Archive of South Asia Citizens Wire

  • Section 377 and Denial of Rights to Sexual Minorities

    by Economic and Political Weekly, 30 October 2008

    Economic and Political Weekly, 25 October 2008
    Denial of Rights to Sexual Minorities Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code must be repealed because it denies constitutional rights to sexual minorities.
    One of the crimes of the State in independent India is that it has continued to retain on its statutes many laws that were enacted by the colonial government. High on the list of laws that reflect the need to control is Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
    Section 377 holds that (…)

  • Behind the Recent Communal Violence in Assam

    by Uddhab Barman, 30 October 2008

    People’s Democracy, October 19, 2008
    Rampant violence and mayhem swept across many areas in the two districts of Udalguri and Darrang in Assam for three consecutive days starting on October 3, 2008. A total of 54 persons were killed in the clashes between Bodos and Muslims, including 25 in police firing. The toll in Udalguri district was 31 persons (including 11 killed in police firing) and in Darrang district 23 persons (including 14 killed in police firing). Those killed mostly belonged (…)

  • Highly Inflammable

    by Neelabh Mishra, 30 October 2008

    Outlook Magazine, November 3, 2008
    The latest case of sati, reported from Chhechhar in the Raipur district of Chhattisgarh on October 11, once again raises issues about the interface between the law and social reforms. It is a pity that since Deorala in 1987, each of the at least five incidents of sati has drawn diminishing attention from women’s groups, the media and civil society. Lalmati, a 75-year-old woman, immolated herself with her dead husband, who was laid on the funeral pyre in (…)

  • In Mayaland, human rights activists are targets of anti terrorism agencies

    by Subhash Gatade, 30 October 2008

    It has been more than one and half year that Maya rode to power in the state promising end to goondaism. Little could people have the premonition that under the new dispensation the security forces would have no qualms in engaging in ’goondaism’.

  • An Appeal for Conducting Public Enquiry into the Affairs of Bhonsala Military College

    by Sukla Sen, 30 October 2008

    www.sacw.net, 30 October 2008 To The President of India New Delhi presidentofindia@rb.nic.in
    Cc:
    The Prime Mister of India New Delhi pmosb@pmo.nic.in manmohansingh@sansad.nic.in
    The Home Minister of India New Delhi svpatil@sansad.nic.in
    Smti Sonia Gandhi The Chairperson of the UPA New Delhi soniagandhi@sansad.nic.in
    Justice S. Rajendra Babu The Chairperson National Human Rights Commission New Delhi chairnhrc@nic.in covdnhrc@nic.in Sub: Appeal for Conducting Public Enquiry into (…)

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