CC Newsletter 01 Aug- From West Asia's Escalating War to People's Struggles
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ITS REPORTING OF SIGNIFICANT GLOBAL ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE!
Dear Friend,
As the danger of a wider war in West Asia deepens, today's Countercurrents examines both the immediate crises unfolding before us and the structural forces that sustain them. Kuwait's reported interception of hostile drones, Iran's warning of regional escalation, and continuing efforts toward a Gaza ceasefire remind us that peace remains fragile while the costs of militarism continue to be borne by ordinary people.
But we also look beyond the headlines. Today's issue explores community-led conservation in Nagaland, practical ways of protecting children in wartime, democratic governance of artificial intelligence, and environmental stewardship rooted in collective responsibility. These articles remind us that alternatives to violence, ecological destruction and technological domination already exist in the practices of communities and in the imagination of committed thinkers.
Our coverage also turns to questions of democracy, justice and equality—from the class implications of NEET and the persistence of honour killings to debates over protest, policing, misogyny in language, disability rights and freedom of expression. Together they expose how power operates across institutions while pointing toward the unfinished struggles for dignity and constitutional values.
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US-IRAN WAR ESCALATION
Kuwait Reports Drone Attack as Iran Warns US Allies of Expanding Regional Conflict
by Countercurrents Collective
Kuwait says it intercepted and destroyed hostile drones after they entered its airspace, reporting damage to a government facility and civilian property but no casualties. The incident comes as Iran warned that continued US actions could trigger a wider regional conflict, cautioning countries aligned with Washington against serving as its "defensive shield." At the same time, Yemen's Houthi movement claimed it had forced eight Saudi oil tankers to alter their routes as part of its ongoing maritime campaign. The developments underscore the growing regional dimensions of the conflict and the risks of further military escalation across West Asia.
Unassailable Iran: Structural Pathology and Comprehensive Deterrence Strategies
by Hassan Fattahi
This article argues that Iran’s long-term security depends less on military retaliation than on addressing structural vulnerabilities. It examines weaknesses in air power, economic resilience, social cohesion, diplomatic isolation, and governance, while proposing a broad strategy of comprehensive deterrence. The author contends that modernization, technological innovation, justice, economic reform, and active regional diplomacy are essential to reducing the risk of future military confrontation. Rather than focusing on short-term responses, the article presents a framework for strengthening national resilience and making external aggression increasingly costly and strategically unattractive.
Middle East: A War that No One Wants but Which Nevertheless Goes On
by Bharat Dogra
The widening conflict in the Middle East continues despite the fact that ordinary people, governments across the region, and much of the international community have little interest in prolonging it. Bharat Dogra examines the political, strategic, and economic forces that sustain a war with devastating human and global consequences. He argues that the weakening of international peace institutions and the absence of a strong, justice-based global peace movement have created dangerous conditions in which regional conflicts risk expanding into a far wider confrontation. The article calls for renewed international efforts to secure durable and equitable peace.
PALESTINE
Hamas Responds Positively to Trump’s Gaza Agreement as Israeli Far-Right Rejects It
by Quds News Network
Hamas has expressed support for the latest Gaza ceasefire negotiations, saying it accepts the mediators’ proposals for advancing the second phase of the agreement, provided Israel fully implements the first phase, including ending military attacks and withdrawing its forces from Gaza. The proposal, described by US President Donald Trump as a significant step toward peace, also outlines reconstruction, international oversight, and governance arrangements. Hamas says implementation depends on reciprocal commitments from Israel. Meanwhile, Israel’s far-right ministers have rejected the draft, arguing it would strengthen Hamas, while some opposition figures also criticized the proposal as falling short of dismantling the group.
Open Letter To MPs: Gaza Genocide & Failed Speaking Truth To Power In Zionist-perverted Australia
by Dr Gideon Polya
This article presents Dr. Gideon Polya’s open letter to Australian federal parliamentarians, arguing that Australia’s political leadership and mainstream media have failed to confront the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Drawing on his decades of research and public advocacy, Polya contends that censorship, media silence, and political complicity have prevented an honest public reckoning with the scale of Palestinian suffering. The letter also reflects on the challenges of “speaking truth to power,” urging greater public accountability, protection of free expression, and wider debate on Australia’s response to the ongoing crisis.
India’s Arms Trade with Israel Risks Complicity in Gaza’s Genocide
by Patrick Austin
A new Amnesty International report examines India’s arms exports to Israel between October 2023 and November 2025, documenting thousands of shipments of weapons, ammunition, and military components to major Israeli defence companies. Drawing on shipment-level trade data, the report argues that these transfers continued despite growing international concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures. It also raises questions about India’s export controls, transparency, and legal obligations. The article outlines Amnesty’s findings, the Indian government’s response, relevant legal developments, and the wider implications of this expanding defence relationship.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Who Will Govern Humanity’s New Cognitive Infrastructure?
by David Andersson
Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving from a commercial technology into a foundational infrastructure that could shape economies, governance, education, science, and public life. This article examines emerging global approaches to AI governance, from international declarations and multilateral initiatives to concerns over military applications and nuclear risks. It argues that the central challenge is no longer only how to regulate AI, but who should determine the rules guiding its development. As AI increasingly influences collective decision-making, the author calls for democratic accountability, international cooperation, and broad public participation to ensure this new cognitive infrastructure serves the interests of all humanity.
COUNTER SOLUTIONS
Caring for Children and Infants in Wartime: A Physician’s Guide for Families and Communities
by Zahra Mohebi-Pourkani
Children bear the greatest burden of war, facing injury, displacement, disease, hunger, and deep psychological trauma. Drawing on decades of medical experience in conflict zones, physician Zahra Mohebi-Pourkani presents a practical guide for parents, caregivers, health workers, and communities on protecting children and infants when health systems collapse. The article covers emergency preparedness, triage, newborn care, nutrition, disease prevention, mental health support, and life-saving interventions that can be implemented even in the most difficult conditions. It is both a humanitarian appeal and a practical resource for safeguarding children's lives and dignity during armed conflict.
Nagaland’s Quiet Conservation Revolution: Where The Village Owns The Forest
by Machilie Diswang and Santosh Pathak
Nagaland offers a remarkable example of community-led conservation rooted in customary land ownership and local governance. Across the state, hundreds of villages have voluntarily protected forests and wildlife without relying on government-managed protected areas. From Khonoma’s pioneering hunting ban to the growth of Community Conserved Areas, local communities have helped restore habitats for rare species while balancing conservation with traditional practices such as jhum cultivation. The article examines how this distinctive model has achieved measurable ecological gains, the challenges it faces, and why it deserves greater recognition, institutional support, and a place in global conservation thinking and practice.
Planting a Future Together
by Ashish Singh
Environmental action is often judged by the number of trees planted, but lasting impact depends on how many survive. This article argues that the climate crisis is as much about civic responsibility as it is about emissions and rising temperatures. Using a school initiative in Raebareli as an example, it shows how involving children, parents and teachers in caring for saplings can turn environmental awareness into a daily practice. Sustainable change grows through continuity, shared responsibility and stewardship, reminding us that protecting the environment begins not with ceremonies but with the long-term commitment to nurture living trees and communities.
PAKISTAN-KUWAIT DEFENCE PACT
After Saudi Arabia, Kuwait also signed a defence agreement with Pakistan: Why is the GCC rethinking its security?
by Syed Mohammad Raghib
Pakistan’s growing defence partnerships with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reflect a broader shift in Gulf security thinking rather than a sudden geopolitical realignment. The article examines how concerns over regional instability, maritime security, evolving US strategic priorities, and the rise of a multipolar world are encouraging GCC states to diversify their defence relationships. It explores why Pakistan has emerged as a preferred security partner, the strategic and economic interests driving these agreements, and the implications for regional stability, Iran, India, and the future architecture of Gulf security.
WAR ON DRUGS
The ‘War on Drugs’ Was More About War than Drugs
by Carlos Ron
The US-led “War on Drugs” has long been presented as a campaign against narcotics, but this article argues that its primary function has been geopolitical rather than public health. Drawing on examples from Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Honduras and Ecuador, Carlos Ron contends that drug-related accusations have often accompanied military, economic and political interventions against governments pursuing independent policies. The article examines decades of counternarcotics programs, sanctions and security partnerships, arguing that the pattern reflects broader struggles over sovereignty, resources and influence across Latin America rather than a consistent effort to reduce drug trafficking.
JANTAR MANTAR PROTEST
Of Profanities, Protest and Power: When Democracies Stop Being Polite
by Satya Sagar
The article examines the debate over abusive slogans during the Cockroach Janata Party protests, arguing that the focus on language has obscured the underlying issues of unemployment, examination scandals and democratic accountability. It contends that public discourse reflects broader political conditions, where force, inequality and shrinking democratic space reshape the language of protest. While rejecting abusive speech as an ideal, the article calls for a renewed democratic vocabulary rooted in humour, creativity and dialogue, and argues that restoring civility ultimately requires governments to rebuild trust, justice and respect between citizens and institutions.
Kangana Ranaut vs Gen Z? The Real Filth Is Hidden in India’s Favourite Gaalis
by Yogesh Pawar
The debate sparked by Kangana Ranaut’s comments on Gen Z’s language has shifted attention to a deeper issue embedded in everyday speech. This article argues that many of India’s most common abuses derive their force not from obscenity itself but from the humiliation of women, whose bodies and honour are routinely invoked to insult men. Drawing on conversations with scholars, activists and everyday experiences, it examines how misogyny is normalised through language across generations, classes and regions. The article contends that the real problem is not who swears, but the patriarchal assumptions that shape the insults themselves.
For pelting stones, they face AK-47! Judiciary and Legislature have to face “We the INDIA of India”
by Dr Madabhushi Sridhar Acharyulu
This article examines the legal and constitutional questions raised by the police response to the July 20, 2026 student protest at Jantar Mantar. It reviews allegations of excessive force, including the reported use of pellet-firing weapons against retreating protesters, and discusses the limits on the use of force under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The article also covers the Supreme Court’s interim directions to preserve evidence and provide medical care, alongside parliamentary criticism of the security response. It argues that public order must be maintained within constitutional limits and with strict adherence to the principle of proportionality.
NEET
Modi’s NEET Policy and the Class Interests of the Nouveau Rich
by Arun Srivastava
The article argues that the Modi government's decision to institutionalise NEET reflects a broader ideological and class project that disadvantages poor and marginalised students while benefiting the affluent. It contends that unequal access to coaching, centralised admissions, and repeated examination controversies have deepened structural inequalities in medical education. The piece also examines the government's response to paper leaks, student suicides, and legal reforms, questioning whether punitive measures alone can restore public confidence without addressing deeper issues of educational equity, institutional accountability, and federalism.
HONOUR KILLINGS
From Kannagi–Murugesan to Kavin Selva Ganesh: An Unended Struggle, A Renewed Pursuit of Justice
by Advocate Sudhakar Shunmugam
Honour killings remain one of the starkest failures of constitutional democracy, exposing the persistence of caste prejudice despite legal safeguards and judicial intervention. Tracing the journey from the murders of Kannagi and Murugesan to the recent death of Kavin Selva Ganesh, this article examines why such crimes continue and what they reveal about the gap between constitutional values and social reality. It argues that preventing honour killings requires more than punishment after the fact. Effective policing, timely justice, education, and a commitment to equality and human dignity are essential to ending caste-based violence and protecting individual freedom.
FILM REVIEW
Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’: Homer Through the Lens of Hollywood
by Dr Murali Sivaramakrishnan
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" is examined as both a cinematic achievement and a cultural reinterpretation of Homer's epic. The article reflects on the film's visual scale, technological brilliance, and fidelity to the broad narrative while questioning how Hollywood reshapes the poem's moral, political, and mythological dimensions. It argues that the adaptation reflects contemporary American sensibilities more than the ancient Greek worldview, and concludes by suggesting that the film's greatest contribution may be encouraging audiences to return to the original classic and rediscover its enduring power through reading.
RELIGION
A Critique of Triumphalist Apologetics in Contemporary Muslim Televangelism
by V A Mohamad Ashrof
This essay challenges the confrontational style of contemporary Muslim televangelism, arguing that triumphalist apologetics departs from the Quran’s ethical vision of dialogue, humility and coexistence. Focusing on figures such as Zakir Naik, the author critiques debate-driven religious outreach that prioritises rhetorical victory over moral witness. Drawing on key Quranic passages and contemporary Islamic scholarship, the article proposes a humanistic interpretation that emphasises compassion, pluralism and shared ethical responsibility. It contends that the Quran calls believers to engage other faiths with dignity, mutual respect and excellence rather than pursuing religious supremacy through adversarial polemics.
DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH
How Technology Is Rewriting What Independence Looks Like for the disabled
by Dr Rashmi Rai, Preetham George Kuryan and Banu Priya A
Technological advances are quietly transforming the everyday lives of people with disabilities. AI-powered smartphone apps, smart mobility tools, and affordable assistive devices are making navigation, communication, and independent living more accessible without requiring specialised equipment. India has emerged as an important centre for low-cost assistive technology, with startups developing practical solutions suited to local needs while offering models with global relevance. At the same time, significant challenges remain, including unequal access, limited awareness, language barriers, and the need to involve disabled people in designing technologies. This article examines how innovation is reshaping independence while highlighting the work still ahead.
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