South Asia Citizens Web

Let us not be coy in calling out the Premier for blurring the lines between the military and the civil/public service. This is not even artful, let alone logical. In one sense, Northerners would argue quite rightly that this is just a perpetuation of what their communities underwent in the years following the LTTE’s military defeat in 2009. The seeping of the military into all areas of civil administration in the post-war theatre was not a secret.

After watching the horrific and heart wrenching condition of workers on the streets of India in the wake of the long COVID-19 lock down, it is with great alarm, sadness and dismay for us to learn that the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have decided to dismantle their existing labour laws. At least ten other states including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, Assam, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand have officially increased working hours from 9 to 12 a day.

You must have received reports of nation-wide protests by mass of the workers called by joint platform of almost all the central trade unions and independent national federations of employees, held on 22nd May, 2020 against draconian changes in labour laws being affected by various state governments at your behest and ushering in an era of rampant privatisation, while ignoring all the demands of the working people of the country for direct universal food support and cash support to the needy households who are suffering the most under lockdown situation . The extreme cases are those of UP, Gujarat and MP, where almost all the labour laws are sought to be suspended for three years while same is being expanded to other states at the direct instance and insistence of central government.

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) continues to be in a social, economic, political and communication lockdown since August 5, 2019. The lockdown imposed by the Union government is now doubly reinforced by the coronavirus pandemic. While Kashmir has dropped off the national radar due to concerns with the pandemic, the West Asian elite’s attention is drawn to it now because of the current regime’s perceived Islamophobia. This has also led to adverse international media attention. Within the country, there has never been greater need to be sensitive to disturbing developments in the UT and the immediate needs of its residents.

Research Radio Ep 7: Who is Afraid of Pakistan’s Aurat March?