Mumbai, Karachi journalists come together to protest "violence, threats" against Pak artists, writers, cricketers

Ghulam Ali

By A Representative
Indian and Pakistani journalists from Mumbai and Karachi have come togather to declare their displeasure over "violence and threats against Pakistani artists, writers and cricketers in Mumbai", saying they are "dismayed" at what is happening in India.
The statement says, "As journalists from Mumbai and Karachi, who see each other as colleagues, we are dismayed at the recent violent disruptions and threats against Pakistani artists, writers and cricketers in Mumbai."
The statement follows Shiv Sena activists breaking into the office of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium early this week. At the stadium, BCCI chief Shashank Manohar was scheduled to meet his Pakistani counterpart Shahryar Khan to discuss India's participation in Pakistan's home series in December.
Following the incident, the International Cricket Council (ICC) withdrew Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar from the remaining two one day internationals (ODIs) between India and South Africa, while Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, who are in India as part of the Star Sports commentary team, declared they would return to Pakistan after the fourth ODI in Chennai.
Earlier this month, the party forced the cancellation of a concert by Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali. This followed Shiv Sena "banning" Pakistani actors Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan. It declared it would not to let the actors promote their upcoming films in Maharashtra. Fawad, who made his Bollywood debut with the 2014 film 'Khoobsurat', has more Hindi films in his kitty.
The journalists' statement said, "We would like to assert that this behaviour does not represent the average Mumbaikar. Both Ghulam Ali and Pakistani cricketers are appreciated in our city; and the successful book launch of former Pakistani foreign minister khurshid kasuri’s book shows that the people of Mumbai do not share the bigotry of the Shiv Sena".
It adds, "The Shiv Sena has a hatred for Pakistan in its DNA, and has unfortunately been allowed free rein by all governments. We are ashamed of its goondagardi and want to assert that it neither represents the citizens of Mumbai nor is its conduct a sign of patriotism."
The statement points out, "We journalists in Mumbai and Karachi believe we are colleagues who can work together to lessen hostility between our two countries. We know that is what the majority of our fellow citizens desire."
Those from Mumbai who have signed the statement are Jatin Desai, Jyoti Punwani, Prakash Akolkar, Joel Rebello, Pragati Bankhele, Ketan Tanna, Rachita Prasad, Norma Astrid, Niranjan Takle, Mrityunjy Bose, Priti Sompura and BN Kumar.
Karachi-based journalists who have signed up are Fazil Jamili, AH Khanzada, Rizwan Bhatti, Imtiaz Khan Faran, Iqra Baig, Shoaib Jatt, Aamir Lathif, Shamim Bano, Hina Mah, Akram Khan and Siraj Ahmed.
AIFRTE statement on free speech
In a related development, the All-India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) has expressed its solidarity with writers and artists of the country who have returned their Sahitya Akademi award, saying "this shows the measure of their outrage at the alarming loss of space for freedom of thought speech and creative expression in India today."
Expecially critical of the "ideological support base of the present political regime", the AIRFTE said, it takes a "narrow unidimensional view of our social and historical reality". It added, "The recent controversy over the so called beef ban has dangerously spiralled into fascist attacks against minorities."
"The silence of leaders in government and of Akademi office-bearers in face of such actions has led to the people’s outrage being expressed by the return of awards by writers across the country", the AIRFTE underlined.
Among those who have signed the statement include Dr Meher Engineer, chairperson, AIFRTE, and well-known educationist Prof Anil Sadgopal, former dean, Faculty of Education, Delhi University.

Comments

The golden crop: How turmeric is transforming women's lives in tribal India

By Vikas Meshram* When the lush green fields of turmeric sway in the tribal belt of southern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, it is not merely a spice crop — it is the golden glow of self-reliance. In villages where even basic spices once had to be bought from the market, the very soil today is yielding a prosperity that has transformed the lives of thousands of families. At the heart of this transformation is the initiative of Vaagdhara, which has linked turmeric with livelihoods, nutrition, and village self-governance — gram swaraj.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Authoritarian destruction of the public sphere in Ecuador: Trumpism in action?

By Pilar Troya Fernández The situation in Ecuador under Daniel Noboa's government is one of authoritarianism advancing on several fronts simultaneously to consolidate neoliberalism and total submission to the US international agenda. These are not isolated measures, but rather a coordinated strategy that combines job insecurity, the dismantling of the welfare state, unrestricted access to mining, the continuation of oil exploitation without environmental considerations, the centralization of power through the financial suffocation of local governments, and the systematic criminalization of all forms of opposition and popular organization.

Echoes of Vietnam and Chile: The devastating cost of the I-A Axis in Iran

By Ram Puniyani The recent joint military actions by Israel and the United States against Iran have been devastating. Like all wars, this conflict is brutal to its core, leaving a trail of human suffering in its wake. The stated pretext for this aggression—the brutality of the Ayatollah Khamenei regime and its nuclear ambitions—clashes sharply with the reality of the diplomatic landscape. Iran had expressed a willingness to remain at the negotiating table, signaling a readiness to concede points emerging from dialogue.

False claim? What Venezuela is witnessing is not surrender but a tactical retreat

By Manolo De Los Santos The early morning hours of January 3, 2026, marked an inflection point in Venezuela and Latin America’s centuries-long struggle for self-determination and independence. Operation Absolute Resolve, ordered by the Trump administration, constituted the most brutal and direct military assault on a sovereign state in the region in recent memory. In a shocking operation that left hundreds dead, President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were illegally kidnapped from Venezuelan soil and transported to the United States, where they now face fabricated charges in a New York federal detention facility. In the two months since this act of war, a torrent of speculation has emerged from so-called experts and pundits across the political spectrum. This has followed three main lines: One . The operation’s success indicated treason at the highest levels of the Bolivarian Revolution. Two . Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and the remaining leadership have abandone...

The selective memory of a violent city: Uttam Nagar and the invisible victims of Delhi

By Sunil Kumar* Hundreds of murders take place in Delhi every year, yet only a few incidents become topics of nationwide discussion. The question is: why does this happen? Today, the incident in Uttam Nagar has become the centre of national debate. A 26-year-old man, Tarun Kumar, was killed following a dispute that reportedly began after a balloon hit a small child. In several colonies of Delhi, slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and “Vande Mataram” are being raised while demanding the death penalty for Tarun’s killers. As a result, nearly 50,000 residents of Hastsal JJ Colony are now living in what resembles a state of confinement.

The price of silence: Why Modi won’t follow Shastri, appeal for sacrifice

By Arundhati Dhuru, Sandeep Pandey* In 1965, as India grappled with war and a crippling food crisis, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri faced a United States that used wheat shipments under the PL-480 agreement as a lever to dictate Indian foreign policy. Shastri’s response remains legendary: he appealed to the nation to skip one meal a day. Millions of middle-class households complied, choosing temporary hunger over the sacrifice of national dignity. Today, India faces a modern equivalent in the energy sector, yet the leadership’s response stands in stark contrast to that era of self-reliance.

Love letters in a lifelong war: Babusha Kohli’s resistance in verse

By Ravi Ranjan* “War does not determine who is right—only who is left.” Bertrand Russell’s words echo hauntingly in our times, and few contemporary Hindi poets embody this truth as profoundly as Babusha Kohli. Emerging from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Kohli has carved a unique space in literature by weaving together tenderness, protest, and philosophy across poetry, prose, and cinema. Her work is not merely artistic expression—it is resistance, refuge, and a call for peace.

Search This Blog