A Climate of Fear
Around 1,900 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine–making up a who’s who of US science–have published an open letter addressed to the American people arguing that the US research enterprise is being destabilised by Trump administration and that a “a climate of fear has descended on the research community”.
Flora Graham,
Senior Editor, Nature Briefing

“Fast Unto Death”
This has reference to a ‘comment’ ‘Fast Unto Death’ by a farmers’ leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, published in Frontier [Vol 57 No 40, March 30- April 5, 2025]. The writer Prem Singh has raised Dallewal’s fast to a historic level, a level higher than Gandhiji’s and Anna Hazare’s. This is a classic example of how far can India’s intellectuals deviate from objective reality. Even a lay person knows that it is not possible for anyone to live without any intake while attending serious meetings actively. Everybody in Punjab is aware of this issue. In truth he started taking medical aid after agri-culture secretary of the Union Government met him and gave assurance to resume talks. The medical report submitted by the Punjab government in the Supreme Court showed medical vitals of Dallewal were normal. Then the apex court referred it to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for verifica-tion and it was found to be correct.

It was actually a Sangh sponsored event. Dallewal ended his seventh fast unto death at the behest of agriculture minister of central government .All these are known facts.

What was the real purpose of this drama? With the victory of 13 months long agitation by farmers on the Delhi borders, resulting in the repeal of pro- corporate farm laws infused great confidence in the peasantry that problems can be solved with united struggle and many small struggles in Punjab were victorious during this period. Unity of famers was a thorn in the flesh of the Modi government. Dallewal and his associates launched a dharna at Punjab borders to isolate SanyuktaKisanMorcha (SKM) and their second purpose was to smash the confidence and self-respect of peasantry in struggle. They failed in the first but succeeded in achieving the second objective.
Sardara Singh Mahil

Joy Tainted by Blood
For Palestinians in Gaza, this Eid was supposed to be a symbol of resilience and hope after months of war. But Israel’s renewed attack, which broke the ceasefire, has crushed even their smallest dreams.

When Ramadan began during the ceasefire in Gaza this year, inhabitants of Gaza pinned their hopes on Eid. It was supposed to be the first joyful occasion after a war that had stripped them of happiness.

As always, the Israeli occupation could not bear to see Gazans finding hope again, despite all its efforts to destroy them. Knowing how important this Eid was to residents of Gaza, it decided to crush any chance of survival in the most brutal way. In a single night, while they were asleep in their homes, at 2:00 a.m., all their plans and preparations were shattered.

But war alone wasn’t enough to make life unbearable. All the crossings–their lifeline–were also shut down, cutting off essential supplies. Within a single day, goods disappeared from the markets, and prices skyrocketed, especially for anything related to Eid preparations.

Despite all of this Gazans’ commitment to keeping Eid traditions alive did not change.

Despite the dire financial situation in Gaza–where most families have no income–parents did everything they could to keep their promises to their children, ensuring that this Eid would be different from the last.

For many children, their greatest fear when the war returned wasn’t the bombings–it was the thought of not being able to celebrate Eid.

Markets filled with fathers wearing anxious expressions, unable to afford a proper meal, while their excited children pointed with sparkling eyes at Eid outfits. But with prices soaring–where a single child’s outfit now costs over $100 due to the blockade–most families could only buy clothes if they sacrificed other essentials of life.

Celebrating Eid during war is not just about new clothes –it has become a way to defend culture and traditions.

Despite the high cost of making them during wartime, families support one another in gathering the necessary ingredients. Those who have extra dates share them with others in exchange for semolina–both essential ingredients–so that everyone can prepare them and place them on the Eid table, even if there are no visitors.

For families who have lost loved ones–and in Gaza, that is the majority–even attempting to celebrate feels like a luxury they can’t afford. Eid, once a time for family gatherings, has become another painful reminder of their loss.

Yet, even as Gaza’s joy remains stained with blood, people refuse to let it disappear.
Hala Al Khatib
[Hala Al Khatib is a Palestinian writer and poet from Gaza who studies English literature. Her writings have been published with Al Jazeera, We Are Not Numbers, and Electronic Intifada.]

Marx’s Statue         
The decision to erect a statue of Karl Marx in Chennai is a significant move that highlights the ongoing relevance of his ideas, particularly the call for workers of the world to unite. As people across the world face growing economic inequalities, Marx’s vision of solidarity among the labour class remains crucial. This statue will inspire generations to advocate for workers’ rights and social justice. “Workers of the World rise and reclaim your voice!”
T S Karthik, Chennai

A Friend of India
Many foreigners have rendered valuable service to the Indian National Movement. Sir William Wedderburn was one such eminent personality. Wedderburn served in the Indian Civil Service from 1860 to 1887, retiring as the Chief Secretary to the Government of Bombay. His official life was marked by a concern for the Indian peasantry. He held the rigid land revenue system responsible for the impoverishment of Indian agriculture. He was also worried about the lack of capital investment in agriculture. To redress this problem Wedderburn suggested the setting up of co-operative banks to provide cheap agriculture loans. The impersonal government debt courts were causing distress to peasants. Wedderburn proposed an arbitration and conciliation system constituted of village elders as a substitute. After his retirement he actively worked for the Indian cause. He cooperated with the Indian National Congress and went on to preside over the Congress Sessions of 1889 and 1910. The Congress had set up the British Committee of the Indian National Congress in London for educating the English public on Indian affairs. Wedderburn served as its chairman for almost three decades. In the words of historian S.R. Mehrotra, “The survival and steady functioning of the British Committee for about thirty years were due to no small extent to the tact and patience of William Wedderburn…” In 1893 Wedderburn was elected to the British Parliament. There he brought together a group of parliament members who were sympathetic to the Indian cause. When the British government constituted the Royal Commission on the Administration of Expenditure of India, Wedderburn served as a member representing the Indian demand. India faced recurring famines in the second half of the nineteenth century. Deeply concerned by this Wedderburn established the Indian Famine Union in London in 1901 to investigate the causes of famine and suggest solutions. Throughout his life William Wedderburn worked hard to draw the attention of the British government and British public to the wants of India especially its agricultural community.
S M Visakh
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Anti-War Protests in Gaza
The fragile ceasefire in Gaza inevitably came to an end on 18 March, with the resumption of Israeli airstrikes. In what was one of the deadliest days of the conflict so far, hundreds of Palestinians were killed in a matter of hours.

It is Palestinians who are once again paying the ultimate price, reduced to nothing more than numbers, with entire families and their meagre livelihoods being continually wiped out. Yet despite the war and occupation, “Palestinians” are not simply one homogeneous bloc, but also a society with conflicting social, political and economic interests. Recent events have illuminated this fact in striking fashion.

On 25 March, hundreds came out onto the streets of BeitLahia in defiance of the brutal reality of their everyday lives. They waved white scraps of fabric, carried home-made placards, and chanted. The protests spread to other cities and the slogans which echoed through the rubble speak for themselves: “we want peace”, “stop the war” and “Hamas out”. The most simple but direct slogan was a throwback to the economic protests in Gaza which Hamas dispersed in 2019–“we want to live”.

Palestinians refuse to die for anyone, for any party’s agenda or the interests of foreign states … Hamas must step down and listen to the voice of the grieving, the voice that rises from beneath the rubble – it is the most truthful voice.
Palestinians are oppressed by the occupation army (Israel) and they are oppressed by Hamas.

In other words, these protests are a brave and desperate cry, against war and against all sides in the conflict.

Imperialist wars are the direct product of a world system which ultimately cares about profit, not human lives. The one force capable of not only stopping the drive to war, but also creating a new society without war, is the mass movement of the international working class, whose very exploitation capitalism is built upon. Only such a movement could truly answer the cry coming from Gaza.
Communist Workers’ Organisation

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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 45, May 4 - 10, 2025