South Asia Citizens Web

SAHMAT 8, Vithalbhai Patel House, Rafi Marg New Delhi-110001 Telephone-23711276/ 23351424 e-mail: sahmat@vsnl.com
29.11.2008
The SAHMAT family is deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the passing of Sabina Sehgal Saikia in the horrible attack on the Taj Hotel in Mumbai. While the scale of the loss of lives and injuries is numbing, Sabina’s loss is more personal for the arts community, of which she was such a vibrant member.
A steadfast supporter of SAHMAT, Sabina was a driving (…)

Things have been changing by the day on the issue of terrorism investigation since the proof of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur’s involvement in the Malegaon blast has come to the surface. So far the word Islamic terrorism has been in the air in the post 9/11 phase when the US administration ensured that media takes up this new word and propagates it. The social common sense that ’all terrorists are Muslims’ went to such a pass that many a lawyers taking up the cases of terror suspects were not (…)

The Guardian, November 28 2008
No war on terror for south Asia
To call the Mumbai attacks ’India’s 9/11’ creates a convenient myth that masks the real history of communal conflict
A growing narrative within India and outside emotively describes the recent terror strike in Mumbai as "India’s 9/11". On Thursday, the scion of Nehru-Gandhi dynasty called the Mumbai attacks assaults on the nation’s sovereignty, while the editorials in two of India’s largest newspapers, the Times of India (…)

Indian Express, 28 November 2008
Once Was Mumbai
by Kumar Ketkar
Even otherwise, the city of Mumbai is explosive. But everytime there is a terrorist attack, the metropolis is gripped by a kind of fear psychosis. The attack on “A Wednesday” (what a morbid coincidence!), proved yet again that the so-called “courageous” and “resilient” Mumbaikar is rapidly getting used to mayhem and murder. That is not a reflection of courage or of collective sanity, but of the desensitisation of the mass (…)

Asian Age, 28 November 2008
"There’s more evidence to come yet, please your Majesty," said the White Rabbit. "It’s a set of verses."
"Are they in the prisoner’s handwriting?"
"No, they’re not," said the White Rabbit.
"He must have imitated somebody else’s hand," said the King.
"Please your Majesty," said the Knave, "I didn’t write it, and they can’t prove I did: there’s no name signed at the end".
"If you didn’t sign it," said the King, "that only makes the matter worse. You must (…)