India Post Temporarily Suspends Postal Services to USA from 25 August!

India Post has announced today that postal services to the United States of America will be temporarily suspended with effect from 25 August, 2025 with a few exceptions. The press release issued says that it has taken note of the Executive Order No. 14324 issued by the US Administration on 30th July, 2025, under which the duty-free de minimis exemption for goods valued up to $800 will be withdrawn with effect from 29th August, 2025. Consequently, all international postal items destined for the USA, regardless of their value, shall be subject to customs duties per the country-specific International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA) tariff framework. However, gift items up to the value of $100 shall continue to remain exempt from duties.

Per the Executive Order, transport carriers delivering shipments through the international postal network, or other “qualified parties” approved by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are required to collect and remit duties on postal shipments. While CBP issued certain guidelines on 15th August, 2025, several critical processes relating to the designation of “qualified parties” and mechanisms for duty collection and remittance remain undefined. Consequently, US bound air carriers have expressed their inability to accept postal consignments after 25th August, 2025, citing lack of operational and technical readiness.

In view of the above, the Department of Posts has decided to temporarily suspend booking of all types of postal articles, destined for USA with effect from 25th August, 2025 except letters/documents and gift items up to $100 in value. These exempt items will continue to be accepted and delivered to USA, subject to further clarifications from CBP and USPS.

India Post is closely monitoring the evolving situation in coordination with all stakeholders, and every effort is being made to normalize services at the earliest possible opportunity. Customers who have already booked articles that cannot be dispatched to the USA due to these circumstances may seek a refund of postage. 

The Department of Posts deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to customers and assures that all possible measures are being undertaken to resume full services to USA at the earliest.

Courtesy: ADPSR, Maharashtra Postal Circle, Mumbai.

The Elected Protector!

I feel the word 'historic' is somewhat positive, meaning a historic event normally denotes a good thing--a good beginning or a development or an achievement. Therefore, what just happened in the elections in supposedly the most advanced democracy and the most liberated society of the world cannot be described as historic; it could, at best, be the darkest development of modern times replete with ominous future prospects and possibilities. 

An impeached, convicted, arrested, corrupt, foul-mouthed and a perverted racist criminal has been elected with a landslide to the highest post. And they call him the Protector who would soon make the most advanced superpower country of the world great again! It's not that a seemingly deserving woman and her party have been rejected; it's rather wanting the country to be great again by accepting the Protector. 

So then, the Protector is all set to rebuild the country, in active collusion with a handful of unscrupulous squillionaires, billionaires, greedy business tycoons and more of the same ilk. And how would the discerning voters expect them to deliver the goods? Well, by protecting their country from the other infiltrating races of earth;  by protecting their jobs; by making the guns available aplenty so that law can be righteously taken into the right hands; by subjugating the women folks by showing them where they rightfully belong; by helping the super rich to amass more wealth; by making education rightfully retrograde; by reversing the climate change progress as if the Protector himself actually controlled the universe; and perhaps by mobilizing all the righteous leaders of planet earth together in the right way to usher in the right kind of changes so badly needed. Right? 

Welcome President Biden! Long Live Democracy!

Joseph R Biden or popularly known as Joe Biden, the 46^th President of the United States of America, was sworn in a modest inauguration event on the 20^th of January 2021 held in the premises of Capitol Hill which was invaded by Trump supporterstwo weeks back. At 78, he is the oldest ever President of the country to be sworn in: however, his arrival at this juncture is seen by many as momentous and much-needed in view of the aftermath of Trumpism.

 

Not surprisingly, considering the bitterly divided American society, President Biden pleaded for national unity and the end of the uncivil war with the slogan ‘shun division, embrace unity’. He explained that ‘unity’ is required in view of the paramount need, which he termed as ‘a desperate call for survival coming from the planet earth itself’, of countering the challenges of rising political extremism, white supremacy racism, domestic terrorism and the pandemic that caused more damage in one year than the whole of the World War-2 did to America. He declared that he was the President for all Americans including those who did not or still do not support him. The President said, ‘democracy is precious, democracy is fragile’, but went on optimistically by saying that ‘today is democracy’s day’ and that ‘democracy has prevailed’. There was much to heal and more to build, he pleaded.

 

The event was not attended by the outgoing President Donald Trump as announced by him a few days back, he became only the fourth President to do so in USA’s presidential history, and the first to do so in last more than one hundred and fifty years. However, Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence attended the ceremony, and significantly was not around when Trump delivered his farewell speech at an airbase before taking Airforce-1- to fly home to Florida. Trump has also earned the unique distinction of becoming the first ever US President to get impeached twice in the US House. With the Democrats establishing their presence in the Senate their next moves in permanently depriving Trump of all post-presidential privileges would be keenly observed.

 

Earlier, Kamala Harris was sworn in as the Vice President of USA, becoming the first ever woman VP, the first ever black person to rise to this post and the first ever person of Asiatic (Indian) origins to assume this privileged office of the country. People of her original village in Tamil Nadu, India celebrated this huge occasion by prayers in the temples and distributing sweets in large gatherings. However, Kamala Harris being a liberal democrat is unlikely to take her India-origins seriously and mix with the people as well as with some of the most aggressively Hindu nationalist governments of the country. More good news comes in the wake of Kamala Harris’s rise, in terms of appointing more than 20 Indian-Americans in Biden Administration out of which 17 are in key positions. In fact, Biden had already strengthened his COVID-19 team with quite a few Indian-Americans who had the expertise, and his call of ‘set aside politics, fight the pandemic’ augurs well for future of a country where around four hundred thousand people have lost their lives so far due to the Coronavirus infections.

 

President Joe Biden’s mission at the moment is clearly to end the legacy of Trump as soon as possible, and as he said in his speech, to start engaging with the world for peace and democracy. To lead by examples the President got into action on the very first day of his office. He signed around 15 executive orders reversing some of the crucial foreign policies and national security decisions taken by his predecessor Trump. These orders include, significantly, America rejoining the Paris Agreement on climate change, revoking the country’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization, making wearing of masks mandatory and rescinding a travel ban imposed on visitors from several Muslim-majority countries.

 

The President of the Democrats, basically the cynosure of all democracy-spirited people of the globe, had said in his inauguration speech, ‘Together we shall write an American story of hope, not fear, of unity, not division, of light, not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing and goodness’. We hope Joe Biden succeeds in his mission of making democracy secure and permanent in his country as well as on planet earth. We also hope that this American story would inspire many in several major countries of the globe where democracy has been coming under serious and ever-increasing threat. 

US Capitol Shame: Unprecedented Assault On Democracy Even As The US Congress Certifies Biden Victory!

Just when the bicameral United States Congress was to sit in a rare joint session to certify Joe Biden’s electoral victory mobs descended on Capitol Hill, the celebrated seat of the US Government, and drafted a black chapter not only in the country’s democratic history but also in the world’s democratic traditions. Supporters of the outgoing President Donald Trump gathered in large numbers and breached the security to carry out an unprecedented act of desecration and vandalism. At least four people were killed in the violence, and the security personnel, totally overwhelmed by the surging mob, arrested around fifty rioters. Coming in as a light at the end of the tunnel the US Congress had met later and certified Joe Biden’s electoral victory which means that Biden is now the rightful official President of the country set to take over on the 20^th of this month. As per the latest news reports Trump has finally conceded his defeat and acknowledged Biden’s democratic victory.

 

The horrific part of the attack was that it was almost state-sponsored with Trump, still the head of the government, inciting his supporters for the act in a rally held prior to the joint session and putting incendiary social media posts. The social media posts were removed eventually, but a shade too late. We think Donald Trump has become the first ever head of a government in a democratic country to try cling to power in spite of a convincing electoral defeat, and egg on or even congratulate his supporters upstaging sort of a coup of an unprecedented order.

 

In fact, such acts are not unexpected. The US election of 2020 has divided the country almost into two halves—the Republicans, empowered by a populist and aggressive nationalism, and the Democrats, in the true spirit of democratic traditions to save democracy. Experts and political commentators have been warning about the inevitable repercussions of the divisions in the American society, and that right-wing nationalist Trumpism would outlast the Biden regime. Besides, Trump had refused to concede defeat from the beginning claiming ridiculously that he had won the Elections, demanding repolls and alleging that the Elections had in fact been stolen by Biden. The fact that many Trump supporters in the attack on Wednesday, the 6^th of January 2021, mouthing the slogan ‘stop the steal’ in an insane obsession says the sordid story that makes one ashamed of it all, and also fearful of democracy coming under serious global threat.

 

The growth of aggressive nationalism and intolerance in several frontline countries of the world including India corroborates the fear that democracy is indeed coming under increasing threat, globally. These openly right-wing forces in power propagate their ideologies bulldozing the government machineries, winning over a sizeable segment of the mainstream media through lucrative deals or even coercion, reigning supreme in the social media thanks to their ‘dedicated’ expert IT cells, passing controversial legislations to pander to the majority, repressing democratic movements with brutal force and creating in the process a foolish majority, blindly supporting anything that the ruling forces do or say. Elections are no longer democratic exercises; these are wars to be won at any cost, going to any extent of dividing or instigating or terrorizing the prospective voters. Accepting defeat with humility is a thing of the distant past, and the old saying needs to be revised to ‘everything is fair in war, love and (elections)’.

 

Donald Trump finally conceding defeat is indeed good news at this despairing juncture, whatever be the eventual outcome. Besides, a whole lot of the Americans still greatly value their democratic traditions with, in fact, some of the Republican legislators and strong supporters of Trumpism voicing against this assault on democracy and cherished institutions. Then of course, a vast chunk of the world’s citizens is still in favor of preserving democratic values and institutions. Therefore, should the fascist forces, disguised as genuine representatives of the people, try bulldoze democracy it would not be without a potent resistance movement across the globe. Save Democracy!

COVID 19: Now The ‘Doubt Virus’ Must Be Exterminated!

Common people mostly have fickle minds; they are always guided by what they want to believe, often to their advantage. When they are worried, frightened and clueless about the future they are most vulnerable to doubt and conspiracy theories. For the last six months people all over the globe are very disturbed by the COVID 19 pandemic, not so much because of the deadly effects of the virus than the restrictions and lockdowns derailing normal life it has brought in its wake. They desperately need to go back to the sweet normal times and live happily ever after, and therefore they jump to accept and believe fully when some motivated souls offer that ‘COVID 19 is a hoax, it’s nothing more than an annual influenza’. Thus the ‘doubt virus’ is created and the social media as always helps it spread—at times much faster than the killer virus. Perhaps the basic impulses for skepticism stem from the facts that more than 80% of Coronavirus positive cases are mild in nature and recover easily, only the elderly with comorbidity are most vulnerable and that on average the death rate is low at 1 to 4% except for some countries. However, facts also show that the dead includes young people too and anyone can be infected by this most contagious virus.

The conspiracy theories originated in the United States, as always, where extraordinarily ‘democratic’ sections of the citizens opposed the lockdown and restrictions from the beginning symbolizing these with the ‘agenda’ of President Trump. Several conspiracy theories linking even the tragic murder of George Floyd started doing the rounds in the US of which we will not make a description here just to prevent vulnerable minds go through and inculcate doubts. We’d only like to mention here that this writer got a social media forward giving a link to an article by some ‘enlightened soul’ who took pains of great arguments to ‘prove’ that the pandemic is a ‘political hoax’. As we mentioned earlier a lot of vulnerable people got influenced by this, and none other than a medical surgeon of the Indian state of Assam who even lodged a FIR alleging that only an ‘annual influenza’ has been labeled as a pandemic and he wanted action against the concerned governments. This, naturally, created a chain of reactions in the state driving news channels asking the hapless common people about their ‘doubts’ on the COVID 19 infections rather than destroying the dilemma.

Now, this ‘annual influenza’ theory breaks down at the basic premise itself: if that is so then this phenomenon must be occurring every year, and why then this year should be so different! Governments need not have gone on an emergency drive to create more and more healthcare facilities including ICU beds just to tackle an annual event of flu. Then come the experiences of various affected countries and governments tackling this ‘annual influenza’ some of which we narrate below as arguments to break such kinds of fake and motivated views:

1.     Let us take the example of the Chinese experiment. Ignoring a lot of conspiracy theories about China itself we just ask here why would China need absolute authoritarian measures to tackle the virus (well, even annual influenza is caused by a virus) in terms of continuous lockdown and rigorous enforcement. After being successful in keeping the infected numbers below 100,000 the country is still fearing a second outbreak, and risking its economic downswing again to prevent its spread. Its aggression against India can also be explained as a part of its apparent desperation. An annual flu cannot explain these.

2.     Why would countries like UK, Italy, Spain, France, USA and Brazil suffer so much from an annual influenza that killed more than half a million so far and is still on its deadly prowls? Why would Italy reduce itself to a state of  helplessness with dead bodies of Corona patients littered everywhere or why would  German finance minister commit suicide over Corona worries? How one is to account for a death rate of over 14% (seen in a few countries) for an annual influenza virus?

3.     Why would the doctors and experts of the World Health Organization keep on telling ‘lies’ that the new Coronavirus is very dangerous that would probably stay for more than two years and the worst is yet to come despite whatever campaigns or actions going on or taken against it? We seemed to have accepted in the beginning that this pandemic is the biggest crisis ever faced by humankind. Now, why have second thoughts and doubts?

4.     Why would countries across the world keep on taking huge risks for an economic crash with unprecedented unemployment and pave the way for a recession possibly even worse than the Great Depression? In particular, why a developing country and a most promising upcoming world power like India should risk whatever it has achieved in development so far.

5.     Why is such a mad rush all over the globe to fast-track production of a vaccine against only an annual flu? At least such an intensive medical research cannot mask a hidden agenda whatever that may be.

In the last twenty-four hours new cases in India have crossed 22000 with the only solace that daily recoveries are more in numbers and death rate is fortunately still low; the concern being a rising positivity rate indication community transmission. At this crucial juncture we should not pay heed to conspiracy theories and fake news. Such theories have obvious goals: to generate publicity for unknown groups or to make a kill in terms of profit. For example, if a link for an article with sensational and terrifying headlines gets circulated across social media and motivated media outlets think of the kind of clicks being generated which directly translate into money.

Therefore, we must not fall prey to such propaganda at any cost. It is heartening to see that several social media platforms have taken steps to neutralize the conspiracy threads.  In relation to India, we need to say here that the government should find time to brief the media frequently as it had been doing earlier to describe facts and quell doubts instead of crouching behind the rising numbers. Similarly, most respected bodies like the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) should desist from publicizing dates for production of vaccines. The announcement by the ICMR that a vaccine might be made possible by 15^th of August 2020 has furthered the doubts already created with even sensible people and the media asking why should the ICMR be in such a hurry. The mantra at this hour must be to fight the killer virus with the combined might of the world and to defeat it preventing its possible second wave. 

Terror Returns To America, Then Revisits India!

On Monday, April 15, 2013, it was Boston when terror returned to America after nearly 12 years. Two bomb blasts tore up a colorful and spirited Marathon. Three innocents were killed and scores injured, maimed and incapacitated for life. It could be matter of great concern considering the frightening perspective. 

On March 13, 2013, Terror returned to Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir in India after a gap of three years. The terror-ravaged northern state has been rudely reminded of the ugly evil. 

And today, a high intensity blast rocked Bangalore in Southern India. More than 15 innocents including several policemen were injured and fortunately no one got killed. 

The terror industry seems to be gearing up for another offensive against humanity. A selflessly united global initiative must happen now to stop terror on its track. 

For India the the situation is more terrifying with intelligence reports indicating possibility of more terror strikes. The apparent political  instability in the country with the ruling coalition and the opposition alliance both hopelessly divided, and the opportunist fringe groups regrouping for the General Elections-2014. 'Divide and Misrule' seems to be the slogan of all the political parties so as to fall in step with the vested interests for lobbying, corruption  and laundering. Divided and opportunistic politicking is the natural ally of terrorism. 

Beware of the Terror! Counter it before it is too late. 

Connecticut School Massacre: What Is Wrong With American Society?

Now it is Newton, Connecticut. Another tranquil and wealthy locality just 96 km north east of New York City, believed to be the safest place in United States of America. There is an educational institution named Sandy Hook Elementary School in the south west of Connecticut there. Young children aged between five to ten came there on Friday morning too as there was nothing special about that day.

As made clear later a masked gunman carrying a rifle and two handguns entered the school and started firing like a madman. At least 27 people including 18-20 little innocent children and the school principal were killed before the state and federal authorities moved in and took the wounded to hospitals. The killer identified as 20 year old Adam Lanza was earlier mistaken for his elder brother Ryan Lanza. He was believed to have killed first his mother who was a teacher in the elementary school, drove his mother’s car into the school premises, fired blindly at least 100 rounds and then killed self within the school.  

One of the worst shootings in educational institutions of America since the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007 happened again mindlessly and heartlessly. The pain felt by every parent there, in USA and elsewhere in the world has to be indescribable and heavy and numbing. President Barack Obama broke down addressing the media and ordered the flags in White House to be flown at half mast. The parent in him was anguished and he assured that effective action would be taken. Action in preventing such mayhem rather than in the aftermath must be planned and chalked out.

Along with all sensible Americans we condemn such attacks against humanity with all our heart and soul. We appeal for the US authorities to find reasons and motives so as to prevent such attacks in future. 

We had discussed the issue of hate crimes, mindless firings and shootings in educational institutions in USA earlier in these pages here when just in July and August this year two heinous firings had taken place—first in a movie premiere and the other in a tranquil religious place of worship.  Everyone on planet earth must be severely disturbed and anguished by the ominous regularity of such crimes in USA since the last few years, particularly in 2012. What is wrong with the American society? Is the demographic pattern changing or creating conflicts within? Are the recessionary trends and unemployment causing disturbances in the society? Is the economic disparity or high level corruption or snobbery responsible? Is their value system or the erosion therein responsible? Americans must introspect hard and must find the answers before it is too late. Obama on his second term must too spell out his effective action sooner than later.

Firing In USA Gurudwara: American Society Becoming Intolerant?

A peaceful place of worship for the Sikh community, called Gurudwara or temple, in a serene location of the Midwest district of the US, Wisconsin. Over 300 hundred Sikh Americans had assembled there for morning prayers on August 5, 2012, and preparations were also going on for a meal after the rituals. Understandably a lot of women and children were also there. Suddenly a bald and stocky white man with two handguns walked in and started firing indiscriminately. At least six people got killed instantly with scores injured.

But for an exceptional promptness and bravery by an American policeman who attended to the SOS call immediately and got critically injured in the ensuing encounter, the toll could have been much bigger. As the FBI took up the investigations speculation was rife about possible motives.

Was this horrific incident a case of domestic terrorism as suggested or hate crimes or antics of a trigger-happy psychopath? Since the killed gunman was identified as an ex-US army man with tattoo marks the possibility of hate crime was not ruled out.

USA has a long history of hate crimes and since the catastrophic 9/11 terror attack there has been a marked rise in such incidents. There had been maniacal firings in educational institutions over the years involving killing of Indian students in stray cases. The worst crime was the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007 when a lone gunman killed as many as 32 people. The 9/11 attack had unleashed a wave of hatred in the country against the perpetrators belonging to a particular community and in the process the Sikh community has been increasingly targeted due to mistaken identities. This Gurudwara crime is the worst so far.

If it is accepted as a hate crime, then what about the massacre in the premiere of The Dark Knight Rises only last month in Colorado when a mysterious gunman shot down 12 innocents?  Maybe along with hatred economic and social pressures are being felt by the American society due to a host of reasons like recessionary trends, rising unemployment and the outsourcing syndrome. With such pressures intolerance could possibly be growing stronger and the targets naturally translate into the immigrant communities. 

Indian people and the Sikh community here in India are shocked and angered. The Prime Minister of India, himself a Sikh, has expressed his deep anguish and resolved to pursue the matter at the highest level. The US President Barack Obama and his wife have also conveyed tremendous regret and condolence over the incident.

Such horrible crimes against mankind cannot be justified by any kind of reality and must be condemned universally.