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Political protest by desperate youth: Left groups on yellow scare in Parliament

  Amidst what has been described as “stunning smokescreen” on the 22nd anniversary of the December 13, 2001 terror attack on Parliament, few know who the six persons who created scare inside and outside the House were. While two of them were allowed inside the House by Mysore BJP MP Pratap Simha, a known Hindutva hardliner, ironically, left-wing organisations have revealed some details of their identity.

Scrap 'deal' to send Indian workers to Israel for replacing Palestinians: Central TUs

  The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Independent Federations/ Associations*, opposing the alleged move to export Indian workers to Israel to replace Palestinian workers, has said that the move signifies the Modi government’s unethical and duplicitous stand on Israel, which is "shamelessly escalating its genocidal attack against Palestinians, rejecting appeals by the UNO or even their masters, the USA for a ceasefire".

India's fast-track courts failing to deliver justice to child sexual abuse victims: Study

India has 2,43,237 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) cases pending in its Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) till January 31, 2023, despite Central Government’s robust policy and financial commitment. Moreover, even if no new case is added to this long list, the country will need at least nine years to clear this backlog, says a new study.

'New jobs distress-driven': Economists criticise CMIE claim of upward trend in employment

  At a time when the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy’s (CMIE's) report claims an upward trend in employment in India’s labour market with 15 million people entering the workforce, senior economists have sought to expose the claim by stating that a fall in unemployment is not equal to a rise in employment. 

Reject WHO's 'draconian' amendments on pandemic: Citizens to Union Health Minister

  Several concerned Indian citizens have written to the Union Health Minister to reject amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted during the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA75) in May 2022, apprehending this will make the signatories surrender their autonomy to the “unelected, unaccountable and the whimsical WHO in case of any future ‘pandemics’.”

Union Health Ministry, FSSAI 'fail to respond' to NHRC directive on packaged food

  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed deep concern over the adverse health effects caused by packaged foods high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats. Recognizing it as a violation of the Right to Life and Right to Health of Indian citizens, the quasi-judicial body called for a response from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding its selection of front-of-pack labels aimed at providing consumers with information to make healthier choices.

POCSO victim 'taken handcuffed' to court: Madras HC 'must take suo moto cognisance'

Henri Tiphagne Henri Tiphagne, director of the human rights organisation People’s Watch, based in Madurai, has taken strong exception to a woman constable taking a 15-year-old Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act victim to the court  handcuffed  to record a statement. The victim, said Tiphagne in a complaint to the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, was accompanied by a woman police constable from Annai Sathya Home to the magistrate court in Kotagiri to record a statement under section 164. The woman police constable took the victim in a bus to Kotagiri from Ooty.

IIM-A survey 'debunks' GoI claim, says: Sales, profits of Indian firms remain subdued

The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad's (IIM-A's) latest round of Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES) has found that sales and profit margins of Indian businesses have remained subdued despite tall claims by the Government of India (GoI) that the Indian economy doing well even as world is going in wrong direction.

Facebook strangely withdraws an innocent Gujarati article without stating reasons

Recently, reputed Gujarati journal "Sarthak Jalso", edited by well known writer Urvish Kothari, published an article by Shruti Shah. I posted its pdf version, sent to me by Urvishbhai, on a blog Shruti and I run:  https://saankal.blogspot.com/ .   The article is about our seven year long stay in the former Soviet Union during the turbulent period that led to the collapse of the Communist rule -- 1986-93. I thought Gujarati readers would be interested in reading the article, hence I posted a link of the blog post on Facebook. Prompt came Facebook's reply: the link violates it's community standards, so I should withdraw the article or send my objection. I sent objection, but nothing happened!  I don't understand which community standards was the Facebook referring to. The link carried snapshots of cover of "Sarthak Jalso" and first page of Shruti's article.  The cover has photograph of two towering mountain edges very close to each other and a person, ...

Madhya Pradesh Adivasi activist asked to leave district: Govt move ahead of elections?

  The Burhanpur district administration, Madhya Pradesh, has handed over externment notice Antram Awase, a 32-year-old Adivasi activist, who has been on the forefront of the campaign for implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) as well as the movement against mass illegal forest felling in Burhanpur. Earlier in April, he was arrested in an allegedly false case.

Reliance World Plaza opens as RIL's ISCON mega mall in Ahmedabad is on verge of collapse!

I was much amused to read the "visual story" about Reliance World Plaza put open in Mumbai. Top celebrities of Bollywood participated in the event. Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani, others must be feeling great about it. The event ironically took place a day after I visited ISCON mega mall in Ahmedabad. The mall, to put it mildly, is in tatters. Yes, it too is part of Reliance framework. It used to have some of the big names quoted in the Reliance World Plaza Mall visual story. Once a throbbing attraction of Amdavadis, the ISCON mall's 70% shops are closed. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has sealed several of the high profile shops of the Ahmedabad mall for failing to deposit tax. Even elevators and lifts are not working, hence senior citizens have to climb up on stairs, which are dirty. Its passages are dark, as there are no lights there. ISCON mall used to have an excellent food court, a bakery shop. Nothing of it exists now. Do Muk...

Counter-terrorism laws 'misused' in India to target non-profits, academics: Top US report

A high-profile American Bar Association (ABA) report, prepared by its Center for Human Rights, which claims to mobilize lawyers to defend threatened advocates, protect vulnerable communities, and hold governments accountable under law, has accused the Government of India of misusing counter-terrorism financing legislations in order to targets non-profit organizations (NPOs) and human rights defenders.Titled “The Adverse Impact of Counter Terrorism Laws on Human Rights Defenders and FATF Compliance in India,” the report , based is on an analysis of India’s compliance with the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) requirements and guidelines in the context of three laws: the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967 (UAPA), the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).

Gujarat epicentre of targeted violence against minorities, says compilation of 55 'attacks'

 Last year as many as 55 “attacks” on minority communities in Gujarat took place, a compilation of each of these incidents by a state civil rights group has said. Compiled by the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC), a report enumerating these incidents was released in Ahmedabad at a meeting of around 70 minority community leaders from different districts of Gujarat.

India No 1 in world coal mining boom, thanks to Coal India, Adani Group: German NGO

Urgewald, a German environment and human rights NGO, which claims to be working for establishing strong environmental and social standards for the international finance industry, has called India "the number one hotspot of the coal mining boom" in the world. It states this in a report "The 2023 Global Coal Exit List (GCEL): Failing the Phase-Out", prepared by Urgewald and more than 40 NGO partners, seeking to offer in-depth information on over 1,433 companies operating worldwide along the thermal coal value chain. Stating that India's coal production "already reached a historic high of 893 million tons last year", the report, released a few weeks after the UN’s Climate Ambition Summit in New York, quotes the goal set by India’s Ministry of Coal and Mines, according to which, the country’s annual coal production would rise to 1.5 billion tons by 2030. "To fulfill this plan, the government has auctioned off 92 new coal mining concessions since 2020;...

India's anti-terror law used to silence top activist: US religious freedom commissioner

At a Congressional briefing in Washington DC, while condemning the "wrongful incarceration" of well-known activist Umar Khalid, US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioner Eric Ueland called Khalid a “staunch defender of religious minorities” who “peacefully protested… discriminatory legislation.”

Rice fortification: Why no health warning for thalassemia, sickle cell patients?, asks SC

In response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by citizens challenging the government's iron fortified rice program, the Supreme Court has directed the Union government to respond to concerns raised which focus on the government’s noncompliance with their own warnings that caution patients of Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease to not to consume iron or to use it only under strict medical supervision. Although citizens had written to several government departments as well as some state food commissioners, they received no response.

Sikkim floods: Teesta was dammed beyond limit 'ignoring' Himalayas' fragile ecosystem

Participating in a webinar on ‘Dams, Development and the Teesta Floods’, organised by the advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) in Delhi, experts and activists have asserted that the recent Sikkim floods were actually a “disaster foretold.”

Casteist? Gujarat official supported social boycott of Dalit fair price shop owner: RtFC

The civil rights group Right to Food Campaign (RtFC) has taken strong exception to the order given by the district collector of Patan, Gujarat, to transfer all the ration cards from the Dalit Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealer to another village based on the social boycott that has been continuing against a Dalit dealer by the Thakor Community (upper caste) in Kanosan village.

Link India's 'deteriorating' religious conditions with trade relations: US policymakers told

In a significant move, Commissioners on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) have raised concerns about the “sophisticated, systematic persecution” of religious minorities by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a hearing on India in Washington DC.

Astonishing? Violating its own policy, Barclays 'refinanced' Adani Group's $8 billion bonds

A  new report  released by two global NGOs, BankTrack and the Toxic Bonds Network, has claimed to have come up with “a disquieting truth”: that Barclays, a financial heavyweight with a “controversial” track record, is deeply entrenched in a “disturbing” alliance with “the Indian conglomerate and coal miner Adani Group.” Believes the report, Barclays has held “the dubious distinction of being the top bond underwriter for the Adani Group in the five years leading up to 2021”, adding, “Even more astonishing is the fact that Barclays underwrote every USD- and Euro-denominated bond issued by Adani Group entities currently active in the market, totalling a staggering $8 billion.” Accusing Barclays of being “intertwined with the Adani Group's web of deceit, corruption, environmental degradation, and financial toxicity”, titled “Barclays’ Bond With Adani: Why Barclays’ Close Relationship With Adani Is A Huge Risk”, the report cites the Hindenburg Report to say how it sent shockwaves ...

Junk food push causing severe public health crisis of obesity, diabetes in India: Report

  A new  report , “The Junk Push: Rising Consumption of Ultra-processed foods in India- Policy, Politics and Reality”, public health experts, consumers groups, lawyers, youth and patient groups, has called upon the Government of India to check the soaring consumption of High Fat Sugar or Salt (HFSS) foods or ultra-processed foods (UPF), popularly called junk food. Pre-packaged sugary beverages, juices, bakery products, cookies, chocolates, confectionary, health drinks, chips, ice-creams and pizzas, are a few examples, the report -- prepared by the Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) and the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI), and authored by Dr Arun Gupta, Nupur Bidla and Reema Dutta -- said, adding, fear of depressing sales in the west, transnational food corporations descended fast into India post 1990s as markets opened up. According to the report, India faces a severe public health crisis of obesity and diabetes. As the 2023  ICMR-INDIAB  st...

Why delay in implementing Rajasthan health rights law?, asks Jan Swasthya Abhiyan

  The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) Rajasthan chapter, in a letter to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, endorsed by more than 70 organisations and networks, has demanded framing and notification of rules to the Rajasthan Right to Health Act 2022, wondering why the law has not yet begun being implemented.

Not supporting Khalistan, but probe Nijjar's 'extrajudicial' killing: Muslim diaspora group

  By Our Representative  In a surprise move, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), claiming to represent Muslim diaspora, said, it "supports" the US Department of State in urging India to cooperate with  “ a full and open investigation ”  into Indian government agents’ alleged assassination of Canadian citizen  Hardeep Singh Nijjar  on the Canadian soil.

Biden urged to warn Modi: US can declare India as worst religious freedom offender

  By Our Representative  During a Congressional Briefing held on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, Nadine Maenza, former Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), has wondered why the Biden administration should raise issues of mass anti-minority mob violence  -- particularly in Haryana and Manipur -- with Modi. Modi should be told that if such violence continues, the US will be “compelled by law” to designate India as one of the world’s worst offenders of religious freedom, she urged.

Cows on Ahmedabad roads? Reason: Amul, other dairies 'neglected' city cattle rearers

A new study has blamed Gujarat’s powerful milk cooperative sector, known across the country as Amul, for failing to take into cognisance the need to place under its wings urban area pastoralists, popularly known as Rabaris, involved mainly in selling cow milk to individual consumers. The study insists, that this, coupled with the lack of any policy on the part of the Gujarat government to “rehabilitate and modernise” the Rabaris’ business, has pushed the pastoralists to the margins of urban society. Carried out by Dr Vidyut Joshi, professor emeritus, Gujarat Vidyapeeth, with the help of several pastoralist leaders and experts, and called “Raste Razhadti Gayo: Samasya ane Ukel” (Stray Cattle on Road: Problems and Solutions), the study in Gujarati encompasses as many as 20 areas of western Ahmedabad, which were previously common grazing grounds, but were acquired in the name of urban development over last few decades. In all, there were 104 common grazing grounds across the city – all of...

Mewat violence pre-planned, 'similar to what happened in Manipur': Fact-finding team

A well-attended civil society meet, drawing a parallel between what happened in Manipur and the recent violence in Mewat, has insisted that in Mewat, like in Manipur, one saw state was "complicit" towards the perpetrators. Speakers at the meet, organised by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), insisted that those "falsely implicated" in Mewat violence, most of whom were Muslims, should be released and compensation be paid to the "victims of demolitions". The speakers also sought arrest of Hindutva leaders like Bittu Bajrangi, Monu Manesar and others allegedly responsible for instigation of violence in Nuh and other places in Mewat. Called “Authority and Complicity: Exposing State Sponsored Violence from Manipur to Mewat”, a fact-finding report on Nuh violence titled “Persecuted for Resistance” was relelased at the meet. Initiating the meet, senior activist John Dayal, analysing the socio-political condition of Nuh, said, all the shops of Muslims i...

Artists' alternative vision of India now in Ahmedabad: 'Moral critique of the present'

  It was a pleasant surprise the other day. I received a phone call from Sohail Hashmi, who during my early college days initiated me into Left-wing student politics in Delhi University; the year was 1971. Sohail said he was in Ahmedabad. I asked him to come over. However, he told me he had come with an exhibition of the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust ( Sahmat ) on creative expressions of artists on 75 years of India’s independence. So I should reach there at its inauguration. Organised at  Arthshila , a studio which claims to “facilitate artistic expression and curate creative experiences", situated next to the high-profile Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), I reached there to meet Sohail, whom I had not seen since mid-1970s, though would occasionally interact on phone (and sometimes on social media). On reaching there, sitting just outside the studio, he told me that in all Sahmat had collected 280 creative expressions, of which about 128 were on display at Arth...

Hours after overnight 6 inch rains, 3000 people of this Vejalpur society in Ahmedabad remain stranded

Living in Vejalpur in Ahmedabad is a nightmate for middle classes during monsoon. The society where I live, Shrinandnagar Part 2, houses about 3000 people and has nearly 650 flats. It is society where an elected BJP corporator also lives. I went up on the terrace on Sunday morning to see if waters had receded somewhat after the heavy 6 inch rains that continued yesterday till midnight. They did not. I took a few photographs. Even eight hours after I took the photographs, things remained unchanged. I was told that the the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation had put up a facility last year to clear any such drain immediately. It appears that the facility which is supposed to pump water in the Sarkhej Roza lake failed to work.  Our society, as also Shrinandnagar Parts 1 and 3, where more people live than what they do here, are low lying. Built by Bakeri, known to be a "clean" builder, all these are in low lying. Some say a huge water body was recovered to bui...

Lack of field channels forces Gujarat farmers to 'illegally' suck out Narmada canal water

Recently, I went with a small group of friends to the south of Ahmedabad. I was part of the team which was called to enjoy rural dinner. Previously an arid, the entire agricultural land in the area, I found, has been turned green. What a site, I thought, even as I was told by a farmer that they produce different vegetables. I found small trucks reaching the small farm house where we were to dine to upload several bundles of vegetables, including tomatoes, which are in the news for their high costs.  One of the farmers took us for a walk to the nearby areas. We stopped at a small eucalyptus forest, grown on the common grazing land. The farmer told us that this forest "was sucking away lot of underground water, which we should be using for agriculture." He explained, "This is the nature of the tree. Why has the forest department grown this forest is difficult to understand." As he kept on complaining, we took a few photographs of this small patch, which stood just nex...