South Asia Citizens Web

India’s tendency for self-censorship is saddening. But even the most liberal minds sometimes see the need for holding back

The Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists (BUJ) deplores the attack on the media on Saturday, August 11, 2012, during the violence that broke out in Mumbai by protestors of the riots in Assam. The BUJ is particularly disturbed at what appears to be the sustained targeting of mediapersons and technicians of outdoor broadcasting (OB) vans.

The National Diet [Parliament] of Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (NAIIC) was established as the first independent investigation commission in the 66 years of Japan’s constitutional government. Its final report was submitted on July 5, 2012 to both houses of Japanese Parliament.

The Burmese army soon felt the need to legitimise its undemocratic rule and one rather secure way of achieving it is to approach the divine – bribe religious institutions and buy their blessings. The Burmese military gave, and still does, hefty donations to monasteries, builds pagodas (with lots of gold) and organises and celebrates religious ceremonies at state level. The top government functionaries are not only religious; they make sure that they are seen to be so – believing that it makes them legitimate in people’s eyes. I am sure this surprises no one in Pakistan where starting from later part of ZA Bhutto’s government successive rulers have competed in raising their Islamic credentials.

Talking to a community of people through the limited lens of religion is at best, ill-conceived and at worst, dangerous. It privileges certain kinds of voices within the community over others, who then go on to call the shots and seek to determine socio-political trajectories and limit the possible futures of the community. The Mussalman in Bengal is not only a Mussalman — he/she has aspirations not quite different from other inhabitants of Bengal, lives much more in the world of Bengali than in the world of Arabic, spends much of the day not praying, not in the mosque, not thinking about afterlife.