South Asia Citizens Web

We wish to draw your attention to the recent incident of physical attack on AAP leader, Soni Sori, by unidentified men near Geedam town on the night of 20th February 2016. The attackers threw some black substance on her face which caused immediate burns and pain. Consequently, she has had to be hospitalized. This attack comes close on the heels of the eviction drives against lawyers Shalini Gera and Isha Khandelwal of Jagdalpur Legal Aid Group (JagLag) and journalist Malini Subramanium. All three have been given notice to find alternate accommodation. There is also news of a similar eviction drive against Bela Bhatia, an independent scholar and activist.

Indian politics has entered a phase of extreme danger – from the standpoint of the laboring citizens who need democracy the most. It is disturbing to see a section of India’s ruling class seeking to bypass and undermine constitutional rule by validating a politics of hatred and intimidation. Hindu Rashtra and Akhand Hindustan are mutually contradictory ideals: if you want one you will automatically rule out the other. The relentless tirade against Muslims, Christians and Communists by the Sangh Parivar will produce the contrary of what they wish for (or say they do). The theories of Savarkar, Hedgewar and Golwalkar are recipes for India’s disintegration. Extremism feeds on itself by appearing in different forms.

The Indian state sees the movement in Kashmir as Pakistan’s proxy war. It refuses to accept that there is popular support for the movement for self-determination in Kashmir. Yet it has tied down nearly half a million members of its armed forces in crushing the movement in the valley for more than two and a half decades.

When Hall of Nations, one of Delhi’s iconic structures, was inaugurated in 1972, it became a symbol of India’s rapid progress and modernity. Hall of Nation, India’s first pillar-less building, was constructed to commemorate 25 years of the country’s independence. Architect Raj Rewal and structural engineer Mahendra Raj who designed these buildings said they were prepared to fight till the end to save the structures.

Bangladeshi authorities should immediately withdraw all criminal charges filed against the editors of the Daily Star and Prothom Alo, the country’s leading newspapers, Human Rights Watch said today. Bangladesh should repeal its criminal defamation and sedition laws, which violate international standards.