South Asia Citizens Web

It’s 10 years since Irom Sharmila began her fast, demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in Manipur. Ten years during which she has been force-fed nutrients through a tube. But nobody’s listening…

In a recent report, the National Forest Rights Act Committee has also recognised that the Himachal government has failed to implement the act and that no forests should be diverted for projects like the Renuka Dam until the rights are recognised. Further, as per 2009 ministry guidelines, getting a ‘no objection certificate’ from the gram sabhas (village councils) of project-affected villages is necessary before diverting forestlands. But this hasn’t been done in the case of the Renuka project, which is going to submerge lands owned by over 1,000 families of 37 villages at Sirmaur. The submergence of these lands won’t only destroy a thriving agricultural economy but also the socio­cultural fabric of the Giri Valley.

The life sentence handed down against Dr Binayak Sen by a court in the India state of Chhattisgarh violates international fair trial standards and is likely to enflame tensions in the conflict-affected area, Amnesty International said today

A shock wave just struck the conscience of India. Dr Binayak Sen the celebrated doctor who has spent a lifetime working for the poor in Central India has been made a scapegoat in the war against terror in Central India.
Sen had first been arrested on trumped up charges in 2007 under a draconian Chattisgarh Public Security Act. After a huge public campaign he was released on bail in 2009 on order of the Supreme court of India.

On the 24th of December the Raipur Sessions Court in the central Indian state of Chattissgarh delivered a final ruling charging Dr Binayak Sen of sedition and treason and awarding him a life sentence. Sen has been arrested and move to prison. Human rights circles and social movement coalitions across India are aghast at the travesty of justice.

Nike’s 900 supply factories are situated in 50 countries, all poor and underdeveloped. In order to have a focused discussion and better analysis, I will confine my reference to Indonesia, Vietnam and Pakistan only. Given the horrible conditions of work, ridiculously low wages and exploitation of child-labour Nike’s factories were critically renamed as sweatshops.