Indian Mandala

India’s prime minister immediately condemned the terrorist actions by Hamas (which few Indian Muslims like), openly signalling a change in diplomatic relations. According to Prof P.R. Kumaraswamy, of Jawaharlal Nehru University, the premises for change were already there decades ago. India had an important Jewish community but has never experienced anti-Semitism. The two countries have signed deals on weapons and hi-tech, but agriculture dominates the relationship.

For the government of the northeastern Indian state, Chin refugees are fellow ethnics. As Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga seeks another term in state elections later this year, the refugee issue is politically relevant. An estimated 30,000 Myanmar refugees are present in Mizoram, the largest concentration in India. In Manipur, the attitude is different, following the orders from the central government in Delhi.

Despite several agreements, farmers in Karnataka are asking the state government not to release water to Tamil Nadu due to low monsoon rainfall. The latter, however, depends heavily on the river for its agriculture, which has grown in recent years. Today, Karnataka saw protests and strikes as well several flight cancellations at Bengaluru airport. The central government has been urged to intervene.

At a rally, a minister in the Modi government threatened to tear out the tongue and gouge out the eyes of those who threaten the Hindu order. He was reacting to the call by an opposition politician to eradicate it like dengue to overcome caste distinctions. Fr Joseph told AsiaNews that hyper-Hinduism is politically bankrupt; India’s true tradition is pluralism. Meanwhile, India’s parliament will start a special session of parliament to hold general and local elections together.

Just as the world focuses on the G20 summit New Delhi tomorrow, Maldivians vote in a crucial presidential election. Traditionally pro-India, the country’s diplomatic relations began to shift in 2013 with China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the election of President Abdulla Yameen who ruled in an authoritarian fashion. The current president, Ibrahim Solih, is confident of winning in the first round, but experts believe a run-off cannot be ruled out.

Just as the country was celebrating the success of the Chandraayan-3 mission, 23 workers from West Bengal lost their lives in the collapse of a viaduct of a line under construction in the state of Mizoram. In Indian construction sites an average of 38 fatal accidents per day. Victims mostly internal migrants.

In March, India’s BJP-led government floated a tender to get MyGov, a government platform for citizen political engagement, to work with influencer marketing companies. Yet, content promoters are sometimes not disclosed, with conflict of interest. Other political parties are also using Internet celebrities to reach out to voters, especially first timers.

The Indian government recently amended its mining legislation to allow private firms to develop lithium reserves in the Muslim-majority territory to reduce imports from China. The discovery has sparked enthusiasm for electric vehicle production ambitions, but, development several hurdles like potential environmental damage. Meanwhile, India’s Supreme Court next month will start vet petitions challenging the abolition of Jammu and Kashmir’s special autonomy.

With rainfall less than normal, kharif crops are the most affected as they are cultivated during the monsoon season. Among farmers, many of those who had poor harvests last year are still waiting for government aid. Unlike the past, changes in the National Manual for Drought Management have made it harder to declare a state of drought.

A series of deals and investments in semiconductor testing and assembly in India were agreed during PM Modi's visit, but production will still have to wait. Some defence agreements have also been signed, not only to counter Beijing, but also to free Delhi from dependence on Moscow. Despite criticism for the deterioration of human rights at home, the visit was a great success for the Indian prime minister in view of next year's elections.

India’s prime minister will be in New York and Washington from 21 to 24 June, a visit described as “historic” by US officials. In fact, Delhi has nurtured this relationship for some time, favoured by the presence of a large Indian diaspora in the US. Its aim goes beyond containing China. Farwa Aamer, director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute, talked to AsiaNews about it.

Like with Ukraine, India is taking the middle road in the Pacific region, between the US and China. For Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, James Marape, India is a “leader of the Global South". On the plus side, India can provide affordable technology and rely on local Indian communities, but militarily, the West remains dominant.