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Showing posts from 2021

Caste bias 'more frequent' in South Asian diaspora: Renting in US amidst Covid

By DB Sagar*  The International Commission for Dalit Rights (ICDR) and civil rights groups are concerned about increasing “caste-based” housing discrimination, harassment, and intimidation in the United States. In 2021, ICDR received more than 150 complaints from across the country alleging housing discrimination due to caste while attempting to rent or renting a house or apartment.

Did RSS leaders, wearing nationalism badge, betray India's freedom movement?

RSS leaders in 1939 By Masidur Rahaman*  India’s history of anti-British struggle is glorious, with flowering youths accepting gallows, facing bullets, spurning a so-called comfortable life, women gathering on the streets and many boycotting promising jobs offered to them. Their one and only aim? To free India from the British stranglehold. 

Admired by liberals, this top Maoist 'failed' to distance himself from Left-sectarianiam

By Harsh Thakor*  An astute Maoist, Raj Kishore, who died at the age of 89 on December 22 in Champaran, Bihar, after battling illness since 2014, may not have distanced himself from left sectarianism with regard to building broad based democratic mass movement and mass organisations and left adventurist military line. However, his work for the liberation of the masses was admired by diverse sections, including liberals.

Silver Line a gamechanger? Kerala govt bankrupt, 'replicates' Bullet Train project

By Nishank*  Kerala’s flagship Silver Line project, a semi-high speed rail corridor passing through 11 districts between Thiruvananthpuram and Kasargod is not technically a “Bullet Train” like the one proposed between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, but it has got into similar controversies as the much talked about deployment of the flagship Bullet Train in India.

Dangerous? Linking aadhaar with voter ID may disenfranchise citizens: Ex-civil servants

Counterview Desk  The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), consisting of former civil servants of the All India and Central services who have worked with the Central and State governments in the course of their careers, voicing its apprehensions on the recently enacted legislation linking Voter IDs to Aadhaar numbers, has said that the move poses "a grave threat to the integrity of the electoral process."

Helping get NREGA work, Mahila Sangh 'inspires' women to come off traditional role

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi The Budhner Narmada Mahila Sangh , a federation consisting of 385 women’s self-help groups in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, is playing a major role in the planning and execution of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) work in several villages of Mohgaon block. Formed in 2012 for empowering rural women on livelihood issues, income enhancement, agriculture and livestock, the federation is the apex body governing all women’s groups which come under it.

Assam CM's 'landgrab'? When social media named and shamed top editors' silence

By Nava Thakuria*  Public reactions against a news item in any newspaper or news channel may be usual in India, but public outrages in digital platforms against the mainstream media outlets for not covering a particular issue is definitely an unusual phenomenon. Far-eastern Indian State of Assam witnessed such a public fury against some of the editor-journalists for avoiding the press conferences by opposition political parties where they targeted the State chief minister for his family’s alleged land scam.

Ship recycling: Union Cabinet 'misled' by external lobbies on dumping hazardous waste

Counterview Desk  Seeking a ban trade in hazardous wastes, a Position Paper by the ToxicsWatch Alliance ( TWA ), an independent research and advocacy alliance which claims to focus on corporate crimes, disasters, hazardous technologies, hazardous substances and wastes, has insisted that India should ratify Ban Amendment to UN’s Basel Convention in order to “end its romance with International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO’s) Hong Kong Convention."

'Accounts frozen': Mother Teresa's charity continues to be targeted amidst Xmas festival

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  A very effective strategy of fascists and dictators from time immemorial is to denigrate, demonize, divide and destroy the other. This is particularly true where the 'other' are those who dissent , those who do selfless work which they are unable to do or simply those they are unable to deal with.

Fear of 'losing' OBC-Dalits grips dominant castes: Dharma Sansad's anti-Muslim posture

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Uttarakhand is in the news for all the wrong reasons. The video of a meeting of the so-called Dharma Sansad in Hardwar has gone viral on social media, where the speakers, masquerading as leaders, showing concern for “Hindus”, used absolutely filthy, gutter level, genocidal language against minorities, particularly Muslims.

Lamenting over religious conversion? Slogans like Jai Sri Ram have 'little impact'

By Sudhansu R Das  Widespread apprehensions about the decline of Hinduism do not appear to be far from the truth. The disappearance of Sanskrit scholars, absence of reformers, lack of research on Hindus scriptures, poor maintenance and mismanagement of a large number of Hindu temples, theft of idols and priceless artefacts from temples, sale of temple lands, encroachment of temple premises for non-religious activities, lack of cleanliness and aggressive commercialization of pilgrim places etc are the reasons why Hinduism is at the receiving end.

Demand for zero tolerance towards TN cops registering 'false cases' against denotified tribes

By Our Representative  A top Tamil Nadu-based advocacy group had demanded that there should be “zero tolerance to violence by uniformed services” in the State. The demand came following a recent Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) order which recognized the version of 15 members of the Irula community, who it said were falsely implicated in acts of molestation, assault, torture and unlawful detention about ten years ago by then Inspector of Police, Thirukovilur, R Srinivasan, along with four other policemen.

What lay behind collapse of the Maoist dream in China and how it impacted world

By Harsh Thakor*  No third world leader in the last century can be said to have shaped the history of a nation to the extent of Mao Zedong did in China. One who tried to elevate Marxism-Leninism to a higher stage, taking massline of Leninism to unexplored regions, even today his writings are a guiding force in many third world countries where globalisation is at the helm.

Dharm Sansad call for anti-Muslim violence held under benign gaze of state: Anhad

Counterview Desk  Well-known Delhi-based human rights organisation Anhad, taking strong exception to the so-called Dharm Sansad, held in Haridwar, has said that its only aim was "spread hate" against the Muslim minorities by allegedly giving an "open call for genocide" ahead of elections in several States, including Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Hate crime: 'Act against BJP, RSS leaders, repeal of CAA-NPR-NRC programme'

Counterview Desk  In a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, about 1200+ citizens ranging from farmers to housemakers to academics, retired bureaucrats and senior citizens to civil society activists, doctors and lawyers to journalists, have endorsed a statement seeking his intervention for the repeal of the Citizens Amendment Act-National Population Register-National Register of Citizens (CAA-NPR-NRC) immediately.

Pro-Pak Kashmiri diaspora group terribly annoyed with US' 'leave-it-alone stance'

By Our Representative  A Pakistan-backed Kashmiri diaspora group based in the US is terribly perturbed. Calling itself World Kashmir Awareness Forum, its general secretary Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, a controversial figure who was sentenced to two years’ prison for working as an agent of the Pakistan government in the US without disclosing his affiliation, has sharply criticised the US administration for maintaining a "largely leave-it-alone posture" towards the Kashmiri problem.

Early childhood indoctrination? Our present-day teaching of maths is 'not secular'

By CK Raju*  In the context of the huge controversy the last few days over the "USA Today" article whether math is racist, some people might be happy to know about the following. My keynote/ distinguished lecture on "Euclid must fall" at the Universities of Tübingen and Pretoria is now published as two articles: “Euclid” Must Fall: The “Pythagorean” “Theorem” and the Rant of Racist and Civilizational Superiority — Part 1 ,0Arụmarụka: Journal of Conversational Thinking 1, no. 1 (2021): 127–55. “Euclid” Must Fall: The “Pythagorean” “Theorem” and the Rant of Racist and Civilizational Superiority — Part 2 . Arụmarụka: Journal of Conversational Thinking 1, no. 2 (2021): 57–105. The first article explains the church origins of racism through the church instigation and support for genocide and slavery in Americas, and the systematic build-up of a false history of science, since the Crusades, to assert Christian/White/Western superiority as justification for genocide, sl

Left victory in the richest Latin American country with highest income inequalities

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  In the age of rising tide of neoliberal authoritarianism and populist reactionary religious politics, the electoral victory of left brings smiles to all progressive forces beyond Chile. The people of Chile defeated José Antonio Kast -- a committed follower of the country’s former dictator, Gen Augusto Pinochet who established neoliberal authoritarianism in Chile before it spread worldwide.

'New evidence': Amidst Omicron threat letter asks Modi to reconsider vaccination drive

By Ratna Thakur  A letter is currently doing the rounds, seeking signatures from Indian citizens who wish to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end the so-called “vaccination drive” against Covid-19. The researchers and citizens who have prepared the letter have attached a 62-page document to the PM, with all the evidence for why a decision to stop vaccination would be the medically correct course of action.

Omicron alarm: Demand to 'serve' poor by reviving Ahmedabad's VS Hospital

By Our Representative  Even as the Omicron threat looms large over Gujarat, as in other parts of India, independent and permanent board members of the Chinai Maternity and Sarabhai General Hospitals (VSH), Ahmedabad, have sharply criticized the city corporation authorities for closing down VSH and transferring its beds, equipment and staff to the newly built adjacent “profit-oriented” Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) Hospital bypassing them, allegedly for promoting medical tourism.

Carte blanche for vigilante excesses on rural Christians? Karnataka anti-conversion bill

By Rajiv Shah  A People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Karnataka, report “Criminalizing the Practice of Faith”, seeking to trace “hate crimes” on Christians in Karnataka between January and November this year, allegedly by Hindutva groups, has said that the “bogey” of conversion is being used by the current BJP rulers in the State in order to “target the Constitutional right to practice, profess and propagate religion, as recognized under Article 25.”

Govt of India's 'illiberal' goal: Preemptive control of dissidents, critics, wannabe irritants

By Venkatesh Narayanan, Sandeep Pandey* The issue is not privacy -- it has never been. Millenials of all stripes today willingly sign-off most of their personal life fully well knowing that Big Tech is openly hoovering up their messages and posts. Mining every word and search term for valuable insights into users' behaviour leads to targeted advertising, ergo -- profits -- but the likes of Gen-Z, etc., couldn’t care less, shrugging away with a so-what when confronted with this ultra-personal intrusion. Indeed as the quip goes, youth is wasted on the young.

Culture of silence around Naga killings, as institutions 'behave with toxicity'

By Ashok Danavath, Taniya Laskar*  Two recent tragic incidents have left Indian people in shock and despair. One is the death of the former Army Chief and the first Chief of Defence of the Indian Armed Forces General Bipin Rawat along with 12 other defense personnel and another is the gunning down of 14 innocent civilians by the Indian Army under the alleged suspicion of them being militants. Both of these incidents are very disturbing and need the attention of Indian people in their own spaces. But if we examine closely, we see a disturbing silence around the Nagaland incident among all the media platforms, be it mainstream, alternative or social media. Major politicians , film actors, celebrated cricketers , social media influencers etc. have expressed their condolences over the former incident but kept almost a not-to-speak-of on the later one. Nagaland is a tribal dominated State. It has been under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) since 1958. Widely described as draconia

With six journos killed this year, India follows Pakistan as 4th 'most dangerous country'

By Our Representative  Afghanistan, Mexico, Pakistan and India are the "most dangerous" countries for media work this year, the Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said in its annual report. Since January 1, as many as 76 media workers have been killed in 28 countries around the world. Afghanistan leads with 12 assassinations, ahead of Mexico where 10 journalists were killed. Among the most dangerous countries are Pakistan (7), India (6), Yemen (4), Democratic Republic of Congo (3) and the Philippines (3 killed).

Modi 'forgets': Aurangzeb ruled through high caste Hindus, was cruel to Muslims, too

By Shamsul Islam*  Narendra Modi, a senior swayamsevak (member) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, long back in 2013, declared himself to be a ‘Hindu nationalist’ [Modi interviewed by two Reuters journalists, Ross Colvin and Sruthi Gottipati, on July 12, 2013]. As the PM of the largest democracy in the world, India, he misses no opportunity to stress the favourite Hindutva binary of putting Hindus and Muslims as two communities at war in India.

Punjab landless Dalits' rail roko embarrasses dominant parties 'in their very belly'

By Harsh Thakor*  History of sorts was created in Punjab on December 12 when Dalit agricultural labour organisations for the first time conducted a rail blockade independently, without support of organisations of the landed peasantry. Around 20,000 labourers participated in 12 districts -- an event that may have embarrassed the ruling parties in their very belly.

Lurking gap as schools reopen: 77% children had no access to teachers during pandemic

By Rajiv Shah  An Odisha NGO report “Bridging the Gap: Reimagining School Education in a Post-Covid Scenario” has said that nearly two-thirds of children (63.3 %) could not get required support from their family members to deal with their emotional, social and learning support during the pandemic, when the schools were closed. This happened even as 91.09% of the children reported they did not have access to smartphone, making their learning “difficult and stressful.”

Business as usual? 59% Indian firms perceive 'significant' cost increases: IIM-A survey

Profit margins   By Our Representative  The Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES) of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, which seeks to examine the amount of slack in the economy by polling a panel of business leaders from around 1,200 companies, has said the cost perceptions data indicates a "mixed picture" for the month of October.

Tackling plastic waste? Govt of India 'allows' industry to continue business as usual

By Roshan Rai, Priyadarshinee Shrestha* There has been an ever mounting concern on the issue of plastic pollution, globally and within the country. The understanding that solutions to the plastic crisis need urgent focus more at the source -- where plastic is being produced -- rather than at manager and consumer level or post disposal has been clearly established and widely acknowledged.

'Unwarranted': Why blame Gen Rawat, he would only echo political masters' voice

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The untimely death of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat in an air crash along with 12 other colleagues from different forces at Coonnoor in Tamil Nadu is a huge blow to our nation’s armed forces, particularly at a juncture when he was in the process of creating a joint command, as mandated by the government. The General was not travelling in a very advanced chopper of the Indian Air Force, Mi17.

Surge in 'sympathy' for Gen Rawat? Almost as if Naga killings hadn't taken place

By Sandeep Pandey*  On December 4, 2021, six civilians, all coal miners, were killed by Indian Army in Mon district of Nagaland. Home Minister Amit Shah claimed in Parliament that the vehicle carrying the miners was asked to stop but instead it tried to flee. This version has been rejected by one of the two survivors. It was coldblooded murder.

Reason to ponder: Why Kashmiris didn't show remorse on tragic death of Gen Rawat

Used as human shield: Farooq Dar By Ajit Singh*  In a tragic incident of Mi 17 helicopter crash, which happened at a lush green hilly area between Coimbatore and Sulur in Nilgiri District Tamil Nadu, took the life of India's first Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other army personnels. When the news of his demise ringed the ears of Indian news dailies, they didn't even waste an iota of a second to beat their TRP trumpet.

Failure to curb sandalwood mafia led to death of tribal workers in Andhra: People's Watch

The fact finding team talking to victim's kin By Our Representative  A Madurai-based NGO’s fact-finding team on a recent incident involving the death of two Tamil Nadu labourers, who allegedly died after being taken in custody by the Andhra Pradesh forest officials, has said that, belonging to the scheduled tribal (ST) Malayalee community, they were part of several tribals from various villages of Sitheri Panchayat, Harur Taluk, Dharmapuri District, being taken to Andhra Pradesh on November 21, 2021 to work as wage workers. 

'Unnatural' custodial death in West Bengal: NHRC told to investigate incident

Mother, wife of the deceased migrant worker By Our Representative  In a complaint to the chairperson, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), and national convenor, Programme Against Custodial Torture and Impunity (PACTI), referring to the “unnatural death” in police custody of a marginalised Muslim migrant labour in West Bengal, has demanded “independent and impartial inquiry” either by either an NHRC investigative team or CID.

'Totally false, fabricated allegations': Mother Teresa's Gujarat mission under attack

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  It is been happening with frightening regularity all over India and particularly, in States run by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): the bashing of Christians! It is a well-orchestrated campaign to denigrate and demonise the Christians. Their design is devious: a method in their ‘madness’!

Bail to Sudha Bharadwaj: Civil rights groups demand release of all B-K case accused

By Our Representative  Civil rights groups, even as welcoming the Supreme Court order granting default bail to Advocate Sudha Bharadwaj, have demanded that release of all human rights defenders arrested in the Bhima Koregaon (BK) case.

Gujarat HC rules in favour of communal harmony park 'razed' in Ahmedabad

Counterview Desk The Gujarat High Court has ruled against the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) demolition of the communal harmony park on June 21, 2021, established by the city-based NGO Society for Promoting Rationality ( SPRAT ) way back in 2004. 

Farmer leaders call for vigilance even as they 'withdraw' from Tekri, Singhu borders

By Harsh Thakor*  The farmers’ organisations forming the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) have been vacating themselves from the Tikri and the Singhu borders after temporarily withdrawing the agitation on receiving a letter of assurances from the ruling government at the Centre. They have decided to meet again on January 15 to assess the developing situation. They were seen exchanging sweets.

In Nagaland accountability, justice are seen through 'military or security' lens: PUCL

Counterview Desk  Making a strong demand to immediately prosecute military officials responsible for the Mon massacres in Nagaland, India's top human rights organisation, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has said that the Government of India must publicly ensure that the culprits do not enjoy any immunity from prosecution u/s 6 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958.

Nagas being subjected to untold trauma, 'heavy' mental burden: Global rights group

Counterview Desk  The International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS), with presence in 40 countries, even as strongly condemning the "murder" of 15 coal miners and injuring 11 more by the Indian army in Mon district, Nagaland, has said it is "joining" its network, Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), adding, it supports the Naga peoples, the people of India’s north east and all lovers of peace and freedom in calling for the immediate repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958.

Uttar Pradesh's 'irony': High unemployment levels; schools, hospitals understaffed

By Sandeep Pandey* An advertisement of Bhartiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh proclaims, ‘Educated woman is our resolve, She is an alternative for golden future.’ However, an educated woman Shikha Pal is perched on top of an overhead water tank for more than hundred days at the height of about hundred feet aspiring to become a teacher in U.P. government run schools. 

Babri demolition impact on popular psyche: Failure to highlight 'positive' side of Hinduism

By Harsh Thakor*  No post-Independence event so much transformed the psyche of the Indian people or escalated communal fervour at such a scale as the Babri Masjid demolition. The demolition took saffron communalism to an unprecedented magnitude and Hindutva to a new height. It polarised fascism from bourgeois democracy, and exposed how in essence India was not secular.

Make caste bias top US foreign policy issue: Diaspora rights groups tell government

By Our Representative  Several US-based Indian diaspora civil rights groups have submitted a policy memo to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the US Department of State asking the department to “recognize and elevate” the importance of fighting caste discrimination internationally as part of the country’s foreign policy thrust.

Pepsi action against Gujarat potato farmers declared 'violation of public interest'

By Our Representative  The Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Authority has accepted a farm activist’s Revocation Application, to revoke the varietal registration of Pepsico India Holding (PIH) on potato variety FL-2027.

Covid appropriate behaviour? Why masks can't be suitable in hot, humid climate

By Dr Amitav Banerjee* Appearances can be deceptive. So can be Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB). An anecdote illustrates this well known cliché. A man who is very particular about hygiene decides to eat out. After a rather long search, he spots a restaurant which has a spotlessly clean exterior and he walks in.

Bhopal-type disasters: Lack of binding UN treaty behind 'failure' to regulate TNCs

By Gopal Krishna*  A binding UN treaty alone can ensure that transnational corporations like UCC/Dow pay the price for industrial disasters. Liability for industrial disasters such as the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy must be pinned on transnational corporations. New efforts for an enforceable treaty which are underway alone can ensure that business enterprises are subservient to both peoples’ will and legislative will. It can ensure the primacy of human rights and public interest over private economic interests.

How Indore turned into water minus city after authorities 'managed' Water Plus title

Water harvester cleaning up hyacinth from an Indore river By Rahul Banerjee*  Recently, the city of Indore was declared the first Water Plus city in India under the Swachh Sarvekshan programme of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for its ostensibly exemplary waste water management. However, the reality is quite different as a detailed study of the prevailing wastewater management situation in the city shows.

Muck being thrown in Uttarakhand rivers: Villagers face 'existential' crisis

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The Uttarakhand government must act fast to clear the path of Dhauli Ganga river about two kilometres ahead of village Neeti and about one kilometre from Ghamsali village, which is about 90 kilometer from Joshi Math town in district Chamoli. The creation of an artificial lake due to throwing of muck and mud can create a catastrophic situation like what happened on February 7, 2021-- the Rishi Ganga-Dhauli Ganga tragedy at Tapovan and Raini village in which over 200 people lost their life.

Rehabilitation site 'offered' to 6000 displaced Khori villagers not livable: Team Saathi

By Our Representative  Second round of the Chitthi Andolan (letter movement) of the Khori village residents, whose more than 6,000 houses were demolished as they were allegedly built on forest land, has begun, with hundreds of them telling the authorities of the Municipal Corporation, Faridabad, that no one has received the promised financial assistance of meagre Rs 2,000.

Cancel Jindal project seeking to 'dispossess' people from forest land: Odisha govt told

By Our Representative  The civil rights group, Indian Community Activists Network (ICAN), commenting on the “barbaric” police action on the night of December 3 against the people of Dhinkia village, Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha, has said that the attack took place on people who were “peacefully protesting against the proposed project of JSW Utkal Steel Limited by forcefully acquiring their land.”