Trump’s war: A low point as we watch children die

When schoolgirls are killed in an age of precision bombing, a terrifying low point has been reached. That this tragedy in Iran followed the widespread killing of innocents in Gaza only speaks of a trend. It should be a matter of concern that the Indian government has not found the moral strength to condemn these pogroms though Indians generally find them abhorrent. Diplomacy is cited as the reason for the silence. But India’s place is not with Israel and the US. It is in the Global South where its leadership is sought.  An India without the self-confidence to speak up can surely only be on the way down.

Governments and corporations know to flatter to deceive when they seek to expand their economic influence. It is in the interests of countries like India not to succumb to manipulation while engaging at the same time. The future of countries in the Global South lies in standing up for values of equity, justice and peace that will allow them to develop.

The recent AI summit in Delhi is an example of the hoopla and false flattery India needs to shun. Across the developed world AI is regarded with caution for its consequences on humankind. Data centres are being pushed out of regions because of the environmental harm they do. India is not doing itself a service by unquestioningly embracing big tech companies which are seeking markets to justify the billions invested in them.

We could think of no one better than Kiran Karnik, our columnist, to weigh in on the New Delhi Declaration of the AI summit. We hope his cover story will put many of the issues around AI and how it can be employed in India in perspective for readers.

Adil Rustomjee’s book on the history of the Bombay Stock Exchange landed on our desk with a thud. It is that kind of book, almost a thousand pages! We feature him as our interviewee of the month.

From Bengaluru we bring you a story about citizens sprucing up their lakes. A farmer-producer company in Haryana has found its fortune in figs. Beggars at street lights, especially children, are a sad sight and we speak to an NGO that has been working with them.

We also bring you our columnists: Sanjaya Baru on MAGA not being MIGA, Shyam Bhatia on Iran’s monarchy and Venkatesh Dutta on small rivers.