South Asia Citizens Web

An ordinary viewer of the electronic media, who is not inclined to read the print media in some detail, is likely to get a completely skewed version of Indian foreign policy and even risk semi literacy of world affairs. The reason is not difficult to fathom. Most Indian TV News Channels are obsessed primarily with three issues: India’s disputes with Pakistan, conflict and competition with China, and strategic relations with the USA.

Renowned rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar was assasinated on the streets of Pune on 20 th August [2013]. A multifaceted man - a medical doctor by training, writer-editor by aptitude and a campaigner by choice - he was a leading light of the rationalist movement and was engaged in fighting superstition and black magic through the organisation he led ’Andhashradha Nirmoolan Samity’ with a network of its 200 branches spread in Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.

While religious parties in Pakistan have seldom secured big vote shares, all political parties tow their line. Why? And what is the way out?

SAHMAT and Communalism Combat strongly condemn the latest attack by VHP goons on an art exhibition of Pakistani and Indian artists, ‘An Art Affair’, at the Amdavad Ni Gufa, Ahmedabad , on August 16, just a day after India had celebrated independence day across the country.

"You look green!" said a friend. "Are you ill?" asked another. Last year, a respected Indian newspaper published a photograph of me online which had been lightened so drastically by the art director's magic wand that I called the editor to complain and he apologised and replaced it with the original. The art director had thought he was doing me a favour by whitening my skin.India's obsession with fair skin is well documented: in 1978, Unilever launched Fair & Lovely cream, which (…)