South Asia Citizens Web

Sunday Leader, 7 June 2009
War may have ended but not emergency rule
The state of Emergency in peacetime
by Asanga Welikala
In response to a call by the opposition and civil society to lift the state of emergency and to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in consequence of the end of the war, the Leader of the House, Nimal Siripala de Silva informed parliament on Tuesday, May 26, 2009, that the government has no intention of doing so at present. The stated reasons are that (…)

In order to mobilize the Indian citizens against this growing nucolonization, to resist the nuclearization of the country, and to protect our people from nuclear threats and the environment from nuclear waste and radiation, an umbrella organization (tentatively named as the National Alliance of Anti-nuclear Movements) has been founded with eight committees on Documentation, Economic Analysis, Legal, Mass Media, International Liaison, Translation, Health, and Direct Action.

We, the undersigned organizations, peoples’ movements and concerned citizens committed to building a world free from nuclear exploitation, nuclear business, nuclear power and nuclear weapons, do hereby declare the following:

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 (…)