Its such a pleasure to be back in hardtalk with you, stephen. Well, its a pleasure to have you on the show. Lets begin with a very basic fact you are one of your own israeli governments fiercest critics. You have been for a long time. Youve certainly been an Arch Critic of the israeli Military Strategy in gaza. Given all of that, i just wonder how you feel sitting in Tel Aviv watching the international Court Ofjustice consider the case of genocide filed against israel. I was watching it with a lot of sadness, depression and also a sense of shame, i must tell you. You know, my parents came here as refugees, really the ashes of the biggest genocide in history. And here, 80, 90 years later, israel is accused for genocide
One may feel there is nothing in a moniker, but it is not that simple in the ruling CPI(M), where Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is addressed as Captain by admirers, triggering a raging debate within the party and outside, with many saying the tag should be given to the political outfit and not an individual. Kerala s captain is here or the captain who led Kerala in crisis are some of the slogans used to welcome the Chief Minister by hardcore supporters and followers during poll campaigns and meetings. However, the Left critics opine that the Marxist party has no tradition of branding or projecting any individual as its face, especially during elections and any act against it is personality cult worship.