South Asia Citizens Web

In contemporary Bihar, sena means a violent syndicate comprising neo-rich peasants, mafia politicians and sundry feudal elements
engaged in defending their vested interests. Caste senas have come to be viewed as surrogate arms of the political elite. Initially, they
began as loose mass organizations under locally influential caste leaders and musclemen but gradually converted into mobile death squads,
ideologically motivated to wreak vengeance on their adversaries.

Contents of April-May, 2009 edition of Dams, Rivers and People:
Massive Dam to fill leaking buckets 1 The UPA & NDA have poor track record on water issues 3 Will meeting electricity shortages lead to economic development? 5 Water is an important election issue 8 Climate Change: Over consumption or over population? 9 Corruption in AP Irrigation (…)

Maoist violence, state terror, the Salwa Judum campaign and attacks on voluntary organisations in Chhattisgarh

This essay re-evaluates the historical trajectories and outstanding labour and gender issues of Export Processing Zones/Special Economic Zones on the basis of the experiences of South Korea, Bangladesh and India. The findings suggest the necessity of enlarging our analytical scope with regard to epzs/sezs, which are inextricably connected with external employment structures. Further, the study calls for an immediate and comprehensive review of the labour and gender conditions in Indian sezs where workers are in a disadvantageous position not only against capital but also in comparison with workers in South Korean and Bangladeshi epzs/sezs.

The eighties became a decade in which most aspects of violence against women resulted in law reform. Yet from the start, law reformers were less inclined to articulate the goal of such reform and resorted instead to ad hoc, band-aid amendments. With the result, consent was never defined, past sexual history was retained and the police were absolved
of accountability in failing to register cases. That response pattern has been characteristic of law reform ever since. In twenty years, perceptions of women and sexual violence remain the same; myths and stereotypes characterise most law reform as well as most judgments.

Given this reality, what does law reform have to offer women in situations of violence? This paper explores this question based on a newly emerged basis for law reform in response to sexual harassment in India.