South Asia Citizens Web

Economic Times, 17 November 2008
There is, in essence, only one fascism and yet it would be politically perilous for Indians to not distinguish between its two forms — Hindutva and Islamism.
There can be nothing more precarious in the life of a liberal democracy than the evacuation of politics from law. India currently faces precisely such a crisis, evident in the alleged emergence of Hindutva terror, its insidious denial by mainstream ‘social’ and political outfits of the Hindu Right (…)

These days some Muslim leaders are throwing up the idea of forming a separate Muslim party. Recently some leaders from Maharashtra got together and said Muslims should not vote for Congress-NCP Alliance nor for Shiv Sena-BJP and since there is no third alternative hence a hurried conclusion was drawn to set up a separate Muslim party. Will it be a wise move to form a separate party? It has given rise to this debate.
At the outset I must say two things: one, it is within any ones democratic (…)

Findings of PUDR (Delhi) and PUCL (Uttarakhand) into human rights violations by police and intelligence authorities of political and social activists in Uttarakhand.

– Theme song for World Social Forum, Karachi, 24-29 March 2006, sung in Urdu by the famous Pakistani singer Nayyara Noor

A credible democracy goes beyond holding elections under laboratory conditions
Western media is fond of using the term ’kangaroo’ with any set up which is overly ambitious and minuscule. Local courts run by dreaded Tamil Tigers in Northern Sri Lanka are generally called as ’kangaroo courts’. Governments run by despots or autocrats in poor and unstable African ’banana republics’ are often referred to as ’kangaroo regimes.’ Going by that logic, J&K is about to have what one can safely (…)