South Asia Citizens Web

THE fall out of the Kokrajhar riots has become evident in the mass exodus and fear psychosis that has plagued the people of north eastern origin in cities like Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad. Newspaper reports state that over 2.5 lakh people started a homeward journey after rumours spread about retaliatory violence in the wake of the month long Kokrajhar riots. More than 4.5 lakh people fled their villages as a result of the rioting in Kokrajhar. Of these, there are estimates that more than 2.86 people remain in refugee camps in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts. The scale of the displacement, of both north easterners and Muslims living in Assam has ensured that the Bodoland issue can no longer be treated merely as an assertion of the rights of one ethnic group. Rather, the debate surrounding it has come to question the cultural pluralism that has characterised the independent Indian nation since its inception. It has also pitted a linguistic and ethnic minority against a religious minority group, thus consolidating the power of the ruling classes and religious fundamentalists.

One of the most severe communal violence took place in Kandhamal in 2008 following the alleged murder of Swami Laxamananda Saraswati, a front-line leader of Sangh Parivar by the Communist Party of India (Maoists). The violence forced 55000 minority Christians to displace, 5600 homes in 415 villages were looted and burnt down, 38 persons were killed, two women were gangraped, several people were tortured, disabled. A Fact Finding Team visited 16 villages during 10th to 14th August, 2012; interviewed about fifty persons including victims, witnesses, leaders of different political and social organisations, District Collector and Superintendent of Police and reviewed various documents and records.

More than 100 protesters from Foil Vedanta and other organisations crowded the entrance to Vedanta Resources’ London AGM and poured red paint on the steps yesterday in an attempt to disrupt the meeting. In Goa and Odisha in India where Vedanta operates, parallel demonstrations involving thousands of people affected by the company’s activities took place on Monday and Tuesday.

MAINSTREAMING RIGHTS OF DESERTED WOMEN A livelihood study of deserted women from Sangli district by SOPPECOM
Seema Kulkarni, Ravi Pomane, Hasina Mulla, Dhanashree, Ashwini with data analysis support from Suhas Paranjape
In collaboration with Stree Mukti Sangharsh Calval Indutai Patankar, Bharat Patankar,Gail Omvedt, Jyoti and Jayant Nikam and Women’s Studies Unit, Tata Institute of Social Sciences Dr. Chhaya Datar
World over poverty among women is rising faster than poverty among men (…)

The persistent violence in districts of lower Assam shook the democratic conscience of the country. The skirmishes and conflicts between warring factional identities took several lives. A sizeable section of populace took refuge to scattered ‘rehabilitation centers’ in Assam and neighbouing state of West Bengal. Though, rehabilitation seems to be a far cry as people are living in utter distress and duress, the every day life is under constant threat and situation compounded with absence of basic amenities.