South Asia Citizens Web

The past few weeks have brought back the fear of war in South Asia. While the worst seems over for now, this crisis has been a reminder how close India and Pakistan are to the nuclear precipice. What is less clear is where we go from here. For Pakistan at least, more of the same may not be an option.

On behalf of a number of my colleagues from the armed forces veterans, this is Admiral L Ramdas – a former Chief of the Naval Staff – writing to share some of my concerns regarding recent instances of using the Armed Forces for political gains

religious radicalization poses a threat to both [Pakistan and India]

Video recording of a speech by the prominent lawyer Colin Gonsalves on the present situation, after-effects of globalization and future of labour movement in India

artists from across India have come together under the banner of "Artists Unite!" and signed a declaration with the intention of reinforcing public traditions that speak "for democracy, and against hate". More than 450 signatories from more than twenty locations have cautioned that the ongoing assault on culture is an attack on democracy and asserted that "The ongoing assault on culture is an attack on democracy. When cultural life is attacked democracy itself is in peril because of the disappearance of a language that articulates our shared spiritual and social lives, shared histories and shared memories. Democracy is not a majoritarian project to identify enemies and enforce uniformity of language, behaviour and culture. Democracy is the celebration of a collective will for peace, of living together with dignity and equality. As artists and cultural practitioners we are and will continue to resist the politics of hate."