South Asia Citizens Web

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?

20th May, 2020: NAPM express its grave concern at the numerous recent moves of the Govt of India to dilute pro-people, pro-environment legislation and push forth massive projects that are detrimental to national interest. Instead of investing in robust public health infrastructure, amidst the worst pandemic, the nation-wide ‘lockdown’ is being used as an opportunity to ‘clear’ many controversial projects. It is alarming that the environment, forest and wildlife clearance process for as many as 191 large-scale mining, infrastructure and industrial projects is underway through ‘video-meetings’ of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) where many projects are considered in a time-span of just about ’10 minutes’!