South Asia Citizens Web

The Indian Express, September 29, 2008
Moral policing
Being gay in India is to know the brute power of state and society in the most immediate, humiliating ways — the entire spectrum from police harassment to social ostracisation. Section 377 of the IPC contains the legal abomination that allows the Government to extend its tentacles into the intimate life of lakhs of its queer citizens. Now, a much deferred liberation movement, to strike down the part of Section 377 that criminalises (…)

Hindustan Times
Conversion, that old prop
‘Originally, we were animists. There were two tribes in Kandhamal: the Kandhas and the Panas, who were Dalits. The former converted to Hinduism while the latter to Christianity. Today, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal are forcing the Panas to reconvert to Hinduism. But we don’t want to do that,” a teacher told us at the Hathishala refugee camp in Orissa’s G Udayagiri area.
When we visited the camp, there were several thousand (…)

The Island
A group of academics, across the ethnic and political divide, have issued a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire and for a negotiated political settlement. At this juncture, it is unlikely that this call will receive any favourable response from those in authority. Even many ordinary citizens, with access only to our media, believe that the defeat of the LTTE and the end of the war is just round the corner and there would then be peace. They would consider the call from (…)

Graziano Worker’s Solidarity Forum was formed by Workers representative, University teachers, lawyers, democratic right activists and others express support and extend help towards the workers of Graziano Trasmissioni specially the 136 currently under arrest.
The forum expresses deep concern about the one sided attack by the corporate media and law enforcement agency on this issue.
The forum plans to take several remedial steps including:
1. Constitute a fact finding team
2. (…)

The News International, September 27, 2008
India is witnessing an increase in the incidence of both anti-minority violence and terrorism. Christians are under attack in Orissa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and now even Kerala, long held up as a model of pluralism. Leading the attacks are Hindu-extremist groups like the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Shiv Sena, which don’t bother to disguise their identity.
The Indian state has failed to protect Christians and punish their (…)