be enough to douse the anger of those who felt offended. However, it must be remembered by one and all that respect for other religions, other gods, or prophets must not confine only to the majority Hindu community. The sentiment must be reciprocated in letter and spirit by all others as well.

India was paupered by the British while leaving in 1947 amid starvation and famines. Our stride today has been largely due to social uplifting in every way, including the minorities. The realization of mosques built over demolished temples could be a well-crafted strategy to polarize communities, which may have some short-term political benefits, but will damage the fabric of Indian homogeneity. It must end.

Minorities must look for saner elements as their leaders. But unfortunately, its leadership often suffers from the hallucinations of a Muslim empire in parts of India. It is a fallacy. I am surprised that not a single Muslim leader from India has risen and reprimanded the West Asia nations reminding them that the matter is purely internal and must be resolved only by the aggrieved parties.

The targetted killings of Hindus in Kashmir did not attract the attention of the Muslim nations; the repeated incursions by Pak terrorists did not raise an eyebrow in the West Asian countries; the forcible abduction and conversion of minor girls in Pakistan did not warrant any criticism. They spring, however, as if the worst has happened whenever it comes to India, which is saddening.

I am happy that our external affairs minister, Dr Jaishankar, has strongly responded to the OIC that action has been taken on the regretful utterances of the party’s two spokespersons who have been shown the door. It seems now easier than ever to embarrass India by vested elements with provocative and irresponsible statements about other religions. The government of India must be more vigilant than ever over this new threat of trouble mongers who could falsely galvanize an international opinion about India.

The onus lies on the minority leaders, who must shun extremism and confrontationist attitudes to cling to power. They must stop dreaming of a resurrection of an Islamic rule anytime in the future in India. The joy of peaceful co-existence is not a one-sided game, and both teams must play fairly and nobly.

Demanding our country’s PM, Modi, to apologize for Nupur Sharma and Navin Kumar Jindal’s utterances is silly. The EAM, Dr Jaishankar, represents the Government of India as much and is qualified to respond, which he has done forcefully and with elan. Let’s move on!

Jai Hind!

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix

Alpha male!

There used to be a time when I watched news channels non-stop, anytime I switched on the TV. I see less news now. My faith has eroded in the integrity of many stories, palmed off as factual.

The last that caught my attention was the news of Russian President Putin suffering ailments, varied as schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and whatnot. His walking style was faulty; his hands trembled, and his eyes quivered, the Western news channels confirmed. Putin has, at best, 2-3 years to live the channels predicted.

I could not resist more and browsed every channel to check the veracity of the claims. Putin seemed smart with his characteristic stride, labelled as an ‘alpha-male’ walk. The pro-Russian media clarified that he was earlier in combat and was used to carrying a heavy assault rifle in one hand and his style was a gunslinger’s gait. Thus, Putin’s one hand was static, and the other moved when he walked. I began watching Putin intensely, his walking style, eye movements, and twitching of his facial muscles, if any and if they reveal any hidden ailments, as if I was an expert. The CIA spending millions of dollars, studying Fidel Castro, and Col. Qaddafi gave me motivation. The long hours that I spent on Putin watch seemed to have impacted me, as I took to walking in Putin style, one hand glued to my body and the other swinging in a Russian ballet kind of movement, my one shoulder leaning on one side etc.

Triumphantly I did a bit of walking in front of my wife, who looked at me suspiciously. ‘Alpha male,’ I tried to explain and waited exultantly. Did you see that Telugu movie Pushpa again, or is the frozen shoulder back again? No! Women are women and need not know much about alpha males; I tried to assuage my hurt feelings. Perhaps, I lifted a shoulder much higher than necessary and needlessly pouted my lips. I might have forgotten moving my body, leaning slightly to the left and my head in a pendulum-like swing, left-right-left-right, matching my stride as Putin does.

I shall practice the Putin walk later when she is out on some errand. I adjusted all the mirrors to see myself walking from many angles. I walked, and I did not see Putin or Pushpa. Instead, I saw my style as similar to Joe Biden’s.

Don’t believe all that you hear and see on the media.

Sampath Kumar

No, Mr. Blinken!

Yesterday the U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken yet again donned the role of the torch-bearer of human rights or its abuses around the world. The irony was, as he spoke, the U.S. President Joe Biden was paying a visit to Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and two staff were gunned down in a frenzy of intolerance towards minorities. Because the unharmed George Floyd was black, he was pinned down and killed by cops two years ago.

On May 14, 2022, a mass shooting occurred in Buffalo, New York, United States, at a Tops Friendly Markets store, a supermarket in the East Side neighbourhood. Ten Black people were killed, and three other people were injured.

The Buffalo gunman emulated the 28-year-old anti-Muslim terrorist who massacred 51 people in Christchurch, New Zealand, three years ago. He live-streamed the killings of the shoppers because they were Black.

The U.S. Government is helpless against an obnoxiously strong gun lobby, which has succeeded in waving the 2nd Amendment and the right to own guns by one and all. It is, therefore, not surprising that it may be difficult to buy a can of beer without an ID or a strip of paracetamol without a prescription. However, an underage can buy a military-grade assault rifle without trouble.

The U.S. must constantly remember its history, which came into being after destroying millions of local Indian tribes. It had enslaved almost the whole continent of Africa, bought and sold men and women like one would do cattle until the other day. More recently, the torture stories of prisoners from Guantanamo prison do not elevate the status of the U.S. as a moral guardian against human rights abuses. The U.S. has been a silent spectator of the Chinese atrocities imprisoning a million Uighurs, fearing trade reprisals.

I do not deny that there are hardcore Hindu outfits like Ram Sene, Bajrang dal etc., who periodically give acerbic and inflammatory statements. But they are mostly reactive against onslaughts on Hinduism, its temples and gods from a few militant minority groups like the PFI and cross-border outfits. The report does not whisper even as a passing reference to the target killings of Hindus, minorities in Kashmir.

The annual report by the state department, also known as the International Religious Freedom Report on violations of human rights, is selective and targeted at sitting ducks like India to drive a hard bargain in the tumultuous situation of a need to build an anti-Russian stand in the region.

India’s foreign minister Jaishankar responded later by saying that India too has its views about human rights in the U.S.

Press persons are gunned down by the dozens for mocking or doing a caricature of the Prophet in an increasingly religiously intolerant world. Artists in India enjoy the freedom to depict Hindu gods and goddesses in the nude, write objectionable material, etc. If most Indians silently steer clear of these provocations, many also cherish these as part of secularism. If the offended react, immediately a rejoinder comes from the U.S. State department and none less than the Secretary himself.

India cherishes its diversity and is the true melting pot of every religion. The country must not be branded as an abuser of human rights for the statements or actions of a minuscule few imbeciles. I hope the U.S. State Secretary installs mirrors in his office to watch his true form and style.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix

Seventy-nine days into the war!

Tomorrow will be the eightieth day of the Russian ‘Special Military Operation,’ as they have labelled the war on Ukraine. There seems to be no let-up for now. The West, led by the U.S., still believes that Russia can be engaged in a long war and exhausted eventually into a defeat. They seem to be little bothered regarding its impact on Ukraine, with many cities now in shambles.

Unlike the Russian invasion of Crimea, which ended in two weeks, none, especially the U.S., for strange reasons, wants the war to end anytime soon. Money and arms are pumped into Ukraine, edging them to fight Putin, now equated with Hitler. The Ukrainian civilian casualties seem not much considering the duration of the war. My doubts about a greater game plan to engage Russia into a deeper and longer battle, eventually forcing the EU nations to step in, seems to be the idea emanating from the talks over granting an out-of-turn NATO membership to Finland and Sweden. All the 30 NATO members must approve new memberships, which can throw surprises.

Both Finland and Sweden have been militarily neutral, and Finland shares a 1340 km border with Russia, which will expose Russia to the NATO forces twice as much. The Russian president. Putin unsurprisingly has warned of dire retaliatory measures if Finland and Sweden are inducted into NATO.

I’m against wars and the adverse impact on civilians, especially the older people and the children. The West controls the media, and therefore the negative reports like a lacklustre Victory day Parade in Russia, the failing health of Putin, and even the talk of Russian forces rebelling may not be surprising. The sinking of a boat or an aircraft, burning down a few tanks, or a couple of most unfortunate people dying from missile attacks hit the headlines and the prime-time TV news, which could be one-sided.

The fact is, Russia has a free run in Ukraine, bulldozing its way and pulverizing cities and infrastructure, whatever it crosses. The West could be looking at great chances of rebuilding, running to hundreds of billions of dollars. No EU leader wants the war in their country and are even hush-hush about meekly agreeing to the Ruble payment for the oil and gas supplies, which still accounts for 43% of EU imports. Much to the chagrin of the economic pundits, the sanctions have not made the Russian currency weak, despite claims of $900 million daily losses for Russia due to sanctions.

While I feel sad for the Ukrainians, their president Zelenskyy seems to have deeply faltered in pursuing this war, thinking he would eventually win. He will not because Putin is not facing a wall yet. Life is not critical, and food is not in shortage in Russia. In the form of the United Nations, the global order has proved to be an unworthy and meaningless organization. A complete revamp of systems must begin as soon as the war ends.

It is no more possible for the U.S. to label some countries as villains, mustering the support of their allies to punish as they did in Iraq, Libya, or Iran. Instead, it must find ways to co-exist with opposing political views and philosophies, which would augur better for the world.

Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix

Ten weeks into the war!

Russia celebrated their Victory day yesterday, the 9th of Oct. The day marked the Russian victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Like the Indian Republic Day, the Russian Victory day includes a display of the many latest Russian weapons and a smart march past by their several regiments. The President’s address is the highlight of the day.

Much like the West’s earlier inaccurate assessments, Putin did not officially declare war on Ukraine, calling the 10-week activities only Special military intervention, whatever that means. If the relentless bombings and destruction of military and civil infrastructures, an estimated 5 million people fleeing the country cannot be called an act of war, what can be?

Putin could have simplified and shortened the duration of the war, similar to what the Americans did post-Pearl Harbor attack, by dropping the nuclear bombs. Such drastic action may have ended the war swiftly, but its cost, such as loss of human lives, could have been terrible, and the NATO countries would have been forced to enter the battle, causing the deadliest scenarios for the entire world. Fortunately, such recklessness was averted, and the West, too, has thus far helped Ukraine with medium intensity weapons, drones, anti-tank missiles etc.

The Russian war for annexing Crimea was for two weeks, and it was a one-sided match, with Ukraine giving a walkover to Russia. The resistance from the Ukrainian armed forces and the civilians must have stunned Russia. Despite pursuing his plan, despite the adverse world opinion, Putin could be avoiding the title of the perpetrator of genocide. It is his army that could become worrisome. Ten weeks of fighting in a cold country is no fun, and soon the soldiers will be exhausted, which is what the West could be hoping for, to cause a rebellion.

Even if only a portion of what is telecast is true, Ukraine is in shambles. The West is pumping arms to Ukraine, whose President is in a hurry to get admitted into the NATO. If the West has avoided a bloody escalation by not directly participating in the war, they are not calming the situation either with their increased arms supplies to Ukraine. The longer Ukraine battles mighty Russia, the greater will be the degree of destruction which must end.

My reading is Russia will capture Mariupol and Odesa and then call for a ceasefire, beginning lengthy negotiations, which everyone welcomes. For the Russian gas and oil-dependent Europe, the memories of the war will evaporate against their hunger for energy. NATO, which was on the verge during the Trump era, has a shot in the arm, making many European leaders flaunt and get reelected in their countries.

The West did not show such alacrity when China bullied India or when the U.S. attacked many countries in the last fifty years. War is driven by energy and politics, in which most countries are mere pawns!

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix

Pic Courtesy BBC

The 53d day of the Russian war!

Like the world and global media forgetting the Syrian war, which began in 2011 and is still raging on, the Russian war with Ukraine has been relegated to obscure pages of the newspapers, with less primetime coverage on the TVs. The war, now on its 53rd day, seems to no end, save periodical flashes like the sinking of the Russian flagship carrier Moskva two days ago.

In the days of modern warfare, the reliance on ships is becoming counterproductive. The heavily armed ships are surrounded by a flotilla of smaller vessels and is a pretty sitting-duck family to take on by efficient missiles, which has happened. The ships also face a threat from under the seas, from the armed to the teeth submarines. The war has become an enlightening topic for the war-watchers. Russian President Putin has stated that WW III has begun with the ship’s sinking.

Be that as it may, I am appalled at the human misery of those thousands of civilians killed, families uprooted, displaced, and women persecuted. I am no less concerned about the helplessness of the United Nations and the leading powers in not taking a proactive step of forcing the two leaders to sit at the table face-to-face to find acceptable solutions to end the conflict.

The cold war, believed to have ended between NATO and Russia, seems to have been revived now by the knee-jerk reaction of the West. Enticing Ukraine with a NATO membership and thus arming the nation to threaten Russia cannot be dismissed. The EU countries are offering similar status to Sweden and Finland, which have chosen to remain neutral so far. A peeved Putin has retorted that he will deploy nuclear missiles along the borders of Sweden and Finland.

Flexing muscles will never solve the situation. America is sending $ 800 m of lethal arms to Ukraine, and the Ukrainian President Zelensky still thinks of the EU joining in his future victory march over Russia. There will be no winners. If China had armed the POK or Pakistan, India had a right to defend or, in worst cases, even neutralize any threat to our nation. Russia’s act was similarly reactive to NATO’s belligerent moves over the last few years.

The fact is, sinking a ship or downing a few choppers or aircraft is merely symbolic of the grit and determination of the Ukrainian army. But Russia has the advantage of a huge nuclear arsenal, which Putin would not hesitate to use if cornered and faces a defeat. An autocratic Russia is unlike the West, where popular sentiments would run against any individual country directly taking part in the war and thus becoming a target of Putin’s wrath.

The U.S. and the EU countries must either send their troops to fight the battles or stop arming Ukraine, raising false hopes of Russian battle fatigue and eventual defeat. No country wins if the war lingers and which must end. The plan of Russia to take away Mariupol and Odesa ports from Ukraine might end the war, and long rounds of tedious diplomatic overtures would begin then.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix

The sinking island!

Sri Lanka is in economic turmoil, with inflation at 18.7% and food more expensive by 30.2%. Power cuts are rampant, and there is an acute shortage of cooking gas, milk and other essentials. Sri Lanka is a story of a rise and fall, which every nation must note and wisely act.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have much in common. Sri Lanka became independent after nearly five months of Indian independence. Bangladesh was relatively younger at 50 years. Bangladesh was burdened with a huge population, and the nation was devastated by the Pakistani army and the Razakars. Sri Lanka had bitter battles with the Tamils in the northern part of the country intermittently between 1983 and 2009 for 21 out of 26 years. Both countries offered low-cost labour and were the choice of Western companies but suffered from volume limitations. China came into the picture and became the world’s factory and became rich, causing hurt to Sri Lanka. With its vast cheap labour, Bangladesh became the world’s largest textile exporter.

With US$ 81 Bn GDP and 111.42% debts, Sri Lanka heavily relied on workers’ remittances, which were 8.85% of their GDP, but Covid, followed by the Russian war on Ukraine, has caused a body blow to the nation. Workers’ remittances were down at US$ 5.49 Bn in 2021, as compared to $7.1 Billion in 2020.

The Rajapaksa family has been hogging the political scenario of Sri Lanka for nearly two decades. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s during his Presidential tenure, dreamt of converting Sri Lanka into another Singapore and began recklessly building infrastructure, borrowing beyond means. The soft term loans, particularly from China, soon ballooned to impossible servicing options, forcing Sri Lanka to surrender ports and airports to China, much to the chagrin of India and the West.

The tourism-dependent country had a blow from the Easter bomb blasts in 2019, reducing tourists inflow by 18%. The Sri Lankan government is now selling its family silver, the prime real estate, to generate funds to meet essential expenses. SL’s Forex reserves have plummeted to $2.36 Bn in January. They must meet external debt obligations of $6.9 Bn for 2022, including International sovereign Bonds of $ 1 Bn in July, which in the current situation looks unlikely to happen. SL bonds due in March 2029 fetch less than 50 cents to a dollar.

The trade gap of $ 562 million in 2020 has widened to $ 1.09 Bn in 2021 and is further widening now. Rajapakse decided to stop imports; in a country dependent on imported raw materials. He has stopped the import of fertilisers, dreaming of 100% organic farming. Such abrupt moves have boomeranged, reducing agriculture by 30% and reducing tea production by almost 50%. With no money, they are into barter deals to survive the situation.

Until recently, Sri Lanka leaned heavily towards China and has pawned its sovereignty. They now remember India at a time of calamity. As a conscientious neighbour, we have helped the island nation with $ 2.4 Billion, including a currency swap of $ 400 Million and a loan deferment of $500 million for two months. In addition, India has given a credit line of $1.0 Billion for procuring food, medicines and other essentials.

Coming back to my Bangladesh comparison, the Bangladeshis remit money to their families and country. As many as 800000 Tamils have survived the genocide by Rajapaksa and have fled Sri Lanka to settle down in France, U.K. or Canada, among many other countries. Over 100000 have been killed. The curse of Tamils is singeing Lanka.

Hungry stomachs cannot be filled by declaring a curfew and using water cannons. The protests are growing, and so is the disenchantment of the Rajapaksa dynasty.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix

The tight slap!

The scuffle and slaps exchanged in the West Bengal Assembly a day before paled into insignificance, as did the Ukraine war. All eyes were glued to a few seconds clip of Actor Will Smith walking up on the stage and giving a tight slap to comedian Chris Rock who anchored the Oscar award ceremony. What a brutal slap it was, which could have felled any of our adrenaline-pumped heroes. Chris rock was shocked and dazed and took a few seconds to recover, shaking his head and mouth wide open in utter disbelief.

Breaching the borderline of civility is a critical question, as the border is as hazy as India-China’s one. Chris was joking about the bald Jada Pinkett Smith, Will’s wife. She has a special medical condition, alopecia, causing hair loss, which apparently the compere did not know. Will promptly retorted, “keep my wife’s name out of your f******g mouth.” He then walked up on the stage and slapped the comedian. Later, Will apologized to Chris and the Academy. I wonder how calling G.I. Jane could have warranted a slap!

I recall an incident when Shah Rukh Khan and (was it) Saif Ali Khan taunted Neil Nitin Mukesh over his name during a Filmfare award. Mukesh stood up to defend but did not go out to slap SRK.

Will Smith was awarded the best actor for his acting as Richard Williams. It was Denzel Washington who, just a few days ago, advised Will, “it is difficult but important to keep the devil out when you are on the top.” The devil in Will came out and was dancing in glee, disrupting, and slapping Chris.

General Patton had slapped two servicemen serving under him and was severely reprimanded. Politicians get voluntarily slapped in India to evoke passion and support, particularly before elections. Asha Kumari, a Congress MLA, slapped a policewoman in Dalhousie, Shimla, the lady cop returning the compliment with equal enthusiasm. In 2017, A Shiv Sena MP, Ravindra Gaekwad, hit an Air India employee with his chappal for denying a business class seat on an all-economy flight! Beating up police officers, toll plaza attendants, waiters are too common to evince any interest.

Chris Rock did not call Will’s wife, Jada, obscenely. The stand-up comedians’ job is difficult, as they have to keep the audience glued and splitting in laughter. Such an act of Chris was an aberration but certainly did not merit a slap.

Thankfully, both the compere and the awardee were African Americans, and the U.S. had just averted another race war. Oscar Committee must review its standards to include recall or stripping awards. If Will is on hire, I can bring him to India to repeat his performance to many I know who deserve not one but many slaps.

Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix

Im-ran!

A political novice, Imran Khan, rose to fill the void after the forced departure of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on corruption charges and the country run for a short term by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi 1 Aug 2017-31 Ma7 2018, and then by a caretaker PM, Nasirul Mulk, 1st June 2018- 31st August 2018. Imran’s party, Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaaf, fought the elections but could not garner majority seats, though it was the largest single party.

Imran was an international face, independent thinking, and a welcome change. He was educated in the west and had friends everywhere due to cricket’s passion. His flamboyance matched only his delightful strokes and his powerful bowling. Although, after the 25th July elections, Imran’s party won 116 seats out of 269 seats, it took him 22 days to stitch an alliance to become the 22nd PM of Pakistan.

But then Nawaz is not alone corrupt. The nation had seen many billionaire politicians and military personnel. Corruption was an accepted fact of life that none bothered. In fact, the lavish lifestyle of Nawaz Sharif abroad was a discussion of Pakistani pride. The Nonetheless, voters saw in Imran a revival of hope and peace. Official Sharization had made altered the country and the military general Pervez Musharraf had groomed more military aspirants for a cut in every deal.

America’s war in Afghanistan had fattened the pockets of many, and for the U.S., it was merely a bit of more as sundry expenses. The return of democracy in Afghanistan seriously limited the share of spoils for many, as the country looked up to China, the new funder. Pakistan had a commonality with China in their opposition to Modi-led India. It was not a secret that Pakistan derived a lot of courage with China helping them from behind.

Imran, at his entry, talked of ending the longstanding issues with India without realizing the adverse impact of such a move from his army generals, who helped him in his elevation. Though Imran became a puppet in the hands of the army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, he had become shrewder in protecting his chair. He had to ignore the growing corruption, misgovernance and the resultant regrouping and rise of the opposition parties.

Imran could have utilized his inexperience in leading a nation, much like Modi in his initial days, abruptly and clumsily stopping over at Pakistan on 25th December 2015, to wish Nawaz Sharif on his Birthday. His despair was profound when he recently made politically suicidal remarks, praising Modi’s foreign policies and an incorruptible Indian Army, thus inviting the wrath of the Pak generals. Both Pak army Chief Bajwa and the ISI chief, Nadeem Anjum, have advised Imran to step down.

Today, Imran may be having his last mega-rally as the 22nd PM of Pakistan, as tomorrow he has to face the confidence vote, and he is already in the minority. The Pak army has taken their hand of protection over Imran, leaving him in the lurch. With his post at stake, he raked the Kashmir issue in OIC, which had no takers, further humiliating Pakistan and its beleaguered leader.

The gathering today in Islamabad may be vast, but they cannot all vote Imran to safety tomorrow when he will be running even after the umpire has raised his finger. Imran might announce his resignation today itself!

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix

The war, 25th day!

Relentless bombings have left Mariupol devastated. The city resembles an alien land in space, only rubbles everywhere. People have fled, and the army has taken shelter wherever that seemed a safe haven and momentary respite from the raining Russian missiles. The Russian forces must grab fuel to sustain their fight, lest many die freezing deaths, entrapped in their tanks and trucks in the punishing cold.

The Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea in two weeks, when Putin installed a puppet government and captured the only all-weather Black sea Port. The Ukraine war seems to be lingering, which is sad from the perspective of 4 million fleeing the country, and infrastructure and civilian properties pulverized.

Meanwhile, Biden, the U.S. President, has further distanced himself from any meaningful guiding role or a highly unlikely face-to-face meeting with Putin by calling the Russian President a war criminal. The U.S. has not endeared to its NATO allies, post their abrupt abandoning of Afghanistan and refusing to engage in Ukraine directly. If fear of a nuclear holocaust is the reason, the world should destroy all nuclear bombs immediately or as soon the war is over.

In the wake of sanctions, India’s decision to purchase 3 million barrels of Russian oil has rattled the West while earning praise from Imran Khan, the President of Pakistan. However, any praise of Modi is suicidal for Khan, as he would be facing a confidence vote on Friday. The Indo-Russia deal is likely to be in Rupees, and the deal is likely to change the domination of the U.S. Dollar as the primary currency for energy deals.

Countries that tried to engage in non-dollar deals like Libya, Iraq, Iran, and Venezuela came under the wrath of the West. Venezuela, a once prosperous country, faced hyperinflation and internal rebellion. Today’s scenario has become different, with China quietly stepping in and grabbing the pole position as an arbitrator. Biden, who abhors China and its President Xi, humbly had more than one round of virtual meetings with Xi Jinping, whining, please don’t enter the war.

Putin seems to be the lion in the jungle, gripping a buffalo and not letting it go, despite many other buffalos surrounding and making threatening noises. Putin knows this war is at his door, and no buffalos can dislodge him, a lesson he had learnt from Crimea. The weak knees of the EU countries have never been more pronounced than now by letting Putin wage war for nearly a month, while the EU indulged in unskilled diplomacy and endless meetings, which are still on.

I thought the conventional style of warfare had ended. Countries are restrained in using nuclear or thermonuclear bombs, though many have envious stockpiles. China, Iran, N. Korea, and Russia is a lethal cocktail that must be nipped in the bud. The U.S. cannot engage with the group with its unenvious track record.

France and India can mediate, which they should.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix