'Fight communalism politically': West Bengal rights group opposes ban on Kerala Story

By A Representative
The Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), a human rights organisation based in West Bengal, opposing the ban imposed by the State government on the movie "The Kerala Story", has said that such a move will give "negative publicity to the attempts of communal polarization."
Demanding to lift the ban immediately, Masum said in a statement signed by its secretary Kirity Roy, "The attempted communalism the movie is said to be spreading must be combatted ideologically", asserting, "Banning is not a solution. We have seen in history that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was banned multiple times by the Indian government. But has that resolved the problem of communalism in India?"
Stating that chief minister Mamata Banerjee is behind the ban, MASUM said, "The movie is propagandist in nature, which creates a false narrative around the minority Muslim community in the Indian State of Kerala. It effectively propagates the Hindutva nationalist propaganda of Love Jihad, and the otherization of the minority community in the national discourse."
It noted, "From the statements of high-level BJP leaders, some of whom are even of ministry level, we can clearly understand that certain forces in the country are using this movie as a tool of polarization in the country." However, it insisted, "This sort of communal propaganda must be politically criticized."
The statement said, "As an organization which works on the issues of human rights, we are against all forms of communalism, and against all the attempts to create religious polarization in the country. But, at the same time, we strongly believe that, through government sanctions, the problem of communalism can’t be combatted."

Grain vs. gasoline: How the global biofuel boom threatens India’s food and water security

By Rajiv Shah A new report published by the international research and advocacy organization GRAIN has warned that the global resurgence of biofuels is triggering a dangerous dynamic of “more fuel, less food, more land grabs.” Driven by intersecting energy security concerns, geopolitical tensions, and aggressive decarbonization mandates, the expanding agrofuel industry is increasingly pitting corporate energy interests against global food security and indigenous land rights.

Can free‑living Indian street dogs teach us about how to care for pet dogs?

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Sikkim governor row: ALIFA asks centre to explain hurried appointment in Ankita Bhandari case

By A Representative The All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) on Saturday expressed “immense pain and outrage” that even after four years and a national uproar, justice has not been fully delivered in the Ankita Bhandari murder case and that a ruling party politician facing allegations has been “gifted a high-ranking constitutional office.” In a statement, ALIFA extended “unflinching solidarity” to Ankita’s parents, who it said are “fighting for justice on the streets of Delhi,” and demanded that pending the CBI inquiry and judicial decision, the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim’s Governor be subject to “immediate presidential review.”

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