Flowerpecker

 

Barbets

 

Ripudaman Singh Malik - a time line

June 23, 1985: 329 people were killed when a bomb explosion took down the Air India plane Boeing 747 named Emperor Kanishka off the coast of Ireland. The plane was flying a Montreal-London-Delhi-Mumbai route. About an hour before, a bomb went off inside the terminal building of Tokyo's Narita airport, killing two baggage handlers. The bomb went off early because its timer was set incorrectly; it was intended to take down a second Air India plane. 

 Among the several accused in this terrorist plot was Ripudaman Singh Malik (Malik, henceforth in this post).

March 16, 2005: Malik was acquitted of the charges because of inadequate evidence. Two key witnesses had been murdered. Second (Wiki), "Justice Ian Josephson "cited "unacceptable negligence" by CSIS when hundreds of wiretaps of the suspects and other informants were destroyed. Of the 210 wiretaps that were recorded during the months before and after the bombing, 156 were erased. These tapes continued to be erased even after the terrorists had become the primary suspects in the bombing."

Malik of course maintained his innocence, and even tried to collect damages for his prosecution from the Canadian government. 

 Malik was put on a blacklist along with many other names, not allowed entry into India. 

 When Sri Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, he caused to be made backchannel approaches to members of the organizations that these terrorists belonged to, trying to bring about a reconciliation. It seems this outreach worked with Malik. In September 2019, Malik's name was removed from the blacklist and in December 2019, Malik made a visit to India. 

 In January 2022, Malik wrote the following letter to PM Modi:

(via The Hindustan Times)

"At the same time, Malik showed concerns at an “orchestrated campaign” by some misguided members of the Sikh community against the Modi government and India. This, he said, is being done at the behest of some foreign powers which are interested in destabilising India and challenging its national integrity." "Malik promised to work with the government of India for redressal of pending issues." In a separate letter to the Sikh community, Malik urged them to desist from the vicious and motivated campaign. 

“Violence in Punjab only ends up hurting the interests of the Sikh community in Punjab and throughout India and around the world. I do my daily Ardaas for world peace as I do not like seeing my community or any community suffer due to violence,” he said in the letter. “I do not believe it is right to unfairly criticise the Prime Minister given his many positive gestures towards the Sikh community. Instead of criticising we should be appreciating and engaging meaningfully with the government of India under his leadership towards a positive partnership for the future,” Singh furthers said in the letter.

These letters earned Malik the sobriquet "“kaum ka gaddar” (traitor) by the terrorist organizations. 

Going back a couple of years, via the Times of India, August 22, 2020:

AMRITSAR: Various Sikh bodies across the world are questioning the alleged printing of Guru Granth Sahib by a Canada-based Sikh society and the permission to print it. Canada-based British Columbia Gurdwara Council (BCGC) spokesperson Moninder Singh on Friday said they had issued a notice to Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was acquitted for his role in the 1985 Kanishka airplane bombing, and Balwant Singh Pandher of Satnam Parchar Religious Society (SPRS), Surrey, British Columbia, for violating the Akal Takht directives on the printing of Guru Granth Sahib saroops (copies).

One of Malik's projects was a Khalsa school (Sikh religious school). 

 (Via The Tribune)

In June 2022, "Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh was scheduled to visit Canada for three days. The programme included laying the foundation of Khalsa College. “The Jathedar’s visit to the Malik’s function was opposed by certain groups, who threatened to gherao the venue. Subsequently, the visit was cancelled."

(Via Global News, Canada, in a story dated June 22, 2023: )

A later dispute over a commercial printing press may have put Nijjar at odds with Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was acquitted of involvement in the deadly 1985 Air India bombings. The machine was purchased by Malik and a partner, who intended to use it to print Sikh religious scripture, according to court documents. Malik handed the press over to Nijjar in November 2020 “for safekeeping,” according to B.C. Supreme Court records. But Nijjar refused to return it, a civil suit alleged. Malik was murdered in July 2022. A lawsuit launched in February 2023 sought the return of the equipment.

July 14, 2022 : Ripudaman Singh Malik was shot dead by two gunmen. 

July 27, 2022 : Canadian law enforcement charged Tanner Fox, 21, and Jose Lopez, 23, with the murder of Malik. The charge was for murder in the first degree. 

May 27, 2023: Tanner Fox charged with the with second-degree murder in the death of Chad Colivas, 41, of Abbotsford. March 21, 2022. Also charged in Colivas’s death is Laetitia Acera, 30, of Abbotsford. She is facing a charge of manslaughter. 

October 21, 2024: Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez plead guilty to second-degree murder; but we are told they have not revealed who hired them. 

The Canadian government and its intelligence and investigative agencies keep alleging the involvement of the Government of India in the murder of various Canadians. These Canadians are members of the various terrorist or gangster organizations; Canada has denied extradition requests from India and Interpol Red Corner notices. 

 (Via CBC):

Fox and Lopez are not of Indian origin; sources told CBC News they're believed to have connections to organized crime in B.C. Investigators have told CBC they do not believe Lopez and Fox were contracted directly by Indian diplomats, but rather through criminal intermediaries.

What the Canadians do not acknowledge is the later history of Malik, and how it dilutes any possible motive for the government of India to have Malik assassinated.  On the other hand, the darling terrorist of the Canadians, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, certainly had more than one motive; and the Canadians have reason to cover up any involvement of Nijjar.  Their actions in the Kanishka bombing prove that no chicanery is beyond them.

V-Dem in Action!

 

V-Dem Institute

@vdeminstitute

A unique approach to conceptualizing and measuring democracy. Dataset with 31 million data points, 202 countries, 480+ indicators, from 1789-2023.

The V-Dem Institute, led by Professor Staffan I. Lindberg, is an independent research institute and the Headquarters of the V-Dem project. The institute is based at the Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

The V-Dem Project Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) is a unique approach to conceptualizing and measuring democracy. We provide a multidimensional and disaggregated dataset that reflects the complexity of the concept of democracy as a system of rule that goes beyond the simple presence of elections. The V-Dem project distinguishes between five high-level principles of democracy: electoral, liberal, participatory, deliberative, and egalitarian, and collects data to measure these principles.

 

Note: the V-Dem produces its rankings using among other things, the subjective opinion of anonymous supposed-experts.   But when asked, they claim they have a model that runs on a supercomputer.

Female Purple Sunbird

 

Female Cinnyris asiaticus

Indigo Bunting

 

Indigo Bunting

Loten's Sunbird

 

Loten's Sunbird

White-cheeked Small Green Barbet

 

Black-hooded Oriole

 

Black-hooded Oriole

The Way the Media Game is Played

There was a recent headline (I won't link it here), somethng like "Hedge Funds threaten to leave India over new regulations". Well, they may have threatened or not. That is not the point I'm raising here.

India recently issued new regulations adding certain reporting requirements on short-selling in market.  A little deeper look shows that the European Union had such rules since 2012, and the US just added such rules in October 2023.

A more fair and informative headline would be something like "India follows the US in regulations on short selling". 

But that is not the way the media game is played.

The Story of Lubdaka

A seal from Mohenjo-daro (Mackay 1937-38, Pl. XCVI.522)

Via https://www.mahashivratri.org/the-legend-of-lubdhaka.html

 Story of Lubdhaka 

The story goes that Lubdhaka - a poor tribal man and a devout worshipper of Lord Shiva once went into the deep forests to collect firewood. As the darkness engulfed the jungle, Lubdhaka lost his way and could not find his way home. He became extremely terrified as deep growls of animals began to fill the jungle. Seeking protection till daybreak, Lubdhaka climbed the nearest bel tree and sought safety and shelter in its branches. Since Lubdhaka was perched on the branch of a tree he was afraid that if he dozed he might fall off from the tree. To keep himself awake all night, Lubdhaka decided to pluck one leaf from the bheel tree and drop it while chanting the name of Shiva. By sunrise, the devout tribal realized that he had dropped thousands of leaves on to a Shiva Lingam, which he had not seen in the darkness. Lubdhaka’s all night worship pleased Lord Shiva and by his divine grace tigers and other wild animals went away. Thus, Lubdhaka not only survived but was also rewarded with divine bliss. According to Puranas, ever since that day, the story of the tribal Lubdhaka has been recited every year on the night of Mahashivaratri. This popular legend also from the basis of the popular custom of offering bhel (Aegle marmelos) leaves to Lord Shiva on Shivaratri.

The story had eluded me for a long time.

How far back can we attest to the story of Lubdhaka?  That remains to be seen.  For the first part, we have to check that it is not some modern invention.

From Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 3 Southeast Asia, Religions, Religionen, edited by Jan Gonda

Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 3 Southeast Asia, Religions, Religionen, edited by Jan Gonda, 1975

Thanks to:

 

and

https://www.harappa.com/content/indus-folklore-unknown-story-some-harappan-objects

A spin on history: Gujarat 2002

Abhijit Iyer-Mitra on PGurus: {lightly edited transcript}

 

Sri Iyer: Next question, please!  Thank you!  Rajesh {asks} "Can you explain what exactly happened in the Gujarat riots?

 

Abhijit Iyer-Mitra:  Yes, it was very simple. Modi anticipated.  What happened was the Godhra train got burnt by people from the outside.  It wasn't from the inside as some nonsense investigators told you.  They expected things to blow up.

 

Modi realized things were going to blow up.  He desperately asked for Central troops, he asked for police reinforcements from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra.

 

The center said no because, remember at that point of time, there was a massive mobilization, Parliament attack had happened and Operation Parakram was on, where the entire Army had been mobilized across the border.  So, they could not spare troops to come to Gujarat.  What else happened was that the three neighboring states said no and within about 24 hours as expected the riots broke out.  

 

Modi did the best he could with the small number of police he had with bolt action 303 rifles which you have to keep loading, one extracting, one loading, one extracting one bullet; you can't really do crowd control with that, and he tried his best as much as he could. You have to make some very tough choices--you can protect these neighborhoods, you can't protect these neighborhoods.  You decide to sacrifice some neighborhoods.  This is one of the ugly things about law-and-order maintenance which you have to do.

 

 He did, given what few troops he had and police he had, and that's exactly what happened and remember it was controlled within about 48 to 72 hours. Also, it wasn't a one-sided program, never forget that.  Yeah, both sides died and the other side, the so-called victim side also died in very significant numbers, never forget that,  many of them shot by police during rioting caught on camera. So it wasn't one-sided at all.

 

Sri Iyer:  One thing that BJP needs to do is to go on the front foot on this. The Congress knew Modi, that he was going to be a threat to the center,  to the Sonia Gandhi family even though they were not in power yet they understood. This is like a snake knowing another snake's legs.

 

The Poison Ivy League

The Jerusalem Post headline says it all: Ivy League heads: Calls for genocide on Jews are context-dependent When New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik asked if “calling for the genocide of Jews” is against the universities’ respective codes of conduct, all three presidents said the answer depends. --- The above is about the most degraded that I have seen the American Left. As is almost always the case, ideology seems to paralyze the rational faculty. Perhaps if they had said that calling for the genocide of Jews or anyone is always against the universities' codes of conduct; but the severity of the sanctions against the offender(s) depend on context, it would be far less offensive. --- FYI, I am currently in the 10-15% of the population that does not react to urushiol (I understand that a rash response can develop with repeated exposure to poison ivy).

I do not subscribe to Anglosphere solidarity

 I do not subscribe to Anglosphere solidarity.

 ---

The idea that since the US government has supported Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau's allegations against India in murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the allegations must be credible is not logical.

 

Among the allegations that Trudeau has raised against India, there is one that can be readily checked.  

 

In stripping 41 diplomats of their diplomatic immunity, Trudeau claims that India is in violation of international law and in violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. [1]

 

"Trudeau made the remarks in Brampton Ont. a day after his government confirmed that 41 Canadian diplomats had left India after New Delhi threatened to revoke their diplomatic immunity."

 

"This is a violation of the Vienna Convention governing diplomacy," Trudeau said. "This is them choosing to contravene a very fundamental principle of international law and diplomacy. It is something that all countries in the world should be very worried about.

 

The US government supports Canada on this [2]:

 

"Resolving differences requires diplomats on the ground. We have urged the Indian government not to insist upon a reduction in Canada’s diplomatic presence and to cooperate in the ongoing Canadian investigation," the U.S. State Department said, adding that it expects "India to uphold its obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

 

Fact of the matter is that the Canadian mission in India is much larger than the Indian mission in Canada. Around September 20th,  India asked Canada to reduce its mission to parity and gave Canada up to October 10th to do so. [3]

 

This is perfectly fine per the Vienna Convention [4], Article 11, specifically Article 11.1.

 

Article 11

 

1.In the absence of specific agreement as to the size of the mission, the receiving State may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of the particular mission.

 

2.The receiving State may equally, within similar bounds and on a non-discriminatory basis, refuse to accept officials of a particular category.

 

Canada did not comply by October 20th and so India withdrew their diplomatic immunity.  That is perfectly fine per Article 9 of the Vienna Convention.

 

Article 9

 

1. The receiving State may at any time and without having to explain its decision, notify the sending State that the head of the mission or any member of the diplomatic staff of the mission is persona non grata or that any other member of the staff of the mission is not acceptable. In any such case, the sending State shall, as appropriate, either recall the person concerned or terminate his functions with the mission. A person may be declared non grata or not acceptable before arriving in the territory of the receiving State.

 

2. If the sending State refuses or fails within a reasonable period to carry out its obligations under paragraph 1 of this article, the receiving State may refuse to recognize the person concerned as a member of the mission.

 

The above thus establishes:

 

1. The Canadian Prime Minister made a patently absurd allegation against India.

2. The US, UK and the Anglosphere nevertheless supported the Canadian Prime Minister on this patently absurd allegation.

 

The only plausible reason for the US Department of State to do such a thing is Anglosphere solidarity.   But if they would do so an easily demonstrated absurdity, then it places in doubt the "credible allegations of a potential link" of Indian agents to the murder of Nijjar, for which no information has been provided at all.  It could simply be Anglosphere solidarity.

 

The Indian Minister of External Affairs, Dr S. Jaishankar has said, while in the US and elsewhere , that such foreign operations are not India's policy. [6]

 

The Canadian Prime Minister's unsupported allegations are credible only to those who share an Anglosphere solidarity.  I am not among those, and in addition, I have shown you how threadbare is the Anglosphere's charge of "violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations" by India.

 

[1] India making life 'unbelievably difficult' for millions by ordering diplomats out, says Trudeau, CBC News, Peter Zimonjic, Posted: Oct 20, 2023 12:56 PM EDT

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-india-making-life-difficult-1.7002961

 

[2] US and UK back Canada in dispute with India over diplomats, Reuters, By Kanishka Singh and Costas Pitas, October 20, 20239:13 PM EDT https://www.reuters.com/world/us-backs-canada-dispute-with-india-over-diplomats-2023-10-20/

 

[3] Diplomatic row escalates, India asks Canada to downsize missions, pauses issuing visas, The Deccan Herald, Anirban Bhaumik DHNS,  Last Updated 21 September 2023, 11:18 IST 

 https://www.deccanherald.com/world/canada-asked-to-downsize-diplomatic-presence-in-india-2695819

 

[4] Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961, United Nations, https://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/9_1_1961.pdf

 

[5] India withdraws immunity from 41 Canadian diplomats, EFE, 20 October 2023,

https://efe.com/en/other-news/2023-10-20/india-withdraws-immunity-from-41-canadian-diplomats/

 

[6] ‘Foreign ops not part of govt policy’: Jaishankar in US, Hindustan Times, By

Prashant Jha Sep 28, 2023 04:26 AM IST

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/foreign-ops-not-part-of-govt-policy-eam-in-us-101695839606336.html

Snakes in the backyard

“You can't keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbors. You know, eventually those snakes are going to turn on whoever has them in the backyard.” ― Hillary Rodham Clinton, addressing the media in a joint press conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, October 21, 2011.

If Hamas was permitted to flourish by Netanyahu and the right-wing in Israel, as a prophylactic against a two-state solution, it is time someone had the same joint press conference with them.

There is no choice but to kill the snakes.  This is going to involve enormous losses of people.

The question is whether there is going to be a change in course, or will the cultivation of snakes  continue after this particular battle is over.

-----

 Hamas’s attack shows Benjamin Netanyahu failed Israel - Vox

https://www.vox.com/23910085/netanyahu-israel-right-hamas-gaza-war-history

Second, a columnist at Israel’s Ha’aretz newspaper (https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-09/ty-article/.premium/another-concept-implodes-israel-cant-be-managed-by-a-criminal-defendant/0000018b-1382-d2fc-a59f-d39b5dbf0000) unearthed evidence that Netanyahu has intentionally propped up Hamas rule in Gaza — seeing Palestinian extremism as a bulwark against a two-state solution to the conflict.

Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas,” the prime minister reportedly said at a 2019 meeting of his Likud party. “This is part of our strategy — to isolate the Palestinians in Gaza from the Palestinians in the West Bank.”

These exact comments have not yet been confirmed by other sources. But the Times of Israel’s Tal Schneider wrote on Sunday that (https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-years-netanyahu-propped-up-hamas-now-its-blown-up-in-our-faces/) Netanyahu’s reported words “are in line with the policy that he implemented,” which did little to challenge and in some ways bolstered Hamas’s control over the Gaza Strip. Moreover, Schneider notes, “the same messaging was repeated by right-wing commentators, who may have received briefings on the matter or talked to Likud higher-ups and understood the message.” Some Netanyahu confidants have [said the same thing ( https://twitter.com/DanielSeidemann/status/1711338210679304483 ), as have outside experts.

The first link above in Ha'aretz is to Gidi Weitz, who precedes the Hamas quote with: [Another Concept Implodes: Israel Can’t Be Managed by a Criminal Defendant - Israel News - Haaretz.com](https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-09/ty-article/.premium/another-concept-implodes-israel-cant-be-managed-by-a-criminal-defendant/0000018b-1382-d2fc-a59f-d39b5dbf0000)

His {*Netanyahu's*} life’s work was to turn the ship of state from the course steered by his predecessors, from Yitzhak Rabin to Ehud Olmert, and make the two-state solution impossible. En route to this goal, he found a partner in Hamas.

The second link, to Tal Scheider, includes: [For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it's blown up in our faces | The Times of Israel](https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-years-netanyahu-propped-up-hamas-now-its-blown-up-in-our-faces/)

Most of the time, Israeli policy was to treat the Palestinian Authority as a burden and Hamas as an asset. Far-right MK Bezalel Smotrich, now the finance minister in the hardline government and leader of the Religious Zionism party, said so himself in 2015. 

According to various reports, Netanyahu made a similar point at a Likud faction meeting in early 2018, when he was quoted as saying that those who oppose a Palestinian state should support the transfer of funds to Gaza, because maintaining the separation between the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza would prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. 

While Netanyahu does not make these kind of statements publicly or officially, his words are in line with the policy that he implemented.

The third link is to a tweet: https://twitter.com/DanielSeidemann/status/1711338210679304483

Gen.Gershon Hacohen, emphatically rightwing and confidante of [Netanyahu], said the following: "Truth be told, Netanyahu's objective is to prevent the two-state option and therefore turned Hamas into his closest ally.  Openly, Hamas is an enemy, beneath the surface, an ally".

Gen. Gershon Hacohen refers to Hamas: [After evacuating Gaza, a lonely general of faith struggles for Israel's salvation | The Times of Israel](https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-evacuating-gaza-a-lonely-general-of-faith-struggles-for-israels-salvation/)

This is also why, he added, “I prefer Hamas to Abu Mazen.” Because Hamas “helps me prevent a two-state solution” and is, covertly “an ally, because neither it nor I want a final solution and neither in my terms nor in its is there something that is everlasting.

Four talks

External Affairs Minister of India at the Hudson Institute:

External Affairs Minister of India at the Council of Foreign Relations:

External Affairs Minister of India at a Press Conference:

The National Security Advisor:

The Future of The University in India

On Audrey Truschke

 

The best short takedown of Audrey Truschke's lies that I have come across so far.

About Free Speech in India

J. Sai Deepak is a lawyer, self-described 85% commercial litigation, 15% Constitutional Law. He is also an author and public speaker; his detractors call him an Ultra-Nationalist and so on.

The first eleven minutes of this Youtube has some remarks of J. Sai Deepak from a public debate. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q-UIVvWHyg 

 

 

{lightly edited and annotated Youtube transcript}

 

J. Sai Deepak:  

 

This is the Shri Ram College right, Jai Shree Ram! 

 

So first of all, thanks to the organizers for putting together such a fantastic event and the audience for turning up in such brilliant numbers as usual.

 

I think the aisles have been converted into pathshalas {traditional India school where students sit on the floor}

 

Thank you so very much!   You know, I was wondering - I was just going through the e-mail that was sent to us on the topic.  The topic was "Can western narratives and Indian narratives or western media and Indian media co-exist?"

 

If I were on the other side, I would have stuck to the topic.  This is a textbook instance of

Aa Bail Mujhe Maar {literally, "'Come bull, do hit me!", figuratively , "invite trouble upon oneself"}.  You've opened the Pandora's box by speaking about freedom of speech when instead the topic was slightly different. A good can of worms has been opened,  so,  let the flood gates open.

 

Democracy in Crisis

Once upon a time, to board a domestic flight was almost as easy as getting onto a bus at a bus terminal. Global terrorism put an end to that.  Is this a reduction in freedom?  Absolutely.  The requirement of the right kind of government-issued ID to board a flight is an intrusion into individual liberty. 

 

Is it a reduction in democracy?  Absolutely not.  The people remain free to make the government change the regulations, repeal them altogether, or as is more likely, to make obtaining the required ID and the security checks less onerous.  

 

Professor Salvatore Babones, an American sociologist at the University of Sydney in Australia, uses this kind of distinction, and argues that India remains a democracy, though less free than Australia or the United States, for instance in freedom of speech.  Watch this debate between Salvatore Babones and Anand Rangarajan.  (Trigger-alert: Anand Rangarajan is boorish; and Salvatore Babones loses the audience because he acknowledges learning about India from a trio of journalists whom the audience happens to despise.)   But Babones' arguments are sound.   

 

Let's examine this further. In one of the many "India's Democracy in Crisis" panel discussions,  there is the criticism of the Modi government that it does not do enough to curb hate speech.  On the other hand, district authorities have been given the power to simply shut down the internet, and in 2022, of 187 shutdowns of the internet world-wide, 84 occurred in India, and the Modi government is criticized for this, too.

 

It does happen in India that social media is used to spread "hate-speech" and start a riot or lynching.  It may be rare on a per capita basis (1.4 billion people in the denominator!), but it does happen.  The district authorities can nip this in the bud by simply turning off the internet for a period.  "Hate speech" is poorly defined, there are no standards, and asking the district authorities to selectively censor social media will bring in their bias.  Turning off the internet makes sense.  Whether this is a good strategy requires research into its effectiveness in keeping the peace, and not some theoretical notions about freedom.

 

Regarding the disruption to life by an internet shutdown, India is prone to "rasta roko"/"rail roko" -- people block roads or railway lines - and city-wide or state-wide bandhs, where the entire area is coerced into shutting down business.  This kind of protest is part of India's political culture and has a history.  Lack of internet is yet another disruption to add to this.  

 

But it is up to the Indian people to decide whether all this is acceptable or not.   Right now, perhaps the safety of life and property, and the avoidance of disruption of life by violence outweighs the loss of the internet.   Maybe some time the balance will change and then the voters will make a political issue of it and force a change.

 

Which leads to another observation - the Indian Constitution is relatively easy to change, with the Supreme Court on guard to preserve the basis structure of the Constitution.  From January 1950 to October 2021, there have been 105 amendments.  America's Constitution has had 27 since 1789.  It is much more difficult to amend, and popular causes such as regulating money in politics, or making the Presidency be determined by the popular vote rather than the Electoral College which overweighs states with tiny populations are stuck.  That is, the American people remain free to change their Constitution, but in practice, it is very hard.  

 

Freedom of speech is virtually absolute in the United States; the restrictions that can be placed by law are very limited.  We thus get the situation where e.g., Fox News can knowingly, even maliciously, propagate a democracy-damaging falsehood, and the only recourse is for a private party who suffered economic damage by the lies to take them to court.  If the situation gets unbearable, Americans will no doubt try to change this, but the barriers to change are enormous.   

 

Does comparing among countries the ease of amending the Constitution make any sense?  I don't think it does, any more than the freedom indices and such.  India's Constitution and America's Constitution were written to meet the needs of their respective people with their histories and circumstances.  The ease or difficulty of amendment was also decided because of history and circumstances.

With any democracy, what one can meaningfully ask is, are the people free to change their laws and regulations and do the laws and regulations that get made diminish that freedom in any way?  Only in the latter case need an alarm be raised (e.g, Hungary or maybe even Israel).  

When in the debate mentioned above, Anand Rangarajan feels patronized when Babones says India is less free in some respects than Australia or America and asks why he can't be as free as an American, he is asking for India to be America; but India's history and circumstances can't be so readily erased.  Nor is less freedom necessarily bad - in aviation, it keeps terrorists at bay.  

It is up to Indians collectively whether they want a perfect Jeffersonian Republic, or whether the trade-offs to preserve their way of life are acceptable to them; and Anand Rangarajan has the freedom to try to persuade them as to which would lead to their greater flourishing.