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probablyasocialecologist · 7 months ago

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Where does this curious Hindutva-Zionist solidarity spring from? One origin is from the earliest Hindu nationalists who modelled their Hindu state on Zionism. Hindutva’s founder, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, supported majoritarian nationalism and the rooting out of all disintegrating forces. These included Muslims who supported electoral quotas for their community and left-wing internationalists. As a result, he even condoned the Nazis’ antisemitic legislation in two speeches in 1938 because, as he saw it: “a nation is formed by a majority living therein”. Yet Savarkar was not antisemitic himself. He often spoke favourably of the tiny Jewish-Indian minority because he considered it too insignificant to threaten Hindu cohesion. In fact, Savarkar praised Zionism as the perfection of ethno-nationalist thinking. The way Zionism seamlessly blended ethnic attachment to a motherland and religious attachment to a holy land was precisely what Savarkar wanted for the Hindus. This double attachment was far more powerful to his mind than the European model of “blood and soil” nationalism without sacred space. Today, Hindu nationalists perpetuate this legacy and still look to Zionism as a uniquely attractive political ideology. To Hindu nationalists, some Zionists were engaged in a project to reclaim their holy land from a Muslim population whose religious roots in the region were not as ancient as their own.

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In 2018, Israel passed a law that rebranded the country as “the nation-state of the Jewish people” and delegitimised its non-Jewish citizens. Similarly, India’s controversial Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019 eased paths to citizenship for immigrants from several religious groups, but not Muslims. Coupled with rhetoric associating millions of Indian Muslims with illegal immigration, human rights groups argue that this law could be used to strip many Muslims of their Indian citizenship. Hindu nationalists have also stoked a culture war to consolidate “Hindu civilisation” and sweep away symbols of Islam. This is very much in keeping with the wish of Israel’s far right to rebuild Solomon’s Temple on the site of the holy Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where al-Aqsa mosque compound currently sits. In 1969, a Zionist extremist burned the south wing of al-Aqsa. And in 1980, the fundamentalist group Jewish Underground plotted to blow up the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine at the centre of the compound. A similar project of demolishing mosques and building temples in their place was suggested by Savarkar and Golwalkar. Hindu nationalist organisations focused their attention on Babri Masjid mosque in Ayodha, since this was the mythical birthplace of the Hindu god, Ram.

#india #israel #zionism #hindutva

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mariacallous · 1 year ago

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Shafiq Bagwan was hanging out with a few friends in his village of Hasnabad, which is in the Maharashtra state in western India, when he opened Instagram on his phone and saw that his younger brother Taufiq had posted an update. When he clicked on it, his heart fell.

Taufiq, who is 18, had posted a picture of a 17th-century Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, with a description of him as “the father of Hindu nationalists.”

“I immediately called him up and ordered him to delete the story,” Bagwan says. “I got scared for him, and I hoped that nobody had seen it.” It was too late. The next day, June 20, Taufiq was arrested and charged with“deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings.”

Taufiq had been caught up in an online crusade, initiated by Hindu nationalists in Maharashtra, who have taken it upon themselves to police social media for anything, no matter how tenuous, they can spin as offensive to Hindus. These groups, which appear to have links to local government and law enforcement, are turning Instagram and WhatsApp into hostile spaces for Muslims, who face harassment and arrest for seemingly innocuous posts. It’s another demonstration of how the Indian internet is coming to mirror the Hindu nationalist slant of politics under the government of Narendra Modi.

“What has happened offline has happened online,” says Osama Manzar, founder of the Digital Empowerment Foundation, an NGO. “The attitude remains the same. Social media is just another tool to subjugate.”

Aurangzeb died more than 300 years ago, but he’s recently become something of a protest symbol for Muslim youth in Maharashtra. During his rule, which lasted from 1658 to 1707, he expanded the Mughal empire across much of the Indian subcontinent. To some Hindus, he’s a tyrannical figure who imposed discriminatory taxes and destroyed temples and who was resisted by Shivaji, another warrior king who is revered in Maharashtra.

With tensions between communities running high, Aurangzeb has become an emblem for both the Hindu majority and its 13 million Muslims, who make up around 12 percent of the population of the state.

“Aurangzeb, a Muslim ruler, is just a political tool to target today’s ordinary Muslims,” says Surendra Jondhale, a professor in the department of politics at the University of Mumbai. “The right-wing groups have used Shivaji versus Aurangzeb—a battle between two kingdoms—to propagate a Hindu versus Muslim binary.”

In February 2023, led by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, the union government renamed the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra—named after Aurangzeb—to Sambhaji Nagar. In rallies that followed the renaming—and which were attended by members of the BJP—T Raja Singh, a party member and (currently suspended) lawmaker, said that any Muslim unhappy with the name change would be considered a traitor.

The BJP has been widely accused of stoking religious tensions across India, and of promoting a Hindu identity for India that runs contrary to the country’s founding principles of religious pluralism.

In response to often brazen hate speech and discrimination from public figures, young Muslims have adopted Aurangzeb as a symbol of defiance. “It comes from a place of angst and humiliation, where the Muslims are continuously being provoked,” says Imtiaz Jaleel, a lawmaker from Aurangabad. “Under normal circumstances, I don’t think the Muslims even think about Aurangzeb.”

But posting the former ruler’s picture often elicits serious consequences. Right-wing Hindu groups, which have been publicly supported by members of Modi’s BJP, have been keeping a close eye on Muslims’ social media posts, claiming that even a photograph of Aurangzeb hurts their religious sentiments.

This is what happened to Taufiq, who, Shafiq says, doesn’t understand English and so wasn’t aware of what was written alongside the image he posted. But before he had time to delete the story, someone in his village had taken a screenshot.

Rupesh Rathi, 40, works in Hasnabad for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a parent organization of BJP. He says that ever since Aurangabad was renamed, these situations have become more prevalent. “A Hindu friend of Taufiq in the village saw his story, took a screenshot, and sent it to me,” says Rathi. “After that, some seven or eight of us had a discussion on what to do about it.”

The consensus was to file a complaint. “Everybody found it objectionable,” Rathi says.

Armed with those screenshots, some 20-25 people turned up at the local police station and filed a complaint against Taufiq. Gradually, more people from the neighboring villages joined in, and the mob grew to over 100 people. The police were “extremely cooperative,” Rathi says. “We were assured that there will be a proper investigation into this. There were four or five more Muslim boys that had uploaded that status. As a result of the complaint, they deleted it.”

When authorities arrested Taufiq, they confiscated his phone so they could investigate who else might have circulated his post.

Shafiq bailed Taufiq out. The charges are still pending. Shafiq says his brother is scarred by what happened. “He is just 18,” Bhagwan says. “His health deteriorated quite a bit after the incident. He is still shaken because of the hostility with which he was targeted. The matter could have been resolved within the village.”

At least 13 similar cases in Maharashtra have been reported in the national media over the past four months.

Shirish Inamdar, a former deputy commissioner of police in Maharashtra’s intelligence department, says he thinks the police aren’t acting fairly, but that the cases reflect the state’s politics. Until June 2022, Maharashtra was ruled by a coalition government of three regional parties, but a year ago the BJP poached 40 of the lawmakers from one of the parties in the ruling coalition and came to power in the state. Ever since, Inamdar says, the persecution of Muslims has increased. “The local police do it to save their own skin,” he says. “The powers that be have told the police to register as many cases and vitiate the atmosphere.”

Inamdar says the cases filed against Muslims over social media posts are unlikely to succeed in a court of law. “Everybody knows that,” he says. “But the cases drag on, and it becomes a blot on the person’s record. They have to appear for court dates, they have to spend money on the lawyer. The process becomes the punishment.”

Madhav Bhandari, vice president of Maharashta BJP, defended the police, saying that “police cases over social media posts have happened under previous governments too” and that he also believes pictures of Aurangzeb “hurt religious sentiments in Maharashtra.” He adds: “Everybody is entitled to be proud of their religion.”

Prateek Waghre, policy director of the Internet Freedom Foundation, an NGO, says that this kind of campaign is a form of lateral surveillance of minorities, where people have to be constantly alert for anything that could be exploited to attack them. “It points to broader societal issues, where there aren’t too many degrees of separation between people reporting Instagram or WhatsApp updates and the ones being reported,” he says. “Many of them are on their contact lists. There is also a possibility of watch lists being maintained. It is scary.”

Since Modi became prime minister in 2014, there has been a notable increase in hate speech across the country, with Hindu nationalist groups calling for the mass rape of Muslim women and the extermination of the community. The RSS and other groups affiliated with the BJP have fueled unfounded conspiracy theories, including the “love jihad,” which alleges that Muslim men are seducing Hindu women en masse and converting them to Islam. There have been multiple incidences of assaults on minorities, and even lynchings.

“There will be people dismissing these as isolated events and saying there are only so many cases in a country of a billion people,” Waghre says. “But the ripple effect is hard to ignore and also hard to measure. It impacts people’s minds and their behavior.”

In Maharashtra, the campaign has widened the divisions between communities.

In June, police filed a case against a 14-year old Muslim boy in the central region of Maharashtra over an Instagram photograph of Aurangzeb. His parents are small farmers, and his uncle is a tailor in the village. “He is just a kid,” says the uncle, who WIRED is not identifying to protect the boy’s privacy. “He even made an apology video and promised to not do it again. He deleted his Instagram account and is scared to join back. But still a case was filed against him. We had to pay a lot of money for a bail bond in court to avoid arrest. This can potentially ruin or jeopardize his career. Is this where we want to head as a society?”

The boy’s Instagram post was reported by a young man living nearby who was working for a radical right-wing group. In the complaint, he said the photograph “hurt his religious sentiments.” The police charged the 14-year-old with “deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs” and “intention to incite offense.”

The uncle says that over four decades of living in the village, where he has developed relationships with people across communities, this is the first time he has felt exposed. “I have participated in Hindu festivals, I have very close Hindu friends,” he says. “But the politics of the state has ruined everything. Is there a ban on sharing pictures of figures from history?”

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humanrightsupdates · 9 months ago

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(New York) – Indian authorities are revoking visa privileges to overseas critics of Indian origin who have spoken out against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government’s policies, Human Rights Watch said today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi often attends mass gatherings of diaspora party supporters in the United States, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere to celebrate Indian democracy, while his government has targeted people it claims are “tarnishing the image” of the country.

The Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) status is available to foreign citizens of Indian origin or foreigners married to Indian nationals to obtain broad residency rights and bypass visa requirements, but does not amount to citizenship. Many of those whose OCI visa status was revoked are Indian-origin academics, activists, and journalists who have been vocal critics of the BJP’s Hindu majoritarian ideology. Some have challenged their exclusion in Indian courts on constitutional grounds seeking protection of their rights to speech and livelihood.

“Indian government reprisals against members of the diaspora who criticize the BJP’s abusive and discriminatory policies show the authorities’ growing hostility to criticism and dialogue,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities seem intent on expanding politically motivated repression against Indian activists and academics at home to foreign citizens of Indian origin beyond India’s borders.” (Human Rights Watch)

#india #bjp #narendra modi #oci #diaspora #hindu nationalism

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crystalis · 9 months ago

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The war on Gaza is being used to advance fascism and white supremacy in the U.S. It is also opening people’s eyes to global systems that require genocide to continue. To stand with Palestine is to transform those systems and build a different world.

"...Israel is a fascist state, and its relentless genocide is blasting open more pathways for global fascism to establish itself. A growing number of fundamentalists and authoritarians entrenched in white supremacy and Islamophobia have been setting course across the globe over the last few years. Most recently, Argentina voted in a Trump-like right-wing president in November 2023 who is a strong supporter of Israel, pushing a Zionist agenda, waving the Israeli flag at his rallies in October, and making Israel one of his first trips as president. In January, as Israel continued its bombardment of Gaza, India’s fundamentalist authoritarian Modi celebrated the Hindu temple on the razed grounds of the Ayodhya mosque in January, and Italy’s government passed laws to protect public expressions of fascism. Senegal’s president postponed elections, jailed movement leaders, and sparked massive protests. These moves point towards a growing fascist consolidation. Israel’s attacks are emboldened, not just in Gaza but in the military and social violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The U.S.’s brutal attacks on Yemen in response to their economic blockades in defense of Palestinians show what the empire is willing to do to protect itself, even in the face of global condemnation.

The conditions are set for Zionism to fuel fascism on a global level and prevent social movements from rising in the United States. Zionism and anti-Palestinian racism have been fundamental to the “war on terror” that started 20 years ago when 9/11 was used as a pretext for permanent war. The U.S. created legal and social frameworks of “terrorism” to undermine global resistance and to counter dissent, public speech, and organizing in the United States. Zionism and the War on Terror have been tools used to protect capital and also to attack resistance and liberation movements, particularly those led by Black, Palestinian, Muslim, and immigrant communities. Globally, the U.S. uses the threat of “terrorism” to expand military outposts in every corner of the world, and here, the FBI uses expanded surveillance to track Black anti-police protesters, and Zionism becomes a tool to turn protest into terrorism.

Zionism is a perfect vehicle for the expansion of the police state in the United States. Both liberals and the extreme right in the United States are using Zionism to advance a strategy that expands a social base for fascism, deepens control of public institutions, and sets the stage for consolidation at the federal level, protected by the police state with support from financial institutions, media, and higher education. Today, legislation weaponizing the definition of antisemitism to equate it with anti-Zionism and stifle pro-Palestinian actions is passing with bipartisan support. These attacks allow increased constriction of public discourse and dissent, which will be legislated at school board, university, city, state, and federal levels."

"... Contending with Zionism requires a break with empire. In short: there is nothing we can do about Israel, other than everything.

The opportunity within this moment is to develop a sharper strategy that activates the millions of people who see the faultlines and feel the rift."

Stephanie Guilloud, 20 March 2024

#this is jsut part of the article.. its kinda long #free palestine

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samacharapp · 8 days ago

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'It took a person with a strong heart to remove 370 from Jammu and Kashmir', said Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha | 10 big things

Amit Shah Speech in Rajya Sabha: Amit Shah said, "BJP ruled for 16 years and amended the Constitution 22 times. Whereas Congress ruled for 55 years and changed the Constitution 77 times."

Amit Shah Speech in Rajya Sabha: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is responding to the discussion on the Constitution in Rajya Sabha. During this, he fiercely targeted the Constitution Amendment 2 made during the government of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Read the important points of Home Minister Amit Shah's discussion:

Amit Shah said, "This discussion will make the public realise how far the country has progressed. We went deep into this discussion. Our democracy is as deep as hell. It also became clear that whenever the public gave a mandate to a party, it either respected it or not. Discussion on the constitution is good for the young generation. The people of this country have worked to shatter the pride of many dictators in a democratic way."

'Congress kept feeding Article 370 for years'

Amit Shah said, "It took a lot of courage to remove 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. Congress has been nursing 370 for so many years. People used to say that rivers of blood will flow. Narendra Modi came to power for the second time and removed it in one go. Forget about rivers of blood, no one has the courage to even throw a pebble. Referring to Jammu and Kashmir being number one among all union territories in exports from Chenab Bridge, he said that an investment of 1 lakh 19 thousand crores has come today. They ask what happened by removing 370. Let me tell you. This has shut down your appeasement shop."

Which mantra of Ambedkar did Amit Shah give a new definition to?

Amit Shah said, "After the creation of the Constitution, Dr. Ambedkar had said after a lot of thought that no matter how good a Constitution is, it can become bad if those who are responsible for running it are not good. Similarly, no matter how bad a Constitution is, it can prove to be good if the role of those running it is positive and good. We have seen both these incidents in the 75-year period of the Constitution.

Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah said, "54-year-old youth talks in the air and says he will change the Constitution. There is a provision for this in the Constitution itself. We made 22 changes in 16 years. Both BJP and Congress made changes."

He said, "Today when we look back after 75 years, after accepting the Constitution, I want to thank Sardar Patel because due to his tireless hard work, today the country is united and standing strongly before the world."

'We made 22 amendments in 16 years, Congress changed the constitution 77 times in 55 years'

Amit Shah said, "The BJP ruled for 16 years and amended the Constitution 22 times. Congress ruled for 55 years and amended the Constitution 77 times. Both BJP and Congress made changes, but what was the purpose of the change? This shows the party's faith in the Constitution. The first amendment was made in the Constitution during the time of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and 19A was added. This amendment was made to curtail freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Similarly, the 24th amendment was made and through this the fundamental rights of the citizens were reduced. Similarly, the Congress made many amendments in the Constitution only for its purpose."

The Union Home Minister said, "Congress does vote bank politics, we are not doing vote bank politics. Congress party has done injustice to Muslim sisters for so long by doing vote bank politics. We have given rights to Muslim mothers and sisters by ending triple talaq.

News is originally taken from: https://bit.ly/4gjgG0v

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#Indira Gandhi #Rajya Sabha #Amit Shah

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odnewsin · 14 days ago

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Smart India Hackathon: PM Modi focuses on out-of-the-box thinking for national and global progress

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with young innovators at the Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2024 on Wednesday via video conferencing. In his address, the Prime Minister reiterated his concept of ‘Sabka Prayas’, a theme he has emphasised in his Red Fort speeches. He highlighted that India’s progress can accelerate through collective efforts, and today’s event stands as a testament…

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news365timesindia · 19 days ago

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[ad_1] British-Indian businessman Rami Ranger hit back at what he said was an unjust ruling after being stripped of his CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) by the UK Forfeiture Committee. Ranger, a critic of Khalistani separatist movements, announced his decision to pursue legal action, including a judicial review and an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. In an official statement, Ranger stated, “Today I lost my CBE for standing up against Khalistanis who wish to break up India and the BBC for producing a two-part documentary with the help of antiPrime Minister Modi guests to imply that the PM was involved in the Gujarat riots some 20 years after the riots and for which the highest court in India exonerated PM Modi.” His comments underscore his belief that the Forfeiture Committee’s decision undermines British democracy and the rule of law. Expanding on his stance, Ranger added that the decision to revoke his honour sets a troubling precedent. “The decision of the Forfeiture Committee has serious implications for all upstanding citizens, that they should not speak their mind in case they forfeit their honour for standing up against those who wish to harm us and our country,” he said. The King formally directed that Lord Ranger’s CBE should be “cancelled and annulled,” as stated in a notice published in the London Gazette. Earlier on Saturday, the Times of India reported that Ranger and Anil Bhanot, an accountant and the managing trustee of Hindu Council UK, were stripped of their honours by King Charles III. Bhanot was stripped of his OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). Calling the process unfair, Ranger urged supporters to express their concerns to the Forfeiture Committee via email, emphasising that his right to freedom of speech had been violated. A spokesperson for Ranger also voiced disappointment at the decision, pointing out that Ranger had not committed any crime or broken any law, unlike most individuals who have had their honours revoked. “Lord Ranger is devastated that the CBE awarded him for his services to British business and for promoting community cohesion has been taken away. It is a sad indictment that the honours system, which is designed to empower individuals who go the extra mile and contribute a great deal to the nation, should be used to curtail the basic fundamental rights of free speech and thought process,” the spokesperson stated. The Forfeiture Committee reportedly revisited complaints against Ranger, many of which had already been addressed. These included a tweet by Ranger regarding a Southall Sikh Gurdwara Trustee, his criticism of a BBC documentary implicating Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Gujarat riots, and an online dispute with journalist Poonam Joshi. The spokesperson highlighted that complaints originating from the US-based Sikhs for Justice group, designated as an “unlawful association” by the Indian government, were also considered by the Forfeiture Committee. The organisation’s leader had been declared a terrorist by India in 2020. Despite these origins, the Committee seemingly treated the complaints as valid without a transparent or thorough investigation. Lord Rami Ranger was recognised for his outstanding contributions to business and community cohesion, receiving a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2016. In 2019, Ranger’s achievements were further acknowledged three years later when he was appointed a peer in Theresa May’s resignation honours. His spokesperson also emphasised Ranger’s significant contributions to the UK over three decades. “His business is the only company in the United Kingdom to have won an unprecedented five consecutive Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in International Trade. He has connected Britain with 130 countries through export activities, created a significant number of British jobs, and supported universities and charities with millions in donations.” Ranger has also been a staunch advocate for community cohesion.

He founded the Pakistan, India & UK Friendship Forum and the Hindu Forum Britain and chaired the British Sikh Association, promoting interfaith dialogue. His philanthropic efforts include support for charities like Combat Stress, The Prince’s Trust, and Syrian refugee initiatives. Criticism of the Forfeiture Committee’s lack of transparency was also central to the spokesperson’s remarks. They argued that the investigatory and recommendation process lacked due process and impartiality. “The absence of the commonly accepted standards of due process and fairness as reflected in the principles of natural justice under common law, including the right to be heard and the requirements for impartiality free from any agenda, need to be the subject of an urgent and comprehensive review,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson also accused the Committee of penalising Ranger for exercising his right to free speech and revisiting complaints that had been resolved. They noted that Ranger had already apologised for his remarks, undertaken rehabilitative training, and stepped back from social media. Despite the controversy, Ranger remains committed to his work and legacy. “Lord Ranger will continue to make the significant contribution that he has over the last 30 years, which led to him originally receiving his honours,” the spokesperson affirmed. He plans to challenge the decision through all available legal avenues to vindicate himself and restore his reputation. In his statement, Ranger expressed hope that his supporters would rally behind him. “If you think I have been wronged, please express your feelings to the Forfeiture Committee,” he urged, providing the committee’s contact information for feedback. [ad_2] Source link

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rightnewshindi · 4 months ago

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हमें यह घोषणा नहीं करनी चाहिए कि हम भगवान बन गए हैं; जानें मोहन भागवत ने किसको कहा ऐसा

हमें यह घोषणा नहीं करनी चाहिए कि हम भगवान बन गए हैं; जानें मोहन भागवत ने किसको कहा ऐसा #MohanBhagwat #RSS #IndianPolitics #Leadership #Hinduism #CulturalHeritage #NationBuilding #UnityInDiversity #PoliticalInfluence #SocialIssues #CommunityDevelopment #In

RSS Chief On Manipur: राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ (आरएसएस) प्रमुख मोहन भागवत ने गुरुवार, 5 सितंबर को शंकर दिनकर केन के शताब्दी वर्ष के अवसर पर आयोजित एक कार्यक्रम में कहा कि यह लोग तय करते हैं कि अपने काम में श्रेष्ठ प्रदर्शन करने वाले व्यक्ति को भगवान माना जाना चाहिए या नहीं, वह शख्स ये बातें खुद तय नहीं कर सकता है. शंकर दिनकर ने 1971 तक मणिपुर में बच्चों की शिक्षा पर ध्यान केंद्रित करते हुए काम…

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news365times · 19 days ago

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darkmaga-returns · 2 months ago

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Restricted Format Meeting.

The main work of the BRICS 2024 Summit began today while many bilateral meetings occurred on the sidelines. The meeting’s format included a restricted session that lasted over 3 hours and an expanded session lasting over two hours. Apparently, Saudi Arabia sent no representative to take the place of bin Sultan as there was none at ether session or listed amongst the attendees. Brazil’s President Lula did participate via video. The readouts provided for the sideline meetings contain the usual greetings and little of substance, although media may glean some content as with the Modi-Xi meeting I reported. The restricted format follows the usual formula of Putin providing an introductory speech before the cameras are turned off and media vacates the room. I will note that each member had a small staff attend that widened the circle beyond the usual heads-of-states only. It’s likely other members made opening remarks, but they’re not included on the Kremlin’s readout where only Putin’s provided:

Vladimir Putin: Dear colleagues, Dear Heads of State, Ladies and gentlemen, friends!

I am sincerely glad to welcome all of you to Kazan. Our meeting opens the XVI BRICS Summit, which is being held in an expanded format for the first time. This is a key event of the Russian presidency, which is held under the motto "Strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security".

I would like to emphasize that Russia has taken a very responsible approach to organizing our joint activities within the framework of the association this year.

We have tried to strengthen the BRICS authority, enhance its role in world affairs, in solving pressing global and regional problems, and have done our best to deepen the multifaceted cooperation of our states in three main areas: politics and security, economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian contacts. And, of course, we did everything possible to ensure smooth and full integration of the new member countries into the work of the association.

Now, in a narrow format, we propose to consider the most relevant aspects of the global agenda and exchange views on cooperation between the BRICS countries in the international arena, including the settlement of acute regional conflicts.

We will also discuss the implementation of two important decisions of the previous summit in Johannesburg. First, we have in mind the deepening of financial cooperation within the BRICS. Another equally important issue is the further expansion of our association. Of course, it would be wrong to ignore the unprecedented interest of the countries of the Global South and East in strengthening contacts with BRICS. More than 30 States have already expressed this desire in one form or another. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain a balance and avoid reducing the effectiveness of the BRICS.

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