South Asia Citizens Web

They are the world’s most powerful and largest democracies, respectively, but the United States and India have something most undemocratic in common. They both outsource means to kill, torture and coerce people to private militias and lawless mercenaries. They do it under the cloak of national security.

A 120 page report formally released on 30 December 2010 by Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, presents a brief macro picture of labour, economy and politics, and then focuses on workers’ conditions and their struggles in just a few select sectors (agriculture, textile, brick kilns and the fisheries). The second section contains seven research articles on key issues (access to resources, food security, labour legislation, social protection, minimum wages, bonded labour and migrant labour)

There never has been such an uproar over the justice system as against the verdict of Binayak Sen in recent years in the country. Not only civil society groups, eminent intellectuals, members of the judiciary and international organisations have expressed disgust at the verdict to imprison Binayak Sen to life by the Raipur sessions court on sedition and waging war against the Indian state.

As we rush around for last-minute holiday shopping, we shouldn’t forget the sacrifices made by workers who make the products we buy. Just last week, young garment workers in Ashulia, Bangladesh jumped from windows on the 10th and 11th floors when a fire overtook the Ha-Meem factory. At least 25 workers were killed on the job, where they were sewing clothes for familiar brand names and stores like the Gap, Wrangler, JC Penny, Sears, Target and Abercrombie and Fitch.

Civil society and human rights organisations, trade union activists and lawyers formed the “Citizens for Democracy” alliance to launch a campaign to amend the blasphemy laws. [in Pakistan]