South Asia Citizens Wire - 9 March 2014 - No. 2812 [year 16] --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents: 1. Sri Lanka: women in conflict | Rahila Gupta 2. Sri Lanka: Joint Memo by Citizens groups to the UNHRC and the Int'l Community | 4 March 2014 3. Bangladesh: Gendered politics holds back women's empowerment | Editorial, New Age 4. India: The longest fast | Basharat Peer 5. India: “Tell your sahib to watch what he says on TV” – Goons beat up former Hindu editor Varadarajan's caretaker 6. India's Endless Military Deployment in Kashmir Driving the Soldiers Nuts 7. India: Up to us to ensure that our bookshelves remain filled with challenging, dissenting, even conflicting voices | Prof. Kum Kum Roy 8. The Gujarat model of development: What would it do to the Indian economy? | Rohini Hensman 9. India: Audio recordings from 'Speaking of the Hindus' Delhi seminar - 6 March 2014 10. India: Viscious nationalism rules - 67 Kashmir students suspended for cheering the Pakistan team during cricket match with India 11. India: A bonfire of free speech | Jyotirmaya Sharma, Siddharth Varadarajan 12. India: An appraisal of 1975 Emergency - CPI documents from 1976-77 13. India: Cabinet decision to Constitute Equal Opportunity Commission - two steps backwards | Irfan Engineer 14. India: Hitting The Poor, Pampering The Rich - Disaster on four wheels 15. India: Women workers in Delhi's electronics industry in the late 1990's | Amrita Chhachhi 16. India: 1990 Statement by SVA (Movement Against Communalism) following the arrest of LK Advani 17. India: Contemporary Dalit Politics and Ambedkar's Goal of Caste Annihilation | Ram Puniyani 18. India: audio recordings from the national convention for democracy and secularism | New Delhi 27 Feb. 2014 19. Selections from Communalism Watch ========================================= 1. SRI LANKA: WOMEN IN CONFLICT by Rahila Gupta ========================================= What happened to the aspirations of Tamil women in the national liberation struggle which lasted nearly 30 years? Rahila Gupta covered the conflict in the mid-80s, and reflects on the situation today when the war appears to be decisively over, but the post-war reality remains as harrowing as ever, particularly for women. http://www.sacw.net/article7884.html ========================================= 2. SRI LANKA: JOINT MEMO BY CITIZENS GROUPS TO THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY | 4 March 2014 ========================================= We recognize the framework agreed upon in resolutions 21/1 HRC (2012) and 22/1 HRC 2013 supporting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka and efforts made by member states calling on the Sri Lankan government to address grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law committed before, during and after the war which ended in May 2009. We recognize too the efforts of member states calling on the Sri Lankan government to address continuing violation of human rights and democratic norms in Sri Lanka. http://sacw.net/article7851.html ========================================= 3. BANGLADESH: GENDERED POLITICS HOLDS BACK WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT | Editorial, New Age ========================================= THAT Bangladesh has had a woman prime minister and a woman leader of the opposition in parliament since 1991, save the two years of illegal rule by an unconstitutional interim government in 2007-2008, has often been showcased as an indicator of stupendous ‘progress' of women's empowerment, especially by the political parties of the ruling class and their crony intellectuals. The Awami League-led government has sought to sustain such ‘progress' in women's empowerment by electing the first woman speaker of Jatiya Sangsad and appointing the first woman foreign minister in its previous tenure. Just a few days ago, the incumbents appointed the first woman vice-chancellor of a public university. However, the ‘progress' in women's empowerment, as showcased by the ruling quarters over the years, seems to have been more about style than substance — for more reasons than one. http://sacw.net/article7880.html ========================================= 4. INDIA: THE LONGEST FAST | Basharat Peer ========================================= Irom Sharmila is protesting the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which gives Indian soldiers impunity in the insurgent northeastern states. She has been fasting and in solitary confinement for about 13 years http://www.sacw.net/article7885.html ========================================= 5. INDIA: “TELL YOUR SAHIB TO WATCH WHAT HE SAYS ON TV” – GOONS BEAT UP FORMER HINDU EDITOR VARADARAJAN'S CARETAKER ========================================= On 23rd February, Senior Journalist and former Editor of The Hindu newspaper, Siddharth Varadarajan and his wife Professor Nandini Sundar were indirectly threatened when four goons beat up their flat's caretaker and told the caretaker: “Tell your sahib to watch what he says on TV“. The couple weren't at home when the incident occurred. http://sacw.net/article7866.html ========================================= 6. INDIA'S ENDLESS MILITARY DEPLOYMENT IN KASHMIR DRIVING THE SOLDIERS NUTS When soldiers turn on their own comrades | Harinder Baweja ========================================= Each time I go to the Kashmir Valley – and that is often – I make it a point to engage with the men in uniform. At first, they are wary, even surprised to have a civilian walk up to their bunkers to talk to them. The reaction is the same, irrespective of whether they are from the paramilitary forces or from the army. Trained to watch out for ‘enemy' bullets, the soldiers are always on alert; their weapons forever cocked. “We don't know which side the bullet will come from,'' is the common refrain. They stay in these bunkers for most of their posting – a minimum of two years – with little or no contact with the civilians around them. http://sacw.net/article7881.html ========================================= 7. INDIA: UP TO US TO ENSURE THAT OUR BOOKSHELVES REMAIN FILLED WITH CHALLENGING, DISSENTING, EVEN CONFLICTING VOICES | Prof. Kum Kum Roy ========================================= Text of statement by Prof. Kum Kum Roy addressed to participants at 'Speaking of the Hindus' seminar and the 2nd AK Ramanujan Lecture in Delhi on 6 March 2014 http://sacw.net/article7879.html ========================================= 8. THE GUJARAT MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT: WHAT WOULD IT DO TO THE INDIAN ECONOMY? | Rohini Hensman ========================================= The cornerstone of Modi's and the BJP's campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections is that the UPA has ruined the Indian economy and the BJP led by Modi will make it boom. These claims have been reinforced by corporate adulation for Modi in his ‘Vibrant Gujarat' summits [1] and surveys showing that almost 75% of top corporate CEOs want him to be the PM [2]. How valid are these claims? http://sacw.net/article7870.html ========================================= 9. INDIA: AUDIO RECORDINGS FROM 'SPEAKING OF THE HINDUS' DELHI SEMINAR - 6 March 2014 ========================================= Audio recordings from the National Seminar: 'Speaking of The Hindus' with Profs. DN Jha, Kunal Chakrabarti, Apoorvanand, Chair: Prof. Romila Thapar. The organiser Prof. Mukul Managalik led the event with introductions and a note of thanks. The seminar was organised by Ramjas College History society, University of Delhi on the 6th of March 2014 | The audio recordings were done as part of South Asia Citizens Web Archive initiative - sacw.net http://sacw.net/article7868.html ========================================= 10. INDIA: VISCIOUS NATIONALISM RULES - 67 KASHMIR STUDENTS SUSPENDED FROM UNIVERSITY FOR CHEERING THE PAKISTAN TEAM DURING CRICKET MATCH WITH INDIA ========================================= A large private university in Meerut has suspended 67 Kashmiri students for allegedly cheering Pakistan during the India-Pak match at the Asia Cup on Sunday. The students were told to vacate their hostel rooms, and were escorted by police and university officials to nearby Ghaziabad. Some students are now back with their families in the Valley. http://www.sacw.net/article7861.html ========================================= 11. INDIA: A BONFIRE OF FREE SPEECH | Jyotirmaya Sharma, Siddharth Varadarajan ========================================= Indians must not allow the little men with irrational fears to determine what books they can read, films they can watch, writers they can play host to, or artists and musicians they can patronise. http://www.sacw.net/article7853.html ========================================= 12. INDIA: AN APPRAISAL OF 1975 EMERGENCY - CPI DOCUMENTS FROM 1976-77 ========================================= These are scanned copies of original press statements (in cyclostyled form) issued by the Communist Party of India between late october 1976 and mid January 1977; These pertain to the 1975 emergency in India http://sacw.net/article7850.html ========================================= 13. INDIA: CABINET DECISION TO CONSTITUTE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION - TWO STEPS BACKWARDS | Irfan Engineer ========================================= “Half a step forward, two steps backwards” would be an appropriate phrase to describe the measures taken by the UPA I & II towards ensuring justice and equality for the marginalized sections, particularly the religious minorities in India. It takes half a step and then seems to lose courage, perhaps fearing the much hyped “backlash” of the “majority community” and takes two steps backwards in penance for having taken half a step in the first place. The UPA misleads the minorities with the ineffective and often counterproductive half a step taken, while the BJP and the RSS blow whistle and go to the town claiming it to be appeasement of minorities and huge “injustice” to the “majority community”. This leaves minorities more vulnerable, insecure demoralized and discriminated than ever before. The latest decision of the Union Cabinet taken on 20th February to constitute an Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) is yet another example of such an approach. http://sacw.net/article7849.html ========================================= 14. INDIA: HITTING THE POOR, PAMPERING THE RICH - DISASTER ON FOUR WHEELS | Praful Bidwai ========================================= Indian society will pay dearly for this artificial state-induced automobilisation—through greater road congestion, slower commuting speeds, horrendous levels of air pollution, widespread health damage, and increased fatalities and injuries from road accidents. India has one of the highest rates of deaths from road accidents, estimated at over 140,000 a year . . . http://sacw.net/article7835.html ========================================= 15. INDIA: WOMEN WORKERS IN DELHI'S ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY IN THE LATE 1990'S | Amrita Chhachhi ========================================= A 1997 paper on women workers in the electronics industry in the Okhla industrial area of Delhi. http://sacw.net/article7834.html ========================================= 16. INDIA: 1990 STATEMENT BY SVA (MOVEMENT AGAINST COMMUNALISM) FOLLOWING THE ARREST OF LK ADVANI ========================================= http://sacw.net/article7830.html ========================================= 17. INDIA: CONTEMPORARY DALIT POLITICS AND AMBEDKAR'S GOAL OF CASTE ANNIHILATION by Ram Puniyani ========================================= On 28th Feb (2014) Ramvilas Paswan of Loktantantrik Jan Party joined the NDA alliance. Same Paswan had left the NDA twelve years ago with the beginning of Gujarat carnage, saying that with the violence in Gujarat he cannot be part of NDA. This time his son formulated the face saver when he said that Modi has received clean chit in the Gujarat carnage. Few days ago another dalit leader Udit Raj directly joined BJP, with the assurance of being given a ticket for forthcoming elections. In Maharashtra, Ramdas Athwaley of Republican Party of India had become part of NDA, and succeeded in being nominated for Rajya Sabha, Upper house of Parliament. There are many others dalits in the fold of BJP directly or in alliance with BJP to be in NDA, for pre poll alliance. Most of these leaders claim to be working on the path shown by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Ambedkar was committed to annihilation of caste and was totally opposed to the concept of Hindu nationalism, as propounded by RSS-BJP. http://sacw.net/article7823.html ========================================= 18. INDIA: AUDIO RECORDINGS FROM THE NATIONAL CONVENTION FOR DEMOCRACY AND SECULARISM | New Delhi 27 Feb. 2014 ========================================= Selected audio recordings from the national convention of the Peoples Alliance for Democracy and Secularism held in Delhi on 27th February 2014. The recording posted here are of interventions by Batinni Rao, Noor Zaheer, Shabnam Hashmi, Jairus Banaji, Rahul Pandita, Purushottam Agrawal, Irfan Engineer, Adhiraj Bose, Himanshu Kumar, Asad Ashraf, Bonojit Hussain, Manisha Sethi and Subhash Gatade. These recording are in English and Hindi. http://sacw.net/article7799.html ========================================= 19. SELECTIONS FROM COMMUNALISM WATCH ========================================= Banned in Bangalore - Wendy Doniger http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/03/banned-in-bangalore-wendy-doniger.html India: For Book Burnings etc Call Shiksha Barbadi Andolan . . . http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/03/india-for-book-burnings-call-shikha.html India: Soldiers of the Party - BJP reiterates its traditional appeal for the armyman | Christophe Jaffrelot http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/03/india-soldiers-of-party-bjp-reiterates.html India: Video on Naroda Patiya Massacre http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/03/india-video-on-naroda-patiya-massacre.html RSS letter to Anna Hazare http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/03/rss-letter-to-anna-hazare.html India: Fascist conspiracy succeeding - Let’s prepare for a long haul | Faraz Ahmad http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/03/india-fascist-conspiracy-succeeding.html The Indian Inquisition | Praveen Swami http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-indian-inquisition-praveen-swami.html Today the helicopter rotor exposed the chaddi of Modi - image by unknown artist http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/03/today-helicopter-rotor-exposed-chaddi.html UK: former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg arrested for Syria-linked terrorism offences http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/03/uk-former-guantanamo-bay-detainee.html Ananya Vajpeyi: Why India’s hate speech laws need to change http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/03/ananya-vajpeyi-why-indias-hate-speech.html India: Text of the 6-point Resolution moved at the National convention of Peoples allaince for democracy and secularism http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/02/text-of-6-point-resolution-moved-at.html India: Insaaf ki Dagar Par: Homage to victims of communal violence at the Right to food National Convention in Ahmedabad (1-3 march 2014) http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/02/india-insaaf-ki-dagar-par-homage-to.html Controversy erupts in Britain's parliament over Modi http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/02/controversy-erupts-in-britains.html India - Bombay: Segregation in Housing - No flats for Muslims ? http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/02/india-bombay-segregation-in-housing-no.html India: For Doniger row, don’t blame the law | Jyoti Punwani http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/02/india-for-doniger-row-dont-blame-law.html India: On gender justice and human rights, court can’t hold back or abdicate responsibility | Upendra Baxi http://communalism.blogspot.com/2014/02/india-on-gender-justice-and-human.html _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ South Asia Citizens Wire Buzz for secularism, on the dangers of fundamentalism(s), on matters of peace and democratisation in South Asia. Newsletter of South Asia Citizens Web: www.sacw.net/ DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed in materials carried in the posts do not necessarily reflect the views of SACW compilers. ===================================== _______________________________________________ SACW mailing list SACW@insaf.net http://insaf.net/mailman/listinfo/sacw_insaf.net
