South Asia Citizens Web

For years now deaths of garment workers in factory fires is a regular phenomenon in Bangladesh. Deaths of more than 600 workers, mostly women, in garment factory fire have so far been recorded since 1990. In most of the cases, factory owners’ non-compliance with the laws and rules relating to fire safety was responsible for the horrible deaths. But no owners have so far been punished for such negligence, providing a sense of impunity for the rich factory owners, which eventually affects the interest of workers. Owners, be they of apparel factories or construction companies, belong to the ruling class and always enjoy the support and sympathy of the govts.

According to the right to health, the Government should monitor the impact of radiation on people’s health in radiation-affected zones through holistic and comprehensive screening and provide appropriate treatment. In this regard, I am pleased to note that the Government has undertaken a health management survey. However, the health management survey is limited to the residents of and visitors to the Fukushima prefecture at the time of the disaster. I would urge the Government to expand health survey to all radiation-affected zones. Pertinently, the response rate to the questionnaire of the Fukushima health survey was only about 23 per cent, which is considerably low.

The Sunderlal report on the Hyderabad massacre has been kept an official secret for over 60 years. While other princes acceded to either India or Pakistan in 1947, the Nizam of Hyderabad aimed to remain independent. This was complicated by a Marxist uprising. The Nizam’s Islamic militia, the Razakars, killed and raped many Hindus. This incensed Sardar Patel and Nehru, who ordered the Army into Hyderabad. The Army’s swift victory led to revenge killings and rapes by Hindus on an unprecedented scale.

The terror attack on Mumbai in the night of November 26th was an attack on India killing innocent people but it also confirmed the weakness of Indian state in tackling the communal agenda. The police and administrative set up were communalized and Muslim became more isolated in this propaganda war. Isolation of Muslims in India is defeat of the vision of our constitutional forefathers.

Bal Thackeray the self confessed admirer of Hitler and Nathuram Godese and a lover of Hollywood Westerns is dead. Over the past four decades he ruled over Shiv Sena, a party that targeted non-Marathi workers, petty traders, shopkeepers, Muslims and Dalits and migrants – harassed them, tortured them, killed them, looted their property and burnt down their homes and shops in the city of Mumbai in the name of protecting the interest of Marathi ’Manoos’. As the news of his death spread, Mumbai (…)