Fahad Shah, whose case was a symbol of harassment of region’s media, says he has different outlook after months behind bars Aakash Hassan During his more than 600 days behind bars, Fahad Shah, a Kashmiri journalist, had begun to lose hope that he would ever see freedom again. It was in February last year that… Read More ‘Jail crushes you slowly’: Kashmiri journalist reflects on prison ordeal
Bharat Bhushan The indictment by US agencies of Indian criminal Nikhil Gupta for plotting the murder of Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on behalf of an Indian government agent may cause the unravelling of a macho narrative being prepared for the general election of 2024. The unfortunate events may have emerged from the virile foreign… Read More Has the fallout from the Pannun incident really been capped? Brazen overreach backfires for India
Bharat Bhushan The United States has clearly put the squeeze on the Narendra Modi government with the filing of an indictment in New York of murder-for-hire charges against Indian national Nikhil Gupta (a.k.a. Nick). He is accused of participating in a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen in New York City, widely believed to be Sikh separatist… Read More India’s reckless cowboys
Bharat Bhushan India’s notion of being a Vishwaguru is turning hollow as India continues to be at odds with the countries of the Global South on Israel’s war on Palestinians in Gaza. India did not vote with the Global South on the UN General Assembly resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. It has also refused… Read More Vishwaguru in search of disciples
NB: This a damn shame, even worse is that it has been going on for decades; and despite promises by the police and various administrations to educate the public and punish the offenders, nothing changes. Calling people chinki‘s and prostitutes because of the way they look is racist and misogynist. Those politicians who go on… Read More ‘What’s your rate’. Northeast women still have it bad in Delhi. Nothing has changed in 9 years
Bharat Bhushan The government has denied that there are requests by Israel to export 100,000 Indians to replace Palestinian workers. Glossing over such reports, a spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said the government was not aware of any specific requests and if taken up, the initiative would be a “long-term” issue. Yet, India… Read More Unworkable: Swapping Palestinian workers with Indians
In a disquieting turn of events, a video featuring Devendra Pratap Singh Tomar, the son of BJP stalwart Narendra Singh Tomar, has triggered a political maelstrom. The video, now viral, has ignited an intense debate among the political echelons and could potentially be a pivot in the impending 2024 elections. Unveiling the Scandal The video… Read More Viral Video Scandal Involving BJP Leader’s Son Sparks Political Controversy
When his 13-year-old daughter stumbled home six years ago and told her father that she had been gang-raped, Ranjit embarked on a mission to get justice in a manner that is almost unheard of in rural India. Going against the wishes of the entire village in the eastern state of Jharkhand, and challenging India’s highly patriarchal culture,… Read More How a father’s love for his daughter challenged India’s ‘rape culture’
Amrit Dhillon in New Delhi Mahua Moitra is a misfit in Indian politics. She rejects the notion that a woman must ideally be married, and if she happens to be divorced, single or widowed, should not openly date or be seen to be in a relationship. Nor should she drink or smoke in public or be… Read More Grit and glamour: how Mahua Moitra shook up the misogyny and hypocrisy of Indian politics
Bharat Bhushan As Bangladesh moves closer to the general election due in January 2024, violence and instability in the country are set to increase. Nearly 10,000 opposition leaders and activists were arrested after the October 28 rally of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Media reports suggest that the prisons have no room left. The opposition… Read More Cambodian template for Bangladesh elections
After the truth-shower 