South Asia Citizens Web

NB: Many decades ago, during the opposition to the Vietnam war, democrats the world over were internationalist in their outlook. Sufficiently large numbers of them refused to align with one-sided ideologies, and supported democratic movements across the geopolitical divisions of the Cold War. Yes, there were political dogmatists then too, but the anti-Vietnam war movement - or the now-forgotten but highly successful anti-MX missile movement of the 1980's (European Nuclear Disarmament) (…)

Bangladesh has become a dangerous place for anyone who dares to cross an invisible line set by Islamic extremists intent on silencing dissenting voices with knives and guns.

10 May 2016: A dharna was called in solidarity with the hunger striking students of JNU; Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

Perpetrators of sexual violence escape justice, while their victims are trapped between exhortations by women’s advocacy groups not to ‘suffer quietly’ and the social stigma attached to sexual violence.

Who’s listening? The problems of minority groups are not being addressed. LET’S start with a mild teaser: it is one of India’s oldest and most high-profile minority welfare bodies; costs the public exchequer — that is you and me — more than Rs 70 million a year to run it; is flaunted as a symbol of Indian state’s commitment to protecting minority interests ; and yet its public image is zilch, making it a butt of jokes and prompting calls for it to be scrapped. Name the institution. Here’s a clue: it is variously referred to as a “toothless tiger”, a “white elephant”, and a “sarkari puppet”. Some call it the “National Commission for Tokenism”.