In the lead-up to the upcoming BRICS summit, Johannesburg, a fierce battle for the future of the bloc is unfolding as India and Brazil push back against China’s bid to rapidly expand the group of emerging markets.

The move is seen as an effort by China to bolster its political clout and counter the influence of the United States. However, officials from India and Brazil, who have knowledge of the matter, have expressed concerns over the potential transformation of BRICS into a Western bloc.

The preparatory talks for the summit, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, have witnessed repeated attempts by China to lobby for expansion. The discussions have also seen dozens of other nations vying for inclusion, raising alarms among Western countries about the group’s shifting dynamics and growing significance on the global stage.

Opposition Of India And Brazil

Reportedly, at the heart of the opposition lies Brazil’s reluctance to see BRICS become a confrontational body that challenges the G7. On the other hand, India is advocating for strict rules regarding the process of admitting new members, insisting on consensus among existing members before any formal expansion. India has always tried to make these inter-governmental platforms, a window for constructive cohesiveness. It doesn’t want the organisation to be reduced to merely a puppet against west.

The summit, scheduled for August 22-24, will be an opportunity for India and Brazil to explore the possibility of granting observer status to additional countries, rather than directly expanding the group’s membership. While South Africa is open to discussing various membership options, it has not expressed outright opposition to expansion. China, on the other hand, is unyielding in its bid to broaden the BRICS coalition and has repeatedly called for expansion during the preparatory meetings.

Last year, the BRICS leaders authorized the potential expansion of membership, which has led to the ongoing debate about its scope and implications. However, Russia, another member of BRICS, does not hold a firm position on the matter and is following the lead of other countries within the bloc. Draft rules for admission to BRICS have been developed in response to India’s opposition to China’s expansion efforts, indicating the seriousness of the internal struggle within the group.

Summit Amidst Geopolitical Turmoils

The guidelines are expected to be discussed and possibly adopted during the summit next month. The summit’s timing is also crucial, considering the heightened tensions between China and Western powers, with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin participating virtually to avoid an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued by South Africa.

While BRICS members have refrained from blaming and sanctioning Russia over its actions in Ukraine, Western concerns persist about the group’s stance on geopolitical issues.

It remains to be seen how the internal dynamics within BRICS play out and whether China’s push for expansion will find support from other member nations. The summit in Johannesburg will be a decisive moment in shaping the bloc’s future trajectory and its role in the ever-evolving global landscape.

The Revolutionary Students Front (RSF) is demanding the involvement of student representatives in the investigation of the recent Islamia University incident, which has brought to light hundreds of cases of sexual exploitation and harassment of female students in Bahawalpur., Pakistan. The RSF also seeks the punishment of those responsible for these heinous acts.

In a statement released by the RSF, they express concern over the longstanding disempowerment of students in educational institutions and the deplorable consequences of the restrictive and competitive examination system. The incident at Islamia University is not an isolated case, as similar incidents are becoming increasingly common in universities across the country, shedding light on the ineffectiveness of the higher education administration.

The RSF blames the education system, especially the examination and grading system, grants power and authority to certain individuals, which they exploit to manipulate and impact the lives of students. They also reveal the existence of a drug network within educational institutions involving people from both the administrative and legal machinery. Heartbreaking incidents like these occur daily, leading to emotional and psychological trauma for the affected students.

Furthermore, religious fundamentalists leverage such events for their propaganda against women’s education, leading to some girls being expelled or barred from pursuing education by their own parents. The RSF points out that this is not the first time such a systematic network of harassment has been exposed, as a similar incident occurred at Balochistan University, but no proper action or accountability was taken.

The students in these institutions face humiliation and disgrace on a regular basis. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has also become increasingly restrictive, banning recreational activities like celebrating Holi, which further stifles the educational environment, promotes regressive fundamentalism and is suffocating.

From university employees, management, and state officials to the highest echelons of power, the Revolutionary Students Front (RSF) alleges that certain individuals, including capitalists and political elites, are part of a brutal system that perpetuates systematic sexual exploitation and blackmail. The RSF emphasizes that the oppression and exploitation within this system have made the entire society sexually and psychologically sick.

The RSF further highlights the alarming cases of sexual abuse and exploitation involving ruling class members and state representatives. They assert that these incidents are sometimes linked to women’s veils and clothing, directly or indirectly conveying the message that women are not human beings but merely objects of desire, confined in a sheet and four walls. The RSF finds such reprehensible statements and actions deeply concerning and points out similar sentiments expressed by Imran Khan in the recent past.

On Saturday, police in Lahore and Bahawalpur made arrests at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) on drug charges and discovered ‘objectionable’ content related to students and staff members. A special police report indicated the involvement of a “group of teachers” at the university in the drug trade and sexual exploitation of female students and teachers. The police intercepted the university’s transport in-charge and found meth in his possession.

Earlier, the university’s treasurer and security chief were also arrested on drug charges, with sexually explicit content found on the latter’s phone. The investigation revealed a network of students involved in drug peddling and links to organized ‘indecent’ parties on and off-campus. The university authorities refuted the charges and requested a high-level inquiry into the arrests. Additionally, multiple committees were formed to investigate the cases further.

In light of the recent incident at Islamia University Bahawalpur and other similar cases, the RSF presents a set of demands:

1. Inclusion of elected student representatives in the investigation process.
2. Abandonment of regressive tactics that focus on individuals’ private lives and instead prioritizing the social aspect of the crime.
3. Transparent investigations with each stage’s report made accessible to the media.
4. Public disclosure of investigation results and the overall report.
5. Holding those responsible accountable and ensuring they face severe punishment.
6. Formation of special committees in educational institutions to prevent harassment, with significant student participation.
7. Lifting the ban on student unions and releasing a schedule for union elections to foster a transparent, healthy, and progressive education system, giving students a voice in decision-making at all levels.

The RSF is calling on the relevant authorities to take these demands seriously and work towards establishing a safer and more inclusive educational environment that protects the rights and dignity of all students.

An innocent 6-year-old Hindu girl child has been stabbed to death, after being abducted and brutally raped by some radical Islamist pedophiles in Sindh.

Lakshmi Kolhi, the poor girl child was the daughter of Veerji Kolhi. As per reports, she was abducted by some unknown persons from Rajkohanni in Bondhari, Badin, Sindh. And now her family has found her mutilated body with multiple stabs. Many of her organs have also been found missing from her body.

The crime against Hindu women and girls is increasing day-by-day in Sindh. Shamefully, the only thing that is decreasing is the age of girls that are left unsecured for these monsters by Pakistan . Its hard to even imagine a day when the crime against the minor Hindu girls does not happen in Sindh. And the worst part is that the radical Islamists and their patrons are so well connected that even such inhumane, brutal and uncivilized acts are covered by the impotent Police of the quasi-state of Pakistan.

Pakistan, which is formed on the basis of religion, guarantees impunity for anyone that can perpetuate the most heinous crime against the religious minorities. Otherwise, what maybe the reason that such type of crimes are repeatedly committed, out of religious fanaticism? Apparently, Pakistan itself is extending support to such menace. Broadly speaking, it is much more than an ordinary brutal crime. The state’s support to such elements is guided by fundamentalism, which shuns to consider anyone as human who does not follow Islam. The act is a step towards an ethnic purge that is being carried out silently in a piecemeal manner.     

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signed new legislation on Monday, officially outlawing gender-affirming procedures. The bill, approved unanimously by both houses of parliament, enacts a comprehensive ban on any medical interventions aimed at changing a person’s sex and prohibits changing gender markers in official documents and public records. Exceptions to the ban are limited to medical interventions for congenital anomalies only.

In addition to restricting gender-affirming care, the legislation also nullifies marriages in which one person has undergone gender transition and effectively bars transgender individuals from becoming foster or adoptive parents. 

The ban is part of the Kremlin’s ongoing campaign to protect what it perceives as Russia’s “traditional values”. Proponents of the legislation argue that it is necessary to safeguard the country from what they label as “Western anti-family ideology”, while some have characterized gender transitioning as “pure satanism”.

Last week, Italy followed a similar path to reaffirming its traditional family structure by making changes to birth certificates for children born to lesbian couples. In this move, the name of the non-biological mother was removed from the child’s birth certificate.

Despite the criticism from western media, this move is a welcome step. The issue of grooming gangs affecting the well-being and natural growth of children in various countries, including the United States and parts of Europe, is indeed concerning. It is essential to take action to counter harmful influences and ideologies that may forcefully and negatively impact children. 

In a recent incident of religious repression, Chinese authorities abruptly halted a government-approved Tibetan religious event in eastern Tibet. They also detained its organizers, dispersed worshipers, and prematurely destroyed a sacred sand mandala. This comes as a second instance in this month of spiritual leaders being stopped from giving teachings on Kalachakra in Tibet. The crackdown has raised concerns among Tibetans and observers about the suppression of Tibetan Buddhism and its teachings by the Chinese government.

The First Incident: Gungthang Rinpoche’s Canceled Kalachakra Teaching
Earlier this month, the Chinese government canceled a Kalachakra teaching that was scheduled to be given by the 7th Gungthang Rinpoche Lobsang Jamyang Geleg Tenpe Khenchen in Tsoe, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The Kalachakra is a sacred event in Tibetan Buddhism, and only a few qualified Tibetan Buddhist masters, including the Dalai Lama, have the authority to impart such teachings. Despite organizers obtaining permission in advance, the authorities cited the 70th anniversary of the instituting of Kanlho prefecture as the reason for the abrupt cancellation.

The Second Incident: Disruption of Kalachakra in Gumong
More recently, a significant religious gathering in Samey-shi Village, Gumong Town, Mongra County, Tsolho Tibet Autonomous Prefecture, was also interrupted by police intervention. His Eminence the 7th Athi Kalsang Tashi Gyatso, was to give teachings on Kalachakra, but forced to leave the ceremony. Tens of thousands of devotees had congregated for the event, which was expected to last until 23 July. The police actions not only dispersed the worshippers but also led to the premature destruction of the sand mandala, a central aspect of the Kalachakra teachings.

Chinese Suppression of Tibetan Lamaism

These incidents reflect ongoing efforts by the Chinese government to control and suppress Tibetan Lamaism and its religious teachers. In recent years, the authorities have imposed stricter regulations on religious teachers and demolished Tibetan religious sites, leading to deep anguish and emotional distress among the faithful.

The disruptions of the Kalachakra teachings have had far-reaching consequences for Tibetan devotees. For those who traveled from distant areas, including elderly farmers and nomads, the experience was even more disturbing. The cancellations have not only caused emotional distress but also resulted in financial losses. The tents and facilities set up for pilgrims were pulled down, and land leases could not be recovered.