Boycott Starbucks
Multiple protest demonstrations took place in different cities and regions of India outside the outlets of Starbucks, a coffee chain that supports genocidal Israel. These demonstrations were held under the banner of “Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine” which is organising a country-wide Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign in association with various mass organisations. The aim of these demonstrations is to resist Zionist Israel’s genocide against the people of Palestine. Starbucks is a chain that has spread across the entire world. The largest private shareholder and former CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, is a vocal Zionist and invests heavily in the Israeli economy. Starbucks has also filed lawsuits against the workers of Starbucks for speaking out in solidarity with Palestine. Calling for a boycott of Starbucks for this complicity, demonstrations were held in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Chandigarh, Vishkahapatnam, Vijayawada, Patna, and other regions. Revolutionary Workers’ Party of India (RWPI), Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Disha Students’ Organisation, Stree Mukti League, Delhi State Anganwadi Workers’ and Helpers’ Union took part in the protest along with common citizens and other groups.

Speaking about the BDS campaign, Priyamvada stated that the form of BDS–B for Boycott, D for Divestment, and S for Sanctions–is adopted across the world in solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle. It is a call for complete boycott of Israel and severing of all diplomatic, economic, cultural and academic ties with Israel. It calls for a boycott of products of Israeli-owned companies, or any companies/brands supporting Israel. Along with this, it calls for a boycott of Israeli Zionist intellectuals, writers, artists, academicians, films etc as well. She mentioned that apart from the imperialist backing, it is the funds and support of such companies that is sustaining the genocide of Palestinians by Israel.
Hina Mircin
hinamerzin9@gmail.com

Democratic Tolerance
There is urgent need to cultivate Democratic Tolerance at all levels and domains. This is particularly required to be cultivated at the family level in each community and society at large.

As a Human Rights Activist this writer feels this has to be cultivated as a cultural trait to resist the Institutionalised Intolerance which is perpetuated through Cultural Hegemony.

Nurturing and cultivating Democratic tolerance among the families will facilitate healthier Man-woman relationship and help to prevent the Honour killings and the so-called Love-Jihad.

The foundation of Democratic Tolerance is respecting the differences and honouring the diversities in the society; particularly the Caste and Religious differences and diversities.

Whereas Institutionalised intolerance widen the differences and cultivate them as irreconcilable and antagonistic  virtues and thus divide the people to serve the narrow objectives of the vested interests.

It is in this context, the Human Rights Organisations need to expose the designs of the Institutionalised Intolerance spread through various means by the Ruling Clique in the name of Hindu Rashtra and forceful homogenisation of the society.

Strengthening PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY instead of REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY should be yet another objective of the Human Rights Organisations, instead of simply piloting about “free and fair elections”.
Pon. Chandran
Member PUCL, Coimbatore

Kumaran Nair–Saheed-e Hind
India’s independence movement was a collective effort, a caravan of freedom fighters from different regions. T P Kumaran Nair was one such soldier of Indian freedom movement. Kumaran Nair was born on June 22, 1903, at Kozhikode in Kerala. After completing his intermediate education, he joined the Malabar Special Police, a section of the Madras Police, in 1925. On March 23, 1931, Bhagat Singh was hanged. A massive protest was held in Madras city to condemn this savage act. Kumaran Nair, who was posted in Madras, was ordered by his senior officer to forcefully disperse the protestors. To Kumaran, it was unconscionable to attack a peaceful protest. He disobeyed and was consequently dismissed from the service. Kumaran now returned to Kozhikode. There he became active in the Gandhian programme of rural reconstruction, prohibition, and the fight against untouchability. Now occurred a turn of fortune in his life. Kumaran went to Singapore in 1939 in search of a job. When the Indian National Army (I N A) was formed in Singapore in 1940, Kumaran joined it. At first, he did publicity work for the Indian Independence League and the Azad Hind government, the sister organisations of the I N A. Later, he was transferred to the Swaraj Institute in Penang, where he received military training. Subhas Chandra Bose took notice of Kumaran’s ability and dedication. Bose soon appointed him as an instructor in the institute. Meanwhile, the I N A decided to secretly send its soldiers to India. Kumaran was also sent. While attempting to infiltrate, Kumaran was captured. The court sentenced him to death. On July 7, 1944, Kumaran Nair was hanged in Madras Central Jail. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose honoured the sacrifice of Kumaran Nair by bestowing upon him the title Shaheed-e-Hind.
S M Visakh, Kerala

Misinformation
Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) took six major news channels to task–AajTak, India TV, News18, Times Now Navbharat, ABP News, and NDTV–for breaching journalistic ethics and violating the self-regulatory principles of the NBDSA–during their coverage of the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.

Among the gravest errors: a revered Indian cleric from Poonch, tragically killed in shelling, was falsely labelled a terrorist. Such reckless reporting damages lives, fuels hate, erodes public trust, and dishonours the memory of victims.

Then Israeli military clips were passed off as Indian air strikes.

In a moment of national grief and tension during Operation Sindoor, truth should have been sacred. Instead, several mainstream television channels aired misinformation and misleading footage–causing confusion and inciting fear.
CJP

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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 50, June 8 - 14, 2025