Editorial 1: The right’s rise, Europe’s state of denial

Context

EU leaders are complicit in the gradual eclipse of their own liberal values, allowing for the gradual rise of the right.

Introduction

Irony died a thousand deaths in the Munich Security Conference in Germany, that was held recently, and the United Nations General Assembly vote on Ukraine. A few days ago, in Saudi Arabia, the United States and Russia, led by their respective Foreign Ministers, had held bilateral discussions on the Ukraine war. The Ukrainians and Europeans were not invited since it was felt that they need not be included at this point. In June 2024, at the behest of Ukraine, the European Union (EU) and the U.S., Switzerland organised a ‘Summit on Peace in Ukraine’ at the Bürgenstock. Russia was not invited since they felt that Russia was not needed at that point.

Accusations and Actions Against Right-Wing Parties in Europe and Romania

• Accusations by U.S. Vice-president J.D. Vance: In Munich, U.S. Vice-president J.D. Vance accused Europe of strangling its right-wing parties, “shutting down” elections, “stifling” free speech and religious freedoms, and encouraging “out of control” migration from non-EU countries, thereby endangering democratic polity, freedoms, and fundamental values.
• Prevention of right-wing parties gaining legitimacy: But before November 2024, the Americans and the Europeans had tried to prevent their right-wing and far-right parties from gaining legitimacy through the ballot since they were convinced that the rise of the right in their countries endangered democracy and freedoms — and, in effect, their liberal western values.
• Romania’s constitutional court and far-right candidate: Romania’s constitutional court even annulled the presidential election results where far-right independent candidate, calin Georgescu, who lobbied to cut off assistance to ukraine, won the first round.

What the U.S. forgets

• U.S. accusations against Europe and Ukraine: In February 2025, the U.S. is accusing Ukraine, Germany, and the Europeans of not doing enough to find a solution to the conflict, pursuing an unwinnable war with Russia.
• U.S. spending on Ukraine war: But the U.S. forgets that it has already spent over $110 billion in the Ukraine war, with $65 billion for ammunition only — more than what top western countries have collectively given Ukraine.
• Sabotage of negotiations: The U.S. also forgets that in March 2022, it was the leader of a European country who, at the behest of the U.S., sabotaged negotiations (which had already commenced in Türkiye) between the Russians and the Ukrainians.
• Sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines: And, in September 2022, close allies of Germany sabotaged the Nord Stream pipelines, rendering them inoperable and preventing Russia from supplying gas to Germany, which was its lifeline. But a reluctant, but much-chastised, Germany supplied Leopard tanks and other ammunition to Ukraine.
• U.S. exhorting Europe on security and NATO: In addition, the U.S. exhorts Europe to take responsibility for its own security, substantially enhance its defence spending, and not sponge on the disproportionate American role in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The U.S. contributes 16% of NATO’s annual budget and to most of its troops. But the U.S. forgets that since the collapse of the Cold War, it was America that was reluctant to let the Europeans organise their own security and defence.
• U.S. accusations on migration and militant radical Islam: Today, the U.S. accuses the EU of not doing enough either on illegal migration from non-EU countries or on combating militant radical Islam to stop terror attacks that disrupt the western way of life.
• U.S. and Europe’s view on terrorism: A few years ago, in the UN, the U.S. and Europe, barring France, proclaimed that the danger of terrorism came from “racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE)” in the U.S. as well as the rise of right-wing violent extremism in Europe, and not from radical Islam or disastrous migration policies of the West.
• Silence of liberal ambassadors at UN: At the UN, their “liberal” Ambassadors kept silent when the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) tried to undermine the collective fight against terror and the UN Alliance of Civilization (UNAOC) dismissed the terrorist attacks in France in 2020 as reaction to Islamophobia.

The problem with Europe

• Europe’s Refusal to Accept Impact of Domestic Policies: Europe, on its part, refuses to accept that its domestic policies, which, inter alia, encourage violent dissidents, radicals, terrorists, and refugees to seek citizenship, have transformed its demography, perhaps irrevocably.
• Exploitation of Liberal Societies: Its liberal open societies were taken advantage of by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists, Khalistani separatists and terrorists, the infamous Hamburg Cell of Al Qaeda(the pilots of the 9/11 terrorist attacks were from here), or by Islamic radicals killing Europeans in their own cities — Paris, Nice, Oslo, Vienna, Madrid, Brussels or elsewhere.
• Rise of Right-Wing Parties: Therefore, it was no surprise that right-wing parties began to sweep elections in Europe as a reaction to their leaders’ misplaced priorities. The recent election results in Germany which kept the far-right at bay, but only just, may be the last chance to find that elusive balance within the EU.
• U.S. Response to Fear of Voters: As Mr. Vance said in Munich, “If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you.” Of course, the U.S. forgets that Trump 1.0 refused to accept the 2020 election loss and that the first act of Trump 2.0 was to pardon the perpetrators of the storming of the U.S. Capitol in 2021.
• Europe’s Excuses and Illiberal Actions: But Europe’s claim that the U.S. is no less undemocratic or no less culpable in these issues, or the pointing to Germany’s Nazi past and the danger of its resurgence or to Russian aggression are not excuses for illiberal action against their far-right.
• Denial of the European Elite: Europe seems to be in a state of denial. While the pursuit of ideology, liberal democracy, and western values are laudable objectives, the EU leaders are complicit in the gradual eclipse of their own liberal values by allowing migrants, whose ethos are at direct variance with theirs. Their peoples’ counter-reaction is to vote for the far-right, fearing for their own identity, way of life, and even religion. It is a classic case of liberal policies being taken advantage of by illiberal values.
• India’s Criticism of the West: In Munich, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, called out the West for claiming to promote democratic values at home but supporting non-democratic forces outside, especially in the Global South. Recent instances of the West effecting regime changes in the Global South include the forcible takeover of power by radical Taliban in Afghanistan in August 2021 and the overthrow of the Syrian President  in December 2024 by Ahmed al-Shaara, a former leader of al-Qaeda in the region — all in the name of ushering in democracy.
• Clash of Interests Over the Ukraine War: However, on the Ukraine war, while Europe and the U.S. hitched themselves to the Zelenskyy bandwagon to emasculate Russia, in a dramatic turn of events, the chasm between the new U.S. initiatives and entrenched European positions burst into the open in the UN General Assembly when the U.S. voted with Russia against the European/Ukrainian draft resolution but could not stop it from being adopted.
• Outcome for Europe and America on Ukraine: More drama could follow in the UN Security Council, but it is only a pyrrhic win for Europe — without America, the Ukraine war is as good as over.

The trans-Atlantic partnership is relevant

• Premature Conclusion on Trans-Atlantic Partnership: Despite the jolts at Munich and the UN General Assembly, proclaiming that the trans-Atlantic partnership between the U.S. and Europe is over is premature.
• U.S. Call for Retreat: The call from the U.S. administration for retreat from Europe seems tactical, to renegotiate a better deal, and not strategic.
• Opportunity for Europe’s Course Correction: With a new centrist leadership in Germany, maybe it is time for Europe to undertake course correction, invest more in its own security, combat the rise of radical values in its societies, pursue a more independent foreign policy and rework its relations with the U.S..

Conclusion

Ironically, the trans-Atlantic partnership is even more relevant now in the face of “no-limits” partnership between Russia and China. The U.S.’s ability to walk away from Europe is overstated, just as the ability of Europe to weather the storm is understated. When a reporter asked Mahatma Gandhi what he thought of western civilisation, he is reported to have replied: “I think it would be a good idea.”

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Editorial 2: Human smuggling must engage Parliament’s attention

Context

The deportations from the U.S. must push Parliament to enact a central law that strikes at the roots of human smuggling.

Introduction

The planeloads of Indians being deported to India from the United States are lucky to be back alive. Shackled, handcuffed, humiliated and in dire straits, they have flown back heartbroken and in shame. But there is also the case of illegal immigrants from north India clearing ammunition fields in Iraq, who were abandoned. They were brought back home after emergency documents were issued.

The Issue of Illegal Immigration and the Role of Human Smuggling

• Illegal Immigration: The Key Issue: Every year, countless young Indians attempt what is called ‘irregular migration’.
• Unethical Merchants of Death: Backing them are the ‘unethical merchants of death’ who sponsor this activity: They have proliferated in rural Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, and Gujarat.
• Manpower Export: Human Smuggling (Kabootarbazi): Manpower export, legally called human smuggling or kabootarbazi, is one of the most profitable forms of trade:
  • It requires no technical skill, no educational or professional qualifications, no financial investment: It has no fear or respect for any law, checks, punishment, or even criminal action.

Horror and misery

• Human smuggling menace: Even though this menace is not new to India, we must learn from what has happened.
• Tradesmen of human smuggling: The tradesmen of these flourishing rackets of human smuggling thrive on gullible youth who fantasise about making it big with dollar-fuelled dreams: In reality, they are only waiting to be duped: This is organised crime that perpetuates horror and misery, and flourishes with impunity.
• Exploitation of migrants: Once in the net of these human smugglers, these migrants are vulnerable to exploitation and face grave risks to their life: As the world has seen, they end up being suffocated in containers, perish in scorching deserts, drown at sea, or be herded into slave camps to work as forced labour: These human smugglers conduct their activities brazenly, without any regard for a precious human life.
• Harrowing tales of survivors: Survivors often narrate harrowing tales of their ordeal — of how they were forced to sit in piles of human waste, deprived of food and water, while others around them have died and their bodies dumped at sea or on road sides.
• Profitable and corrupt business: Human smuggling generates high net worth profits for criminals, who in turn fuel corruption and organised crime: This is a deadly business that needs to be combated with grave urgency.
• Naive youth and forced labour: Naive youth fall prey to agents and land up somewhere working as slave labour in ammunition dumps or fields in Iraq, or as illegal immigrants elsewhere, suffering immensely with no hope of returning home.
  • The smuggling of migrants is a very profitable business with a low risk of detection: For criminals, it is becoming increasingly attractive to deal in human merchandise.
• International mafias and global borders: The business of death is becoming more organised, involving professional international mafias across global borders.
• Need for legislation: India needs to be alert and check this global menace.
  • Sadly, the Emigration Act, 1983 — officially ‘an Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to emigration of citizens of India’ — neither defines human smuggling nor looks at the serious problems connected with this deathly trade: Thus, Parliament must waste no time in legislating an Indian human smuggling law.
• State legislation and limited application: There are pieces of State legislation that are piecemeal and with a limited ambit of application — only to State territorial borders: Having a new central law is a composite solution, and Parliament must set the ball rolling.
• Emigration bill: There has been some discussion about the Emigration (Overseas Mobility Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, but its fate remains uncertain: Till then, any piece of State legislation would be welcome: In this, the Government of Punjab deserves praise for its efforts, but sadly, its implementation is poor.

Punjab’s Act

• Punjab travel professionals regulation act, 2012: The Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act, 2012 is described as a law to provide for the regulation of the profession of travel agents with a view to check and curb illegal, fraudulent activities, and malpractices such as organised human smuggling in the State of Punjab.
• Regulation and penal provisions: Enacted to provide a licensing regime for travel agents, and with penal provisions, it has some regulatory functions to check human smuggling.
• Travel agent definition: In this enactment, “travel agent” means a person who is doing a profession which involves arranging, managing or conducting affairs related to the sending of persons abroad or which arise out of the affairs of persons sent to a foreign country, and shall include a range of activities covering diverse practices.
• Human smuggling definition: Likewise, “human smuggling” shall mean and include illegally exporting, sending or transporting persons out of India by receiving money from them or their parents, relatives, or any other persons interested in their welfare, by inducing, alluring, or deceiving or cheating them.

Parliament must act

• Comparison of emigration act, 1983 and punjab travel professionals regulation act, 2012: A comparison of both Acts, i.e., the Emigration Act, 1983 and the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act, 2012, shows that they enshrine regulatory mechanisms for recruiting agents and travel agents separately.
• Complementary purposes: Viewed objectively, both have complimentary purposes in their own spheres: They are neither inconsistent or repugnant to each other.
• Compatibility of the laws: In fact, the two laws complement each other as they provide similar objectives, aims, and functions for recruiting and travel agents, respectively.
• Punjab’s unique law: Punjab has enacted a law which no other State in India has done.

Conclusion

In fact, human smuggling is a silent issue in the Emigration Act. The authority of law vested in Punjab must be exercised to enforce this law. Finally, Parliament must seriously contemplate enacting a national law to control Indian borders to regulate the human smuggling industry and deal with irregularities with an iron hand. Parliamentarians must rise to save precious human Indian lives. There needs to be a central law which has teeth.