Headline News 19/01/2021

Headlines:

• Expert Warns of Impending ‘Genocide’ of Muslims in India
• Pakistan Unveils First National Security Policy (NSP)
• Calls Grow for the British Prime Minister to Quit

Details:

Expert Warns of Impending ‘Genocide’ of Muslims in India

The founder of Genocide Watch, Dr Gregory Stanton, who had predicted a genocide in Rwanda years before it took place in 1994 has warned of an impending genocide of Muslims in India, comparing the situation of the country under the Narendra Modi government to events in Myanmar and Rwanda. “We are warning that genocide could very well happen in India,” Stanton said, speaking on behalf of the non-governmental organisation he launched in 1999 to predict, prevent, stop and seek accountability for the crime. Videos of Hindu religious leaders calling for mass killings and for the use of weapons against Muslims that went viral on social media last month prompting the Supreme Court to order an investigation into hate speech in Uttarakhand state. Muslims comprise nearly 14% of India’s 1.4 billion people, while Hindus still form nearly 80% of the population. Modi’s BJP and its ideological parent, the far-right Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have warned Hindus about religious conversions to Islam and Christianity, and called for action to prevent a “demographic imbalance” in the world’s second most populous nation.

Pakistan Unveils First National Security Policy (NSP)

Prime Minister Imran Khan unveiled a public version of the country’s first-ever National Security Policy (NSP), saying the country was in dire need of a multi-pronged strategy for the future to ensure the protection of its citizens and guard economic interests. The NSP document is meant for a five-year period (2022-26) but it will be reviewed at the end of every year. The full 110-page NSP document will remain classified. However, a shorter, nearly 50-page version was published. Pakistan’s much awaited NSP seems to be emphasised on gaining economic security, quoting dependency on IMF. It also wants peace with India. But the document fails to address the country’s key economic problems with clear solutions. We will be watching the response to the document from other stakeholders.

Calls Grow for the British Prime Minister to Quit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has come under increasing attack after it emerged his private secretary had invited over 100 people to a “bring your own booze” party in the garden of Downing Street during the country’s first Coronavirus lockdown. Revelations about a series of parties in Downing Street, the prime minister’s residence during a 2020 Christmas lockdown, have garnered popular derision and drawn criticism from opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, who said Johnson lacked the moral authority to lead the country. The United Kingdom’s death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic stands at 150154, the world’s seventh worst official toll. A senior government senior Civil Servant, Sue Gray, is currently investigating the allegations of at least five parties held in government departments last year during lockdown restrictions. Over recent months, Johnson, 57, has faced criticism over his handling of a sleaze scandal, the awarding of lucrative Covid contracts, the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat and a report he intervened to ensure pets were evacuated from Kabul during the Western withdrawal in August. We will be watching for any moves from Conservative MPs who will likely position themselves to become Prime Minister.