Protest demonstration: Dalit solidarity with Prof Teltumbde in Ahmedabad

By A Representative
As part of protests being held across India, several Dalit rights activists gathered in Ahmedabad to show solidarity in support of Prof Anand Teltumde, sought to be persecuted allegedly on "frivolous and unsubstantiated" charges, such as he sympathizes with Maoists, that he helped provoke violence at Bhima Koregaon early last year, and that he planned a 'Rajiv Gandhi like assassination' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The protesters believed that it was part of the effort of the BJP rulers to silence dissent, pointing out that Prof Teltumde was born to a Dalit peasant family in Vidarbha, studied at IIM- Ahmedabad and furthered his career as MD of BPCL and CEO of Petronet India. He taught at IIT Kharagpur and at present has been at Goa Institute of management. A prolific writer, Prof Teltumde has written extensively on the subject of caste.
A note circulated by top Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan said, The Supreme Court of India had given him protection until February 11 against arrest and seek pre-arrest bail. The Pune did not grant him bail. After his arrest, the Pune Court cancelled his arrest as 'illegal' and as an act of contempt to Supreme Court order.

Comments

Sardar made up his mind on Pakistan in Dec 1946 "before" Mountbatten's Partition Plan

By Hari Desai* One has to be extra cautious while dealing with the history of towering personalities of the Indian freedom struggle, especially that of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (October 31, 1875 - December 15, 1950). Present-day politicians prefer to "pronounce” on his life and quote him according to their convenience like a blind person describing an elephant.

The Guardian controversy and the moral question of 12 years of Modi's leadership

By Mohd Ziyauallah Khan A recent opinion article published in The Guardian , titled "Can Narendra Modi Accept Any Medal?", reignited a fierce debate about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's international recognition and the moral legacy of his leadership. The article argued that while Modi has received numerous state honours and awards from foreign governments, a more fundamental question remains unanswered: Can a leader be celebrated internationally while presiding over growing concerns about democratic decline, social polarization , and civil liberties at home? The controversy quickly spread across political and media circles. Supporters dismissed the article as biased, while critics argued that it reflected concerns already expressed by international democracy watchdogs , human rights organizations, and sections of the global press. Yet beyond political loyalties lies a deeper question: How should the success of a government be measured, especially when it...

Beyond the Ayodhya theft: A tainted system, a crisis of trust

By Martin Macwan* Recently, the issue of "theft of offerings at the Ayodhya Ram temple" has taken centre stage on social media. Whether "no theft occurred," or "this is the first such incident," or "the theft was limited only to cash" are now secondary questions, because the evidence has come not from the opposition, from people of other faiths, or from foreigners, but from ordinary devout believers, from saints and monks, and from sincere workers of the ruling party itself.

Counterview

Search This Blog