
Readers' comments: Israel is a reliable India ally unlike Arab countries and Iran
***
It is unfortunate that Azad Essa dismisses the creation of Pakistan because it was for Indian Muslims and that it did not seek to exclude the minority Hindus and Sikhs (' A new book examines whether Hindu nationalists supported the Zionist project to occupy Palestine '). He also excuses the Pahalgam terror attack and Pakistan terrorist groups in Kashmir. Scroll should criticise the book not for Hindu nationalism but the dismissal and downplaying of Pakistani nationalism. His reasoning that Pakistan was created for Indian Muslims and did not seek to replace minorities falls flat. Pakistan was created as a Muslim country with the promise of minorities being treated well, though that failed to materialise. This is unlike India which was never declared as a Hindu country but has treated minorities well. – Axel Kurian
Nazi cinema and Hindutva films
I would like to appreciate Harsh Mander's well-researched and thought-out article (' Harsh Mander: How Nazi cinema finds a reflection in Hindutva films '. The article strongly puts forth the message of how modern India is on the throes of being divided in the name of religion. What people in India should be questioning is corruption and not casteist division and religious fanaticism. I would also like to commend Scroll for showing the mettle to publish this article. I look forward to more such articles. – Jes
India's Donald Trump tactics
Thanks for the important report (' Why Bengali migrant workers in BJP-ruled states are being asked to prove they are Indians '). It was distressing to read. It feels similar to Donald Trump's tactics in the US. Thankfully, it looks like at least the West Bengal government is making some efforts to help. – Varun PD
Pigeon haters should stop pollution first
These people do not stop cars, trucks and buses from polluting air in cities (' Why India needs to rethink its love for pigeons ').They don't object to airconditioners polluting the atmosphere nor do they care about the burning of crop residue. Chemical pollution in rivers and the sea is a big threat. Construction work, road work and maintenance adds to the pollution. Why blame poor birds? Can one stop poultry farms also? These doctors are not addressing the root cause: poor immunity. Increase immunity through yoga and other exercises and avoid stressful situations. – Arun Kale

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NDTV
10 minutes ago
- NDTV
All You Need To Know About Netanyahu's Plan To Retake Gaza City
Israel announced early Friday that it plans to take over Gaza City, the largest urban area in the territory and one that has already suffered extensive devastation in repeated Israeli raids. Another major ground operation in one of the few areas of Gaza not already under evacuation orders would likely spark even more mass displacement and further disrupt efforts to deliver desperately needed food in the territory, where experts have warned that famine is unfolding. Israel has faced mounting calls from many of its closest allies to end the war, and the plan faces opposition within Israel from families of the remaining 20 or so living hostages held by Hamas and members of the security establishment who say there is little to gain militarily at this point. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says more military pressure is needed to achieve Israel's goals of returning the hostages and destroying Hamas. Israel has repeatedly bombarded Gaza City and launched major ground operations there within weeks of Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war. Several neighbourhoods and key infrastructure have been almost completely destroyed. It was Gaza's most populous city on the eve of the war, home to some 700,000 people, about the population of Washington, DC. Hundreds of thousands fled under Israeli evacuation orders at the start of the war but many returned during a ceasefire earlier this year. Israel already controls and has largely destroyed around 75% of Gaza, with most of the population of some 2 million Palestinians now sheltering in Gaza City, the central city of Deir al-Balah and the sprawling displacement camps in the Muwasi area along the coast. Israel's offensive has already killed over 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The UN and independent experts view its figures as the most reliable estimate of war casualties. Israel disputes them but has not provided its own. Another major ground operation will almost certainly lead to the killing of more Israeli soldiers in hit-and-run attacks, eroding domestic support for the war, and could endanger the remaining hostages. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. Most have since been released in ceasefires or other deals. Fifty remain inside the territory, around 20 of whom are believed by Israel to be alive. Palestinian militants have released videos in recent days showing emaciated hostages, saying they are suffering the same starvation as the Palestinian population. Hamas is believed to be holding the hostages in tunnels and other secret locations and has hinted it will kill them if Israeli forces draw near. Former security officials have also spoken out against further military operations, saying there is little to gain after Hamas has been militarily decimated. Israel's military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, reportedly argued during a Security Cabinet meeting that a more sweeping plan to retake all of Gaza would endanger the hostages and put added strain on the army after two years of regional wars. Israel has come under mounting international pressure in recent weeks as images of starving children have shone a light on the worsening hunger crisis. Twenty-eight Western-aligned nations, including some of its closest allies, called for it to end the war last month. Even President Donald Trump, the strongest supporter it has ever had in the White House, has expressed concern about the hunger crisis. He has said he wants to end the war and return all the hostages, but also that it's up to Israel to decide its next moves. Israel has dismissed the criticism, saying it has done everything it can to limit harm to civilians and blaming Hamas for their deaths. Netanyahu has denied there is starvation in Gaza despite eyewitness testimony, data compiled by experts and dire warnings from United Nations officials and major international aid groups operating there. Netanyahu has said more military pressure is needed to get Hamas to agree to release the hostages and surrender. But Hamas has already withstood one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns since World War II. The militant group says it will only release the remaining hostages in return for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Hindu
10 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Jain Samaj stages protest in Belagavi seeking return of elephant to mutt
Some members of the Jain Samaj and other residents took out a silent protest rally in Shedbal town in Belagavi district of Karnataka on August 7 demanding that return of Madhuri, an elephant that belonged to the Jain mutt at Nandani in Maharashtra. The elephant has been shifted to Vanatara wildlife centre in Gujarat. They walked from the Sri Shanti Sagar Jain Ashram to the Sri Basavanna temple carrying posters and banners with images of the elephant, and placards with slogans — 'Our elephant, our right' and 'Madhuri come back home'. Members of some Hindu and Muslim organisations also joined the protest. They held a meeting in front of the temple and submitted a memorandum to the government. Deputy Tahsildar Annasaheb Kore and Sub-inspector Raghavendra Khot received the memorandum addressed to the Union Government. Protesters listened to speeches by some leaders before dispersing. Raju Nandare said that devotees were upset at the allegation of torturing the elephant and ill-treating the animal. 'If the government was worried about ill-treatment, it should have shifted the animal to a public rehabilitation centre or zoo, and not a private facility set by a corporate entity,' he said. He also said that the mutt would not accept an offer by Vantara to set up a rehabilitation centre in Kolhapur, Maharashtra to keep the elephant. 'Madhuri should be returned to the mutt. We will not accept anything less,' he said. Praveen Kempawadi, Utkarsh Patil, B. M. Gani, Ajit Rajani, Sambha Nigam, Pallavi Narasgoudar, Shabbir Maniyar, and Baba Mistry were among those who participated in the protest.


Economic Times
28 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Indian scholar in US allowed back to work while fighting deportation
The Trump administration has agreed to let Badar Khan Suri, an Indian postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, return to his academic duties and restore his legal status while he continues to fight deportation. The settlement, filed in a federal court on Tuesday, also safeguards the legal status of his two children, as reported by The New York Times. Mr. Suri, who teaches undergraduates and conducts research at Georgetown, had been accused by US officials of promoting Hamas, a claim made without presenting evidence. His records in the Department of Homeland Security database were terminated in March, which also threatened his children's student status. As part of Tuesday's agreement, the government pledged not to cancel those records and to give at least 21 days' notice before taking any future action based on 'newly discovered, independent legal grounds.' The deal also halted a scheduled court hearing later this week where Mr. Suri's lawyers were set to demand the reinstatement of his status and a stop to deportation efforts. According to the NYT report, Mr. Suri was among several students and academics arrested in March during a wave of immigration enforcement actions against pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Although he said, 'I have never even been to a protest,' he was taken into custody by masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and moved across multiple detention facilities. He was released in May by a federal judge in Texas, and a court later allowed him to remain free during ongoing litigation. His arrest was reportedly linked to a mix of social media activity and his association with his wife, a US citizen, whose father previously served as a political adviser to the Hamas leadership in Gaza. Mr. Suri has never been charged with a crime. Similar cases involving other international students, including Mahmoud Khalil, Rumeysa Ozturk, and Mohsen Mahdawi, have prompted court rulings favouring the students' First Amendment rights. However, a broader legal challenge is underway in Boston, where plaintiffs argue the administration engaged in 'ideological deportations' targeting critics of the Israeli government. Judge William G. Young, who presided over the two-week trial in July, is expected to deliver a verdict soon. While he voiced doubts over claims of government overreach, earlier court decisions have generally held that student speech and conduct in such cases are likely protected by constitutional rights.