South Asia Citizens Web

The indefinite dharna by contract workers asking for the implementation of a High Court order directing ACC-Holcim to regularize them is in its 15th day today. We urge friends and supporters to write to the following officials in the management, urging them to follow the Labour Laws of India and implement the High Court orders with immediate effect, rather than harassing the workers through another round of lengthy litigation.

Newsclick interview with Karamat Ali, Pakistani labour and peace activist.

It has been and is my biggest relief to be among people who are sane enough to be against this practice of subjugating women through veil. But finding so many friends and fellow rights’ activists among those protesting France’s ban on Burqa is shocking and disappointing both. The anti-ban crowd comprises a range of viewpoints – from ardent Islamic, to moderate, to new-age Islam, to seculars, to antitheists and so on. Most heard argument from almost all of them has been their unflinching ‘concern’ for women’s choice and freedom to choose what they want to wear. To me, this strong sounding argument remains flawed, inconsistent and self-contradictory.

A brief report by a two member fact-finding team of Human Rights Forum, Andhra Pradesh looking into the alleged arson, rape and killings in the Dantewada area in the second week of March 2011.

So, what was the Islamists’ take on the World Cup semi-final? Apparently, the radical religious elements either retreated into the shadows or were themselves affected by the frenzy generated by the media. Perhaps, the prospect of defeating India, considered an infidel, momentarily tickled their fancy. Individually, though, we all draw some strength from our faith and our beliefs and pray for an outcome of our choice. It would be the same for people in other societies, irrespective of their religious identity. Still, sports and athletic competitions have to be secular in nature. Playing good cricket has only a peripheral importance in the business of establishing a tolerant, knowledge-based, liberal society that is not held hostage by extremist and obscurantist elements.