India: Citizens first - Muslims, Modi and brutal rapes of Muzzaffarnagar | Lakshmi Chaudhry

Citizens first: Muslims, Modi and brutal rapes of Muzzaffarnagar

by Lakshmi Chaudhry Dec 23, 2013

"If there are Congress leaders who are visiting the riot affected areas I will welcome any suggestions from them on resolving the situation there. You will see that Samajwadi Party is willing to take constructive suggestions from all quarters and work towards implementing them," declared Akhilesh

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India: Communal Violence in 2013 Part - II | Irfan Engineer

[see Part I here]

Communal Violence in 2013: Part - II

by Irfan Engineer

(Secular Perspective Jan, 16-31, 2013)

In the previous article, we examined the trends in riots and the all India statistics of communal riots provided by the Union Govt. We also described some of the communal riots in Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In this article, we now propose to describe some riots in J&K, UP, MP, Bihar

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India: Judgement day of Zakia Jafri Case - 26 Dec 2013 | Teesta Setalvad

http://hillele.org/2013/12/20/judgement-day-of-zakia-jaffri-case-december-26-2013-teesta-setalwad/

The Feminist December 20, 2013

JUDGEMENT DAY OF ZAKIA JAFFRI CASE - DECEMBER 26 2013 (Teesta Setalwad)

Teesta Setalvad

GRAVITY OF CHARGES:-
CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST MODI

Introduction:-

The Zakia Jafri (supported by Citizens for Justice & Peace) Criminal Complaint against Narendra Modi and 59

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India: The Alchemy of Sleazire | Ruchir Joshi

The Telegraph, December 22 , 2013

{{THE ALCHEMY OF SLEAZIRE
- Fiction triumphs over documents and observation}}

The Thin Edge - Ruchir Joshi

VS. Naipaul, the man also known as Lord Vidiamort, is an interestingly connected person. Close to 12 years ago, Lord Vid was in India, being feted and celebrated by odd sections of our intellectual and political elite for winning the Nobel prize. His

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India's Army recruits on caste, region, religion lines, Supreme Cout has been told

The Hindu - 4 Dec 2013

Army recruitment done on caste, region, religion lines, SC told

Grouping of people from a particular region in an Army regiment is unconstitutional and amounts to discrimination on caste, region and religion basis, a petitioner challenging the recruitment policy told the Supreme Court.

In an affidavit filed in the apex court countering the assertion of the Army which had

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India: Is Modi Our Palin? - Dheeraj Tiwari

The Economic Times removed this section on Narendra Modi after putting it online.

https://news.google.com/news/story?ncl=dnFe9EA_4G8U1eM&hl=en&ned=in

Is Modi Our Palin?

by Dheeraj Tiwari

Insulting the intelligence of voters is could be suicidal in an election year. In the 2008 US Presidential elections, Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for the vice president’s post, committed that offence

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India: Notice to students for not attending Narendra Modi's 'Run for Unity'

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/notice-to-students-for-not-attending-narendra-modi-s-run-for-unity-461619

Notice to students for not attending Narendra Modi's 'Run for Unity'

All India | Reported by Rohit Bhan, Edited by Nadim Asrar | Updated: December 22, 2013 10:49 IST

Jamnagar: Narendra Modi's much-hyped 'Run for Unity' campaign to mobilise support for the world's tallest statue in

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Cartoons on Modi by Orijit Sen, Manjul and by unnamed

cartoon by Orijit Sen

cartoon by Manjul

cartoon by unnamed

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Muzaffarnagar coverstory by Outlook - 30 Dec 2013

Outlook Magazine, 30 December 2013

EXCLUSIVE | cover story: muzaffarnagar
Thread Bared
They had invested hope in the village pradhan. He had said he’d protect them. Instead, what happened at his house during the morning of the riots will make you shudder. Outlook meets Muslim women at the camps, the faceless Nirbhayas of Muzaffarnagar....
by Neha Dixit
http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?

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India: Hindu priests condemn Ayodhya incident, appeal for peace

http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/one-year-of-nirbhaya-rape-case-why-crimes-still-continue


Hindu priests condemn Ayodhya incident, appeal for peace

21 Dec 2013 05:12 PM, IST


Hindu priests condemn Ayodhya incident, appeal for peace

By Abu Zafar, India Tomorrow,

New Delhi/Ayodhya, 21 Dec 2013: As news spread about attack on a Muslim shrine and murder of a 22-year-old undergraduate student

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India: Joint Statement of Religious Leaders in support of “Supreme Court order on Section 377”

http://jamaateislamihind.org/eng/joint-statement-of-religious-leaders-on-supreme-court-order-on-article-377

Joint Statement of Religious Leaders On “Supreme Court order on Section 377”

19 December 2013

New Delhi, 19 Dec 2013: The decision of the Supreme Court on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code is not only in line with the eastern traditions of this country, moral values and religious

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Communal Violence in 2013: Part - I | Irfan Engineer

Communal Violence in 2013: Part - I

By Irfan Engineer

The year 2013 was worse than 2012 from the standpoint of communal violence.
According to the Home Ministry data released in the National Integration Council meeting, 107 people were killed in communal riots across the country, which includes 66 Muslims and 41 Hindus in 479 incidents of communal violence this year. Apart from those killed,

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Video of Rajya Sabha TV Discussion: Desh Deshantar - Communal Violence Prevention Bill - The road ahead [Hindi]

Desh Deshantar - Communal Violence Prevention Bill: The road ahead

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India: Riot Survivors - Victims who retain the memory (CP Bhambhri)

Economic Times - Dec 6, 2013

Riot Survivors: Victims who retain the memory

by CP Bhambhri

An inter-religious violent conflict, commonly described as a communal riot, not only leads to killing of innocent men and women and destruction of property, it leads to flight of those targeted from their residence. They end up in so-called relief camps. It is not only that more than 45 Muslims were

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Pakistan: Conspiracies, communal riots and terror in Rawalpindi

(The News International, 20 November 2013)

by Sabir Shah
The monster of terrorism has reigned supreme here since October 1951, when the then Pakistani Premier Liaquat Ali Khan was shot dead at the famous Company Bagh (renamed Liaquat Bagh later), which also became the assassination venue of a former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007.

Terrorism however struck Rawalpindi with full

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Ghettoisation changing demography of rural Muzaffarnagar post riots | Sandeep Joshi

(Report in The Hindu, MUZAFFARNAGAR, December 18, 2013)

by Sandeep Joshi
With at least six small colonies being built in the rural areas of Muzaffarnagar for settlement of riot-hit Muslims who have permanently left their villages out of fear of the dominant Jat community, ghettoisation, which was till now relevant in big cities, is the new phenomenon in this agrarian belt that is bound to have a

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Turkish Foreign ministry statement on condemns execution of top islamist in Bangladesh

MFA STATEMENT ON EXECUTION OF ABDUL QUADER MOLLA
Turkey's Foreign Ministry condemned the execution of one of the leaders of Bangladeshi Jamaat-e-Islami Party, Abdul Quader Molla.
MFA statement on execution of Abdul Quader Molla
Posted 13.12.2013 07:47:34 UTC
Updated 13.12.2013 13:47:41 UTC

Turkey's Foreign Ministry posted a statement on its website saying the decision to execute one of the

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India: Progressive Muslim groups slam clerics, SC's verdict on Section 377

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Muslim-groups-slam-clerics-SCs-verdict-on-Section-377/articleshow/27501217.cms

Muslim groups slam clerics, SC's verdict on Section 377
Mohammed Wajihuddin,TNN | Dec 17, 2013, 07.25 AM IST

MUMBAI: Echoing the sentiments of the LGBT community, some Muslim groups have opposed the Supreme Court's recent order which recriminalizes homosexuality. The groups

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The fascist Jamaat-e-Islami of Bangladesh and its corporate business

Friends,

Here is only a partial list of businesses and corporations owned by orcaffiliated with the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. Their revenues go into billions of Takas and they employ tens of thousands of workers and students.

Many who support the JI in BD are armed and operate as death squads in the true spirit of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and their mother organization, the

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India: Cabinet clears Communal Violence Bill [reports on CNN IBN and The Times of India ]

Cabinet clears Communal Violence Bill, say sources









CNN-IBN
Dec 16, 2013 at 08:47pm IST




#communal violence bill #bjp #muzaffarnagar riots #centre #cpi #d raja

New Delhi: The Cabinet on Monday cleared the
Communal Violence Bill, said sources. After the law comes into force,
the Centre will be duty bound to send forces to riot-hit areas only on
the request of the local

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UK: Muslim fundamentalists threaten shops selling alcohol

Shop owners told they face 40 lashes if they continue selling 'evil' alcohol

DOZENS of Muslim protesters walked with one of
Britain's most controversial hate preachers to demand restaurants and
shops in one of London's most popular areas stop selling alcohol.



By: Cyrus Engineer
Published: Sat, December 14, 2013

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Modi 'Run for Unity' marathon had posters all over parts of central Delhi, but here is cartoonists take

Modi flags off 'Run for Unity' marathon, appeals not to view event politically
Express News Service : Vadodara, Sun Dec 15 2013
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/modi-flags-off-run-for-unity-marathon-appeals-not-to-view-event-politically/1207860/

Here is a cartooninsist take:

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India: With the closing of relief camps in Muzaffarnagar, even the meagre food support has disappeared

The Hindu, December 14, 2013


BAREFOOT

Winter in exile

by HARSH MANDER

With the closing of relief camps in Muzaffarnagar, even the meagre food support has disappeared.

As the winter cold descends this year on Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts in Western U.P., some 20,000 people will camp in makeshift unofficial camps amidst squalor and official neglect, or survive in small rented tenements

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India - Muzaffarnagar: Riots Victims Await Closure | Deevakar Anand

With probes into crimes committed during the riots moving at a snail’s pace, the Akhilesh Yadav regime has a lot to answer for
Deevakar Anand
December 12, 2013
http://www.tehelka.com/muzaffarnagarriots2013/

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India: Witnesses getting cold feet in Ishrat Jahan Case ever since BJP declared Modi as thier Prime Ministeral candidate

Ishrat case: witnesses get cold feet over Modi
Rajesh Ahuja, Hindustan Times New Delhi, December 14, 2013
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ishrat-case-witnesses-mum-after-modi-nomination/article1-1162427.aspx

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India: BJP unambiguously homophobic

The Telehraph, 14 December 2013

BJP comes out, vows to oppose homosexuality
RADHIKA RAMASESHAN

New Delhi, Dec. 13: BJP president Rajnath Singh today said his party “unambiguously” endorsed the re-criminalisation of gay sex — the first conclusive statement from the party that makes the legislative option difficult for the UPA.

“We will state (at an all-party meeting if it is called) that we

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Panel to look into reports of children’s deaths at Muzaffarnagar relief camps

The camps were set up in the aftermath of September’s communal violence

Spurred into action by the Supreme Court rap, the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday constituted a high-powered committee to look into the veracity of the reported deaths of children due to cold in the relief camps in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts and suggest remedial measures. The committee will be headed by the

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India: BJP’s minority fear over Modi dissipates

The Telegraph, 13 Dec 2013

BJP’s minority fear over Modi dissipates
RADHIKA RAMASESHAN

New Delhi, Dec. 12: The BJP believes this week’s Assembly poll results have dismissed its worst fears over consolidation of minority votes around the Congress because of Narendra Modi’s projection as prime ministerial candidate.

The BJP is now mulling adopting the Gujarat model of giving Muslims more tickets

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India: Former Top official in Home ministry joins the BJP

The Times of India
New Delhi, December 13, 2013

Former Union Home Secy RK Singh joins BJP

Special Correspondent

Former Home Secretary R.K. Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday. Mr. Singh, a 1975 batch IAS officer from the Bihar cadre, retired from his post on June 30 this year after a two year tenure.

Mr. Singh was welcomed into the party fold by party president Rajnath

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India: BJP refuses to spell stand on Section 377; Lekhi supports SC order / Samajwadi Party supports supreme court ruling

1.)


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/BJP-refuses-to-spell-stand-on-Section-377-Lekhi-supports-SC-order/articleshow/27261418.cms

BJP refuses to spell stand on Section 377; Lekhi supports SC order
TNN | Dec 13, 2013, 06.02 AM IST

NEW DELHI: While opposition BJP stuck to its non-committal official line on the Supreme Court's verdict on homosexuality, party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi

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All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat statements on the execution of Jamaat leader in Bangladesh and on the Indian Supreme court judgment on homosexuality

Mushawarat condemns the judicial murder of Bangladeshi leader
All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat

New Delhi, 13 December 2013: The All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, the umbrella body of Indian Muslim organisations, today severely condemned the Bangladesh government’s hasty execution of a controversial verdict issued by a discredited and politicised tribunal.

President of AIMMM, Dr

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India: [Fake article attributed to] Shanti Bhushan says Aam Admi Party might spoil the party for BJP in 2014 elections, But most Aam Adami voters in Delhi seem pro Modi

Daily apologizes to Shanti Bhushan for article gaffe
PTI | Dec 13, 2013, 07.48 PM IST

Daily apologizes to Shanti Bhushan for article gaffe
'Mail Today' carried an article in the name of Shanti Bhushan which was critical of Aam Admi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal.
NEW DELHI: In a bizarre gaffe, a newspaper here published an article on Friday purported to have been written by former Union law

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Will the BJP make it 2014 elections ?

Indian Express, 13 December 2013

Many a slip

by Suhas Palshikar

Electoral victories in four states may not add up to a BJP wave in 2014.

One unavoidable dimension to the analysis of the recently held assembly elections has been their relevance to the Lok Sabha election in 2014. For this reason, if for nothing else, the BJP could read into these outcomes the possibility of a better electoral

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Bangladesh: Execution of Jamaat-e-Islami leader sparks violent attacks against minorities

Execution of Jamaat-e-Islami leader sparks violent protests in Bangladesh
AP | Dec 13, 2013, 11.48 AM IST

Execution of Jamaat-e-Islami leader sparks violent protests in Bangladesh
Tyres have been set on fire by activists of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan protesting against the execution of Bangladeshi Islamist leader, in Islamabad. (AFP photo)

DHAKA: The execution of an Islamist opposition leader in

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Modi's silence on 377 - cartoon by Satish Acharya

Modi's closet no. 377

Cartoon: Satish Acharya

Copyright: Sify.com

http://www.sify.com/news/modi-s-secret-hideout-imagegallery-national-nk0mS5hfhce.html

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India's ruling Congress party’s clear stand in support of for gay rights appears to have caught the homophobic BJP off-guard

Sonia, Chidambaram root for gay rights after SC verdict, law may change
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sonia-chidambaram-root-for-gay-rights-after-supreme-court-verdict-law-may-change/article1-1161785.aspx

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short interview with Jyotirmaya Sharma about his book on Swami Vivekananda and Hindu Nationalism

Religion Dispatches
December 9, 2013

Political Hinduism: India's Disenchanted Religion
By Jyotirmaya Sharma



Jyotirmaya Sharma

Jyotirmaya Sharma is professor of political science at the University of Hyderabad, India. His recent publications include, Hindutva: Exploring the Idea of Hindu Nationalism (Penguin/Viking, 2003; second edition published in december 2011) and

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India: Jamaat e Islami (The Muslim Right Wing ) Opposes Legalisation of Live-in Relationships, not to speak of Homosexuality

In a recent judgement, the Apex Court asked Parliament to framed guidelines and make a law to address the ‘concerns’ of those already in the outside-marriage relationship. More unfortunately, the judgement said that live-in relationship is neither a crime nor a sin. A court of law is indeed within its jurisdiction to ascertain whether or not a particular act is crime. But it is beyond its

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India: Minorities panel for action against [SHAM] adami Party leader

Hate speech: Minorities panel for action against AAP member
Rakhi Chakrabarty,TNN | Nov 29, 2013
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Hate-speech-Minorities-panel-for-action-against-AAP-member/articleshow/26544217.cms

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Mathrubhumi: Surprised that Javed Anand wants us to learn from the Sham Admi Party That Has Nothing To Say About Modi

Mathrubhumi: 'Left should learn from Aam Admi Party: Javed Anand'
http://mathrubhuminews.in/ee/ReadMore/3606/javed-anand-on-aam-admi/E

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AAP-style politics to enfeeble democracy - India needs a rights-based redistributive programme

The Telegraph, 11 December 2013

TIME FOR CHANGE
- India needs a rights-based redistributive programme

by Prabhat Patnaik

Let us begin by accepting the two propositions that have been generally advanced about the results of the just-concluded assembly elections: one, that there is a strong anti-Congress wave in the country; and two, that this would not necessarily ensure victory for the

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Poster : Homophobes Unite - All Those Who Favour Crimilarising Gay Sex and are for section 377 raise your Hands

from sacw.net

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India: BJP's Rajasthan MP Arjun Ram Meghwal planning to raise anti-homosexuality bill in Parliament

The Hindu - December 11, 2013

Bikaner MP to raise anti-homosexuality bill in Lok Sabha

by Mahim Pratap Singh

While Wednesday's Supreme Court judgment on re-criminalising homosexuality has upset the LGBT community, Bikaner MP Arjun Ram Meghwal has welcomed the decision.

Last year, Mr. Meghwal had presented a private member bill in the Lok Sabha against the Delhi High Court judgment of 2009

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Is the Muslim vote a monolithic entity ? - Tanweer Fazal

One community, many rights
The question of the Muslim vote, instead of being reduced to a monolithic entity, should actually be about justice and redistribution in accordance with the needs and aspirations of the community

by Tanweer Fazal
- See more at: http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2013/12/6139#sthash.etw5IiQy.dpuf

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India: Modi will have hard time if he does come to power suggests James Manor

Indian Express, December 11 2013

Two nightmares foretold

by James Manor

If Modi leads the ruling alliance in 2014, he will have to deal with decentralisation in national politics and centralisation in state politics.

Despite the astounding showing of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, the recent state elections make it somewhat more likely that Narendra Modi will be the next prime minister. Only

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India: Religious Homophobes win Gay sex declared illegal by the Suprme Court

NDTV


Gay sex illegal, says Supreme Court, sets aside high court order

All India | Written by Neha Khanna , Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Updated: December 11, 2013 10:40 IST

Gay sex illegal, says Supreme Court, sets aside high court order
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today said gay sex between consenting adults remains a criminal offence, in a major setback for the largely closeted homosexual

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India: Women’s Voices Go Unheard Within Walls of Ahmedabad Ghetto | Raksha Kumar / India Ink - The New York Times

December 10, 2013
Women’s Voices Go Unheard Within Walls of Ahmedabad Ghetto
By RAKSHA KUMAR

AHMEDABAD, Gujarat — On a hot October morning, an intense discussion was waging between three women in a nondescript beauty salon in the Juhapura locality of Ahmedabad, the city’s largest Muslim ghetto.

While the most common topics of discussion in a beauty salon are fashion, cosmetics and men, here the

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India: Snoopgate and the Gujarat Model of Governance

by India United Against Fascism
http://www.sacw.net/article6832.html

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Reassessing Secularism and Secularisation in South Asia | Humeira Iqtidar and Tanika Sarkar in EPW

Economic and Political Weekly, Vol - XLVIII No. 50, December 14, 2013

Reassessing Secularism and Secularisation in South Asia
by Humeira Iqtidar and Tanika Sarkar

Revisiting Secularisation


Secularisation, once a key concept in debates about modernisation and modernity, has received very little academic attention over the last half century. In fact, it is often seen as a subset of or

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India: Muslims masquerade as Hindus for India jobs (Report on al jazeera)

Muslims masquerade as Hindus for India jobs
Facing religious discrimination in the Hindu-dominated job market, many are forced to assume fake identities.
Shaikh Azizur Rahman Last updated: 10 Dec 2013
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/12/muslims-masquerade-as-hindus-india-jobs-2013129134443863250.html

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India: Will Communal Violence Bill be tabled in Parliament?

by Irfan Engineer

With the defeat of Congress in the 4 states results of which were declared on 8th December 2013, one does not know the fate of the Prevention of Communal Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill 2013 that was to be introduced in the last winter session of the Parliament under UPA II. Some may say the UPA II government is now a lame duck govt. and would not introduce

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Photo of a banner that appeared in Pune soon after BJP victories in 3 states in assembly elections - 8 December 2013

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On Ahmedabad’s Segregation | Rupa Subramanya

India RealTime / WSJ blog


May 6, 2013, 9:00 AM


A New Twist on Ahmedabad’s Segregation



By Rupa Subramanya




Sam Panthaky/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThe Anjuman-E-Islam school building in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, March 30, 2011.

Some Hindu property developers in Ahmedabad, the commercial hub of
the Indian state of Gujarat, are looking to expand to

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USA: Hindu American Foundation reveals its supremacist ideology through smear campaign against CAG and Indian Muslims

Hindu American Foundation reveals its supremacist ideology through smear campaign against CAG and Indian Muslims

HAF's Opposition to House Resolution 417 is a disservice to India and Hinduism say Indian Americans


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington D.C, Friday, December 6, 2013

Coalition Against Genocide (CAG - http://coalitionagainstgenocide.org/), has condemned the Hindu American

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India: Modi's promised path is dangerously narrow and sectarian (Editorial, Economic and Political Weekly)

Economic and Political Weekly, Vol - XLVIII No. 50, December 14, 2013

Illusions and Disillusionment

Editorial

What began as a silent whisper after the 2002 atrocities in Gujarat has reached a crescendo over the past six months: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as a serious contender for the post of the prime minister of India. The powerful (and dubious) media management strategies of

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Reliance and right-wing politics gain a foothold in Raghav Bahl's media empire

The Network Effect
Reliance and right-wing politics gain a foothold in Raghav Bahl's media empire
By RAHUL BHATIA | 1 December 2013
- See more at: http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reportage/network-effect

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Nationalism, Secularism & Modi | Nilotpal Basu

People's Democracy, No. 49, December 08, 2013

Nationalism, Secularism & Modi

Nilotpal Basu

A WEIRD political discourse raged across the country focusing on the nature of Indian nationalism; and its natural attribute, secularism. As is now becoming so familiar with BJP’s and more significantly, Modi’s campaign style; the emphasis is clearly on constructing imagery to drive home a political

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UK: Segregation on campus is never OK, whoever makes the rules

The Conversation, 27 November 2013

Segregation on campus is never OK, whoever makes the rules

by Sylvia McLain
(College Lecturer/Research Fellow in Biochemistry at University of Oxford)


I don’t like to take off my shoes in the house. Where I grew up, this was considered “uncultured”.

These days, with clean, fragrant carpeting and super-polished hard wood floors, or for reasons of culture or

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India - Karnataka: 'Made snana' the barbarian ritual continues unabated, govt remains halfhearted about a proposed anti-superstition bill

[Dear Friends
Greetings! The dehumanising practice of rolling over the leftover food of
Brahmin families by the low caste people was held at Kukke Subramanya
Temple located in the Mangalore City in the State of Karnataka in India
once again on December 06, 2013 under heavy police protection. The Police
was deployed to mainly thwart any possible protest by Dalit groups.

There is a Public

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India: The AAP and its experiments in populism | Mukul Kesavan

The Aam Aadmi Party’s poll figures show it running a dead heat with the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Delhi election next month. This isn’t just in terms of vote share; the poll shows the AAP translating electoral support into seats. Despite the widespread disaffection with the Congress, anti-incumbency doesn’t seem to be helping the BJP, whose vote share is projected to decline

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Why is rape in Goa different from rape in Muzaffarnagar? asks Saeed Naqvi

New Age, 8 December 0213

Why is rape in Goa different from rape in Muzaffarnagar?


In Tarun’s case, there is that uncertainty as to what really happened. Here is rape with as many witnesses as can fill a court of law. Efforts to administer justice in the case of an alleged rape in the lift of a five-star Goa hotel, contrasted sharply with gross inaction in Muzaffarnagar. The star-struck media

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India: The lingering Ayodhya dispute is a conflict between history and faith | Garga Chatterjee

The Friday Times, Issue: 06 Dec 2013

Faithless debates
by Garga Chatterjee

The lingering Ayodhya dispute is a conflict between history and faith

Some debates do not die. They remain unresolved, as they are not debates unto themselves but venting spouts for other concerns and tendencies. The strengthening and weakening of the concerns affect the vigour with which the debate is carried out.

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UK: Three members of 'Muslim' vigilante group jailed

Three members of 'Muslim patrol' jailed in London

Agence France-Presse | Updated: December 07, 2013 19:37 IST

London: Three members of a self-styled "Muslim patrol" in London who harassed passers-by for wearing short skirts, holding hands and drinking alcohol have been jailed, in a conviction welcomed by the local mosque on Saturday.

The men were jailed for up to 16 months on Friday after

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India: Anti-black magic activist Dabholkar killing: Two held

Police in western India have arrested two men in connection with the killing of an activist who campaigned against superstition and black magic.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-25278729

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India: Sardar Patel was not in favour of the RSS penetrating the state apparatus

The Indian Express, December 07 2013

Sardar and the swayamsevaks
by Christophe Jaffrelot

Patel appreciated some RSS attributes. But he was not in favour of letting the organisation penetrate the state apparatus.

As early as the 1920s, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel showed ambivalent attitudes vis-à-vis the Muslim minority in Gujarat and India at large. On the one hand, he had been supportive of the

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India: Photos of public events by both the Hindu Far Rght and Muslim Far Right on 6 Dec 2013 in Delhi

On occasion of 6 December 2013 - the Hindu Far Right Rashtravadi Shiv Sena were as celebrating victory day (the day of destruction of Babari Mosque demolished by hindutva activists in Dec 1992) at Jantar Mantar.



See low res photos below



Participation of some 50-6à people with headbands. Very loud, provocative and threatening speeches (clear incitement to violence), lasting a few hours -

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India: Photos of 6 Dec 2013 public meeting in New Delhi on 21st anniversary of Babri Mosque demolition

Photos taken on 6 Dec 2013 at Pension Parishad sit-in site at Jantar Mantar. Some 40 organisations in India responded to call for a protest meeting by People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism.

[small sized Photos by Harsh Kapoor]



[The below photos (in a bigger size) are by Mukul Dube]

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Editorial in Indian Express re UP govt's abdication of responsibility towards victims of Muzaffarnagar riots

Indian Express, 6 December 2013

Editroial: A harsh winter

Dec 06 2013

The UP government has abdicated its responsibility towards victims of the Muzaffarnagar violence

Three months after communal conflict forced large numbers of Muslim families to flee their homes and villages, they are at risk from the elements. The onset of winter has reportedly claimed several lives in relief camps. Most

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Power to forgive: Mandela’s death and Babri anniversary | Sandip Roy

firstpost.com

Power to forgive: Mandela’s death and Babri anniversary

by Sandip Roy Dec 6, 2013

He was going for a long time. It was time, indeed well past time. But still the heart catches when the news finally comes.

Waking up to a world without Nelson Mandela is not unimaginable. We have come perilously close to it over and over again. The idea of Nelson Mandela was strong. But the

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Communal violence bill: No distinction between majority & minority community in new draft - Government

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/no-distinction-between-majority-minority-community-in-new-draft-government/articleshow/26925998.cms

No distinction between majority & minority community in new draft: Government
By ET Bureau | 6 Dec, 2013, 04.00AM IST

NEW DELHI: The government has defended the revised bill aimed at preventing communal violence, with an official

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UK: Secular neutrality is a pillar of higher education. We can't cave in to faith groups in our institutions – even if it causes offence

British universities shouldn't condone this kind of gender segregation

by Polly Toynbee

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/26/british-universities-gender-segregation-secular

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U.S. Evangelicals, Indian Expats Teamed Up to Push Through Modi Visa Ban

India Ink Blog / The New York Times
December 5, 2013

U.S. Evangelicals, Indian Expats Teamed Up to Push Through Modi Visa Ban
By ZAHIR JANMOHAMED

Jaipal Singh/European Pressphoto Agency
Narendra Modi, chief minister of Gujarat, speaking at a public rally in Jammu city, Jammu and Kashmir, on Sunday.
In March 2005, the United States denied a visa to Gujarat’s chief minister, Narendra Modi, now

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FIR Against Author Taslima Nasreen on Cleric's Complaint

FIR Against Author Taslima Nasreen on Cleric's Complaint

By PTI - LUCKNOW

Published: 05th December 2013 04:01 PM

Last Updated: 05th December 2013 04:01 PM

An FIR has been lodged against controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen for allegedly hurting religious sentiments following a complaint by a prominet Muslim cleric in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh.

The case was lodged

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Gujarat's High Statue Politics Has Blessings of Hindu Priests: AFP photo in Outlook Magazine

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India: draft of Communal Violence bill encroaches on the rights of the States say's Editorial in The Hindu

The Hindu, December 5, 2013

Editorial

Sharpen the focus

With its long history of communal violence, India certainly needs a specific law with a strong focus on preventing clashes between the majority community and minorities and providing reparations to the victims of such violence. The present revised draft of the Prevention of Communal Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill seeks

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India: 40 children dead in UP riot relief camps

At least 40 children dead as UP riot relief camps brace for a long winter
Pritha Chatterjee : Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Thu Dec 05 2013
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/at-least-40-children-dead-as-up-riot-relief-camps-brace-for-a-long-winter/1203511/

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India: The Congress deserves to give itself a second chance

The Telegraph, 5 December 2013

FOR THE NATION’S SAKE
- The Congress deserves to give itself a second chance
FIRST PERSON SINGULAR: A.M.

Unabated price rise, coupled with unending stories of venal acts at high places, has caused wide discontent across the nation. The Indian National Congress, the principal constituent of the coalition government in New Delhi, has not escaped the opprobrium for

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Bangladesh’s new radical Islamists | Haroon Habib

The Hindu, December 5, 2013

Bangladesh’s new radical Islamists

by Haroon Habib

The resurgence of new radicals such as the madrasa-based Hefazet-e-Islam, patronised by both the Jamaat and the BNP, is viewed by India as inimical to the interests of a stable, democratic Bangladesh

Bangladesh is set to go to the polls on January 5, 2014 to elect its 10th Parliament amid a protracted political

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Aria Thaker's book review of Communal Violence: Causes and Responses by Irfan Engineer

The Economic and Political Weekly, Vol - XLVIII No. 49, December 07, 2013

The Origins of Communalism

by Aria Thaker
Aria Thaker (ariathaker@gmail.com) is with Davenport College, Yale University, United States.

Book Reviews

Issues of Communal Violence: Causes and Responses by Irfan Engineer (Mumbai: Institute for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution), 2013; pp 51, Rs 150.


In his Issues

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2002 riots: Order on Jafri's petition deferred to December 26

2002 riots: Order on Jafri's petition deferred to December 26
Press Trust Of India : Ahmedabad, Mon Dec 02 2013, 16:54 hrs Small Large Print

A local court Monday once again deferred the pronouncement of order on Zakia Jafri's petition against SIT's closure report that gave clean chit to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and others in the 2002 post- Godhra riots case.

Metropolitan Magistrate

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Posters on occasion of 21st anniversary of Babri Masjid Demolition - 6 Dec 2013

posters by HK / 4 dec 2013

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Bhagalpur riot victims to get back land

Bhagalpur riot victims to get back land: District administration
Santosh Singh : Patna, Wed Dec 04 2013

Seventeen families who fled their homes after the 1989 Bhagalpur riots may finally get back their plots of land. "Our team will visit Garhotia on Thursday to restore all 17 plots... to the families," said Bhagalpur District Magistrate Prem Singh Mina.

This comes a day after The Indian

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India: Historian Irfan Habib under attack for speaking against ghetto mentality of certain sections of Muslim intelligentsia

http://sacw.net/article6757.html

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Call for Demo on 21st anniversary of Babari mosque demolition (New Delhi, 6 Dec 2013)

On the 21st anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid

Stand up for Secularism and Democracy

Raise your voice for Justice for Victims of Communal Violence

December 6, 1992 must count as the darkest day in the history independent India. While the crowds mobilized by organisations of the RSS destroyed Babri Mosque under a planned conspiracy, the institutions of the Indian state, elected state

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Announcement: Book release Muslim Identity - Hindutva Politics 7 Dec 2013, Hyderabad

BOOK RELEASE MEETING

Muslim Identity - Hindutva Politics By K. Balagopal

5.30 pm, Saturday, 7 December 2013 Basheerbagh Press Club, Hyderabad

M.T. Khan, the noted civil rights functionary, will release the book.

Speakers:

- Khadar Mohiuddin, the poet, will introduce the book.

- Mir Ayub Ali Khan, Deputy Editor, Times of India, will speak on "Hindu nationalism - A case of Hyderabad State".

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Kashmir: Understanding Article 370

by Ram Puniyani

Those gripped by religious nationalism are unable to understand the regional-ethnic aspirations of the people. Many an ultra-nationalists of different hues also fall into this trap many a times. With formation of Indian nation the integration of regions like Himachal Pradesh, North Eastern States and Jammu& Kashmir created some challenging situations. Though in all these

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Bleeding heart third worldism in the name of poor and hungry is nice coming from right and left. BKU had no role in Muzaffarnagar killings and Swadeshi Jagarn Munch has no links with the Hindutwa right wing

[Lovely to see the famous Indian progressive NGO types rub shoulders with the most retrograde sections of the India's right wing, all for a good cause they will tell you. Bloody shameless hypocrites these third worldists from India as from elsewhere. The impresario call for a 'Bahu Beti Bachao' Mahapanchayat from BKU (which also represents the largest contingent of India's Kulaks in Via Campesina

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NDTV progamme: Row over communal violence bill: attempt to polarise ahead of polls?

ndtv.com - 3 Dec, 2013

The BJP slams the government's fresh attempt at reviving the controversial communal violence bill. Is this bill an attempt to polarise voters ahead of the general elections, as the opposition alleges? Or, is India in desperate need of a law to deal with communal violence?

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/left-right-centre/

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On use of social networking platforms by the Muslim Far Right

Digital jihad

by Razeshta Sethna

Dawn, 2013-12-02

AS militant groups increasingly use social networking platforms to reach out to bigger audiences and shape media coverage of their actions, their drive to create sympathisers remains as relevant to them as their traditional objective to kill or destroy the enemy.

Hardly media shy, the late Pakistan Taliban leader Hakeemullah Mehsud had met

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Bravo comrade Karat for demanding a federal law against superstition, black magic

The Hindu
Mumbai, December 2, 2013

Karat demands Central Act against superstition, black magic

Staff Reporter

CPI(M) general-secretary addressed rally marking 100 days since Dr. Dabholkar’s murder

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general-secretary Prakash Karat on Monday demanded a Central Act to prohibit superstition and black-magic.

He was speaking at the rally organised here to mark the

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Disgraceful Gurdwaras: Punjab's DGP Notified By NCSC

A breakthrough has been achieved in our Representation with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), regarding the shocking incidences of caste-based segregation in the historic
gurdwaras of Punjab.

The Commission has taken the matter into cognizance and decided to investigate further, in accordance with the powers conferred to it under the Article 338 of the Constitution of India.

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Announcement: Press Conference on Muzaffarnagar by CPA on 6 Dec 2013, New Delhi

The CPA Fact Finding team recently visited Muzaffarnagar for the second time since the violence broke out to see the current situation. The team comprised Kamal Chenoy, Harsh Mander, E. N. Rammohan, Sukumar Muralidharan, John Dayal and Seema Mustafa. Earlier, the team visited Muzaffarnagar on September 14 to look into the genesis of the violence there and the reasons for its spread.
CPA will

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India: CPM Should Learn from Late PC Joshi and Not from Mulayam Singh Yadav

INSAF Bulletin 140 December 2013
International South Asia Forum (32 Cowan Ave, St. John’s, NL, Canada A1E 3N7 (Tel.709-368-3252; e- mail; bulletin@insafbulletin.net


CPM SHOULD LEARN FROM LATE PC JOSHI AND NOT FROM MULAYAM SINGH YADAV

by Daya Varma and Vinod Mubayi

The Communist Party of India (CPM) is the life-line of the communist movement in India. There are other communist parties too,

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India: BJP youth wing leader held for murder of ex-RSS pracharak Sunil Joshi

BJP youth wing leader held for murder of ex-RSS pracharak Sunil Joshi
Deeptiman Tiwary,TNN | Dec 2, 2013, 03.27 AM IST

[photo caption] Sunil Joshi was found murdered on Decmeber 29, 2007.

NEW DELHI: Months after home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde created a political furore by saying RSS and BJP were "promoting Hindu terrorism", National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a youth wing leader

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India: A Symphony of the Absurd | Ambrose Pinto

From: Mainstream weekly, 30 November 2013


To secular Indians, who hold that religion belongs to the private and personal space, two recent national events of three state agencies should be a matter of concern. The first one was the act of ISRO Chairman Dr K. Radhakrishnan performing pooja with the replica of the Mars Orbiter Mission at the Lord Venkateshwara Temple in Tirupati a day before the

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India: Very silly this talk of a Hindu left by Mr. S.G. Vombatkere, hoping NAPM will tell him that

Is there a Hindu Left?
by S.G. Vombatkere

While it may not be possible to create a viable Hindu Left before the upcoming 2014 general elections, the Left parties’ work in that direction could be to motivate voters to press the NOTA button on the EVM, rather than drift into voting for the BJP or INC, or for any ragtag coalition of regional, casteist parties that cannot possibly have a national

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