South Asia Citizens Web

We, the signatories, are all Veterans of the Indian Armed Forces, who have served in the defence of our nation in various ranks and appointments in peacetime and in operational/war zones, over the past several decades.

A politicised military serves only the interests of a single political party. In doing so this undermines public confidence in representative democracy and the preservation of national security as a national goal. The politicisation of the military appears to be rooted in myths that have shaped a dominant narrative on military rule

Development of vaccines and medicines that treat Covid-19 are extremely important elements in the ways to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. Around 150 vaccine candidates are currently undergoing pre-clinical and clinical trials globally, though none are yet available. However urgent the need, this vaccine development must also ensure both efficacy and safety, otherwise it will endanger the efforts to overcome Covid-19 and also vaccine programmes against other infectious diseases.

The BJP led Modi government is determined to hand over all the national assets and resources to the private corporates. No sector of the economy and industry is spared. Coal mine, banks, defence, oil, insurance, electricity, telecom, space and atomic energy all are being privatized by the Modi regime. The latest target of privatisation is the Indian Railways.

It is not by accident that the dark forces of bigotry and obscurantism have become stronger than ever in Pakistan. The phenomenon is all too visibly rooted in the government’s acts of omission and commission.