South Asia Citizens Web

Press release by feminist and human rights groups in response to Bangladesh high court notice re the two finger test

Four articles in TripleCrisis were originally delivered in 2012 as part of the Ralph Miliband Lecture Series at the London School of Economics.

Indians justifiably take pride in the robust durability of their country’s democracy, barring the Emergency (1975-77), and the relatively apolitical nature of its armed forces. Unlike in many third world countries, the military in India hasn’t overtly meddled in politics, defied the civilian leadership, or usurped power. But recently-retired army chief VK Singh’s shenanigans and other developments put a question mark over this assumption.

My two bits on the muddied narrative in Pakistan on Malala Yousafzai, a favourite for the Nobel Peace Prize being announced on Oct 11: Those who so easily buy conspiracy theories about Malala being a “US agent” or who go against Malala are usually the same people you will find justifying the murderous, criminal acts of the Taliban (who are fasadis not jihadis, in my mind) in some way, absolving them of responsibility by terming it a response to the US invasion of Afghanistan or the drone (…)

Syed Haider Farooq Maudoodi, son of Jamaat-e-Islami founder Syed Abul A’la Maudoodi, is now a columnist in Lahore, Pakistan. The 69-year-old former pilot studied in an English medium school, but refuses to speak in English. He shared his observations on Jamaat’s politics in the sub continent, political Islam, militancy, state religion and the war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh, with the Dhaka Tribune.