goldroger [none/use name]

General strike in India

Farmers, trade unionists and bank employees will go on strike today (Feb 12) to protest the new union Labour Codes, the replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act with the much weaker VB GRAM scheme, and allowing private investment in nuclear energy.

https://www.aicctu.org/workers-resistance/workers-resistance-january-2026/onwards-12th-february-2026-all-india-general-strike

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/article70584647.ece

https://www.deccanherald.com/India/bharat-bandh-on-feb-12-whats-open-and-closed-all-you-need-to-know-3894467

India and the US have agreed to a ‘deal’, but there is confusion about the terms.

US President Donald Trump says India has agreed to stop buying oil from Russia, remove tariffs on US goods, and buy 500 billion dollars worth of goods from the US.

Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal says that agriculture and dairy products will be excluded. There are medical concerns over allowing dairy products from the US, as the food given to the cows includes animal parts. Farmers are also opposed.

Both sides agree that the US will reduce tariffs from 50% to 18%.

Indian Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi said that Prime Minister Modi is ‘compromised’ and ‘sold off your labour and blood and sweat’.

either they try to form a Dravidian peoples republic essentially causing a war with the central government

This is a joke. Kerala has no industry and does not grow enough food for itself. Its economy is based on tourism and exporting cash crops (wood, tea, spices, cashews and seafood) and educated people to the rest of India and abroad. (Doctors / nurses being from Kerala is a usual stereotype.)

The only Indian state that has any negotiating power with the union government is Tamil Nadu. This is why Tamil nationalism is a thing. But even they benefit from being part of a large country, so when you talk to people the demand is usually only for more federalism.

In Kerala, and many other Indian states, the tradition is for the ruling party to always lose the election. So the two big blocs - the Communist-led LDF and the Congress-led (social democrats + neoliberals + Muslims) UDF take turns. In 2021, the LDF won re-election because they handled Covid very well.

Delhi is also in a valley in a range of low hills, so the wind cannot clear the pollution away. (E.g. Mumbai has more industry etc, but has cleaner air.)

So I grew up in a smallish town and then moved to a city (not Delhi) for work. And I was surprised when I first saw the night sky. It was a glowing dark red, not black with stars. And then some days afterwards a colleague from Delhi complimented us on the good air quality, pointing out that we did not wear masks outdoors or have air purifiers at home.

Kerala is a medium-sized state, and its government is led by the Communists, who are nationally in opposition. So this was achieved with very limited resources. But now other states can copy this. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are larger and richer states (still ruled by opposition parties), and currently have subsidised food programmes beyond the national ration system. TN is experimenting with other subsidies and schemes, and is important enough that the national government cannot ignore it.

Actually surprisingly high number among Muslims (32% satisfaction).

This is not surprising. Indian politics is very local. Most people are more affected by their panchayat (village council) / municipal and state governments than by the Indian government. So Muslims who live in places not ruled by the BJP probably don’t have strong opinions about Modi. Also Modi has a very carefully made ‘image’, where he tries to look his best.

Thank you. I will try to watch if I get time.

Got it, thanks!

Behave like what?

Being very hard-line. I live in a ‘neutral’ country. So most people who know about Vietnam or Cuba have a positive opinion of those countries. But North Korea is seen as extreme, as putting its military ahead of its people’s well-being. But if it is because they feel constantly threatened by the US, then I can understand why they behave that way.

I actually have very bad information about it and will reserve judgement

This makes sense.

No problem. I got a lot of replies yesterday and it was a bit too much. From your comment and what others have said, North Korea went through a very intense bombing by the US, and so its leaders fear that they will be attacked again. So they have taken an over-centralized, ‘military first’ approach. This is also why they have nuclear weapons. For North Korea to focus on its people’s well-being, the US etc. have to first stop threatening them. Is this broadly correct?

the fall of the USSR would strangle all other socialist nations

This actually happened in my country. More and more we are ‘socialist’ only on paper.

Yes, I read more about North Korea yesterday. I can sort of see why they behave like that.

I understood about 20% of that, but thank you.

So first of all, this is based on memory, so you are encouraged to check specifics:-

• Kerala is very densely populated but there are no big cities (at least by Indian standards). The coastal side of the state has closely spaced towns and villages. The eastern side is hilly and mostly forested, with a few villages and hill stations.
• Kerala food is different from the usual Indian food, with a lot more seafood, meat, alcohol and Arab dishes.
• Tourists are common in Kerala. No one will mind. And almost everyone can speak English. Kerala has a very good education system.
• Graffiti is common on walls. A lot of this is political, often election related. People take elections very seriously.
• Kochi is the main economic and industrial centre. It has an old fort, a few palaces, India’s only functional synagogue, and good seafood (caught using what are locally called ‘Chinese nets’). The lake and sea are somewhat polluted, so do not go into the water. The famous beaches (Kovalam, Varkala) and lakes (Aleppey) are in south Kerala, and these are popular and somewhat crowded.

Some warnings:-

• Kerala faces floods and landslides during the SW monsoon (June to August). Do not go there during this time.
• Kerala is hilly and has very narrow and winding roads. Travelling by road will take time.
• Less crime than other parts of India, but there are scams. Government-run services (bus / boat, hotels, tourist trips, etc.) are safe.
• Unfortunately some foreign tourists do stuff like carrying drugs or doing immoral stuff with women. While people of course welcome tourists, these are no-nos in India. Do not even joke about such stuff.
• In Kerala, don’t get into political or football-related arguments. People get angry.
• Kerala people, unlike most Indians, are very sarcastic. Pay attention to tone.

Interesting. Thank you!

Got it, thank you.

People are aggressive but I checked the things they are saying and so far most of them are correct. At least I am seeing a different side of the story.

since the 90’s when they a large trading partner during the collapse of the USSR

Got it.

but rather food is being intentionally withheld from them by the regime

I have read about this. And I know there is starvation in my own country even when food (at least grain) sits in warehouses. We have to do better.

I am reading about NK now. What is tinyman square?