South Asia Citizens Web

A two part article by Vidya Bhushan Rawat.

The harsh implementation of sharia by the the Islamists during their occupation of northern Mali was no descent into chaos but a planned attempt at state control

Dear Ashis Nandy, On the question of corruption — how to deploy that concept, and which section of the Indian society (not of the state) deserves to be deployed — it seems you displayed a deep diabolism at the Jaipur Literature Festival. With your statement the debate on corruption shifted from individuals to communities/castes. This is in a way good.

On 6 February 2013 there was a large demonstration outside the Shri Ram College of Commerce to protest the coming to that place of Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat. I was present and took several photographs, and of course I saw what happened before me and spoke to many who were there.

Although I do not support the calls for “hanging,” I believe this is a mass phenomenon parallel to Jahanara Imam’s famous gono adalot which inspired our generation in high school days. It is formally also a new phenomenon (at least temporally) because majority of the people in Shahbag were not even born, or were in their child stage, when gono adalot happened. I am opposed to the death penalty, no matter who it is. My position does not change when it is the dreaded rajakars. I believe even war criminals deserve a fair trial (something we have so far not managed) and they should receive life sentences. Therefore I cannot call for “fa(n)shi,” even for dreaded war criminal Kader Molla.