Under pressure on many fronts from Syria to Turkey to Iraq, the Daesh reverts to guerilla tactics, leading to a surge in terror attacks in many countries.
THE EXPLOSION in Medina, Saudi Arabia, for which the Daesh claimed responsibility, on July 4.
THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMZAN WITNESSED A spate of terror attacks, most of them concentrated in the volatile West Asian region where the Daesh (the so-called Islamic State) continues to exercise influence. The spokesman for the group issued a statement in the last week of May calling on supporters to “make it, with God’s permission, a month of pain for infidels everywhere”. He indicated that the Daesh would once again revert to the guerilla insurgency tactics that had initially brought it international prominence as well as notoriety. The recent escalation in terror attacks started with the killings in Orlando, Florida. The overwhelming majority of Muslims believe that the holy month symbolises peace and brotherhood. The pernicious Daesh ideology, which has permeated the Indian subcontinent, however, glorifies suicide bombing and other forms of extreme terror activities. Bangladesh has been subjected to repeated terror attacks since the beginning of the year. The attack in the first week of July on a restaurant in Dhaka frequented by foreigners, for which the Daesh has claimed responsibility, has been the most brazen one so far.
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How Not To Handle An Epidemic
The lockdowns were meant to buy time to put in place appropriate health measures and contain the coronavirus’ spread, but they have failed to achieve the objective and heaped immense misery on the marginalised sections of society. India is still in the exponential phase of the COVID-19 infection and community transmission is a reality that the government refuses to accept.
Tragedy on foot
As the COVID-19-induced lockdown cuts the ground beneath their feet in Tamil Nadu, thousands of migrant workers are trudging along the highway to the relative safety of their upcountry homes.
Sarpanchs as game changers
Odisha manages to keep COVID-19 well under control because of the strong participation of panchayati raj institutions and the community at the grass-roots level under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Scapegoating China
As the COVID-19 death rate spikes and the economy tanks in the United States, Donald Trump and his advisers target China and the World Health Organisation with an eye to winning the forthcoming presidential election.
New worries
Kerala’s measured approach to the pandemic and lockdown has yielded results. But it still has to grapple with their huge economic impact on its economy, which it feels the Centre’s special financial relief package does little to alleviate.
No love lost for labour
Taking advantage of the lockdown and the inability of workers to organise protests, many State governments introduce sweeping changes to labour laws to the detriment of workers on the pretext of reviving production and boosting the economy.
Capital's Malthusian moment
In a world that needs substantial reorienting of production and distribution, Indian capital is resorting to a militant form of moribund neoliberalism to overcome its current crisis. In this pursuit of profit, it is ready and willing to throw into mortal peril millions whom it adjudicates as not worth their means—an admixture of social Darwinism born of capital’s avarice and brutalism spawned by Hindutva. .
Understanding migration
When governments and their plans are found to be blatantly wanting in addressing reverse migration, exercises such as the Ekta Parishad’s survey of migrant workers throughout India can be useful to work out creative long-lasting solutions.
Waiting for Jabalpur moment
The Supreme Court’s role in ensuring executive accountability during the ongoing lockdown leaves much to be desired. Standing in shining contrast is the record of some High Courts.
An empty package
The Modi regime, which has been unable to control the COVID-19 infection, restore economic activity and provide relief to millions exposed to starvation, trains its sights on Indian democracy, making use of the panic generated by fear and a lockdown that forecloses paths of resistance.
