South Asia Citizens Web

The governments of India and Pakistan must address human rights issues relating to each other’s prisoners, jailed in the other country. It is pertinent to remind the governments of their own decision to constitute the Joint Judicial Commission in 2007, comprising four retired judges of the superior courts of each country, which was expected to resolve expeditiously all problems pertaining to prisoners. Unfortunately, this has been undermined by either not allowing the commission to meet frequently or by not implementing the commission’s recommendations. Unanimous recommendations for the release and welfare of prisoners of the two countries still await implementation. If India and Pakistan abide by the recommendations of this commission, almost all problems of the prisoners will be resolved and they will be saved from unnecessary agony.

The involvement of women in anti-war actions and in support of peace activism worldwide is a critical part of modern history, yet the vulnerability of women in conflict situations to violence of all forms is perhaps the most brutal manifestation of patriarchy in modern times. We must probe the areas of ambivalence in women’s activism for peace and human rights, argues Sunila Abeysekera

The book ’Freedom Movement and Indian Muslims’ written by late Santimoy Ray, (1914-1999) - a renowned freedom fighter, educationist and crusader for communal harmony, who had been part of the historic Jugantar revolutionary party since his young age and faced a decade of imprisonment - not only provides many such important details , which have remained largely hidden from the eyes of concerned people but also brings forth the role of Indian Muslims on a broader canvas of anti-imperialist struggle.

Yes, we are speaking from Nonadanga slum area, Kolkata. Our government has uprooted all the slum-dwellers of Nonadanga from their habitat. On 30th March, police and Kolkata municipal development authority (KMDA) bulldozed the homes of some of the poorest of the poor people of our country; more than 300 homes were burnt. Even the evicted people wasn’t given any time to move their things of daily usage. They were being compelled to stand roofless under the heavy rainfall and northwester; they are living the same life along with their children under the open sky struggling with all adversities of nature till date. Who are these people? They haven’t come to Kolkata to live in slums by choice. Most of the people have come from Sundarban after the devastating storm ’’AILA’’ destroyed their villages last year. Some have come to ’’The city of joy’’ only to make two ends meet. There isn’t enough employment in the villages, so they have been compelled to leave their homes and to come to the city to find jobs. Some are rickshaw-pullers, some work as electricians, masons; some work as maids in others house.

KARACHI, April 17: Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) organised a demonstration and a candle-light vigil in front of Karachi Press Club on Tuesday April 17th, 2012 to mark Global Day of Action against Military Spending.
A large number of civil society and human rights activists, labour leaders and students attended the vigil and raised their voice against increased spending on military in Pakistan.