Make Report on HR Violations in the Hadiya Case, Public: AIPWA to the Kerala State Women’s Commission

October 3, 2017

Hadiya Case Resonates with Women even as Communal Polarisation Grows, Govt Silent: Kerala. There has been silence from the State Women’s Commission and the State Human Rights Commission in CPI(M)-ruled Kerala. Communal forces of the extreme Hindu kind have used the tragic, extra legal confinement of a woman, and reportedly violent incarceration to fuel hate sentiments against Muslims and Islam. Hadiya, 23, allegedly illegally confined to her home simply because she exercised her right as an autonomous woman.

Sabrangindia has been highlighting this issue for weeks. On September 22, public intellectuals tried to raise this issue to ensure accountability from the CPI-M led Kerala government. Now AIPWA has demanded that the KSWC make its report on the issue public.

[This is the text of the open letter to M C Josephine, Chairperson, KSWC, from Kavita Krishnan, Secretary, All-India Progressive Women’s Association]

To
Ms M. C. Josephine
Chairperson
Kerala Women’s Commission
Dear Ms Josephine,

This is with reference to the case of Ms. Hadiya, which has caused deep concern among women’s groups, as well as concerned citizens.

We believe that you will approach the Honourable Supreme Court with a report you have prepared on the human rights violations possibly faced by Ms Hadiya. We applaud your efforts in seeking permission to meet her, and in preparing the report. However, we believe that given the fact that the young woman is under house arrest in her own family home, that the country is watching how a person’s fundamental rights have been violated on the instance of the Honourable High Court, the Women’s Commission could play a more decisive role in making the report public as well.

Also, even as we hold your office in the highest regard, we would like to express some concern regarding the views expressed by you on the matter of conversion. You have stated that you would prefer to refer to her as Hadiya Akhila, and that it was important that young women not undergo religious conversion for marriage. In light of the recent judgement by the nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which has affirmed that privacy is a fundamental right, we reiterate that faith, as well as the choice of one’s name as well as partner are indeed private matters protected by the Constitution. In Hadiya’s case, she converted well before her marriage, and chose the name Hadiya. We feel that the message needs to be carried to the public that choice in matters related to faith and matrimony are private matters.

While it may be that changing names, embracing the religion of the husband, living with the husband’s family may indeed be patriarchal practices, but that we need to acknowledge that many women indeed choose to follow them and that their decisions should be respected. Thousands of women move to their marital homes and change their names each year. You will agree that we do recognise them by their new names and addresses. I am sure you recognize that many women who use the surnames of their husbands after marriage, are also respected as leaders of progressive movements and women’s movements, and are not judged for the same.

We urge you to make the report on the human rights violations of Hadiya public, so that such human rights violations will not remain a private matter.

Respectfully,
Kavita Krishnan,
Secretary, All India Progressive Women’s Association, (AIPWA)

There’s More, Nathuram Godse Fans Are Also Followed by PM Modi on Twitter

October 3, 2017

“Godse was God sent”, “Gandhi should have been hanged“, “Godse had valid reasons to shoot Gandhi”, “I repeat I’m a big Godse fan, so what?”

What do the people who posted these tweets have in common? Yes, they are all followed by the honorable Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi. “गांधी जयंती पर बापू को शत्-शत् नमन! I bow to beloved Bapu on Gandhi Jayanti. His noble ideals motivate millions across the world,” Even as PM Modi tweeted his homage to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, he continues to follow many of those who celebrate the killer of Gandhi.

The video that is attached to Mr. Modi’s tweet pays a personal tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his Birth Anniversary. Though from Prime Minister downwards, BJP leaders don’t miss to their mandatory Gandhi Jayanti tweet, the situation on the ground among the followers of the RSS ideology is very different. From criticizing Gandhi to praising Godse, you can see it all there.

Alt News researched the tweets of the people Mr. Modi follows to see the sentiment they express towards the father of the nation and his murderer. Here is a small selection:

There are those deify him and are ardent admirers

Yet others find rational reasons to justify the killing of the Mahatma

The following tweet is by BJP’s National IT Cell head.

These are the thoughts of BJP National IT Cell head vis-a-vis Gandhiji’s assassination

Yet, the common feature in many being that they see nothing wrong with the killer

And others who equate Godse to Ram, Krishna and Obama while equating Gandhiji to Osama, Kans and Ravan

And others who wish Godse were still around for more such jobs

And those who salute Godse and support the idea of statues in his memory

The above is only a small extract from a large number of such tweets by people Mr Modi handpicked to follow. Though he follows so many admirers of Nathuram Godse, Mr. Modi himself has never tweeted anything in his praise. At the same time, he has never said anything negative about him either. His views on Godse remain unsaid, never to be expressed openly.

Courtesy: Altnews

Death by Bullets or Bullet Trains, Polluting Our Oceans With Chemicals

October 3, 2017

Death by polluting our oceans and waterways with chemicals, iron ore, coal dust and other by products of the black death (coal), ammonia gas from fertiliser factories, or radio active and other toxic effluents from nuclear power plants all along our precious coastline..Be it Koodankulam, Tarapore, or Kalpakkam.

Here is just one small example of the havoc wrought in just one small area of the konkan coast.

Our coasts rich in marine life, COCONUTS and all its by products, of paddy, and mangroves,

What kind of ignorant , venal, creatures have we put into power at every level …Where officials are dancing around politicians and politicians are busy pleasing their capitalist cronies and all busy making money at the cost of people, nature, and our vast resource base that they are systematically plundering and destroying.

We , you and I, are also accountability by our silence. We need to bear witness now, today, without delay. We need to call them out , and say Enough is Enough…

For a start we need to get to the bottom of what has killed these fish and caused so many sting Rays to come out so many miles to beach themselves. .

And last but not least, think about the impact on livelihoods of all our fishing communities ….Right around our amazing peninsula…..

Our Gauri: A Passionate & Moving Tribute by Deepu (67 Minutes)

October 3, 2017

Our Gauri

( Our Gauri: 67 mnts/English sub/2017)

Gauri Lankesh was one of the Karnataka’s most prominent and fearless journalists. She was shot dead outside her house in Bengaluru on the night of September 5, 2017.
Gauri spoke out against communal forces in the Country and represented dissent and freedom of speech.

The film is more than a personal tribute and follows her political journey, envisaging what she stood for and her struggle for communal harmony until her last breath.
And her life story has become the history of Karnataka’s fight against right-wing communal forces.

VC Girish Tripathi ‘Goes on Leave, BHU reports The Indian Express

October 2, 2017

The Indian Express has just reported that VC Girish Tripathi has ‘gone on leave’ reports the Indian Express.

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) vice-chancellor (V-C) Girish Chandra Tripathi went on leave on Monday citing personal reasons, according to varsity sources. Tripathi and BHU Registrar did not respond to calls and an SMS left by this reporter. As first reported by The Indian Express on September 28, the government had sounded out the V-C on the option of going on leave. Tripathi is learnt to have put in his application on Monday, less than two months before he retires as the head.

The functioning of he BHU, criticised over some years had reached an all time low under his tenure that began on November 2014.

The rest of the story may be read here:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/banaras-hindu-university-vc-girsh-chandra-tripathi-goes-on-leave-4871346/

Related Stories:
1. Another Example of the Undemocratic Functioning of VC Girish Tripathi, Minutes of BHU-IIT ‘Doctored’

Another Example of the Undemocratic Functioning of VC Girish Tripathi, Minutes of BHU-IIT ‘Doctored’

October 2, 2017

The continuation of Girish Tripathi as Vice Chancellor, BHU and in the post if Chairmanship of the Board of Governors(BOG) of BHU-IIT is not only against the interests, autonomy and integrity of the renowned university, his functioning has bypassed statutory norms, sources have told Sabrangindia.. Appropriate steps should be therefore immediately taken by the MHRD University, has been the demand. Documents in the possession of Sabrangindia reveal how he has not only not taken decisions and discussions at the Board of Governors seriously but has also been accsued of ‘doctoring’ minutes.

Meanwhile, the Indian Express has just reported that VC Girish Tripathi has ‘gone on leave.’

For a year and two months the BOG of BHU-IIT have not met.

The last and fourth meeting of the BOGs of BHU took place on July 8, 2017. The VC is chairman of the BOG. The meeting took place at his residence. Important decisions were taken at the meeting. Shockingly, to date, a year and more after the meeting took place not only have the minutes of the last meeting that reflect discussions and decisions that took place not been circulated, but no further meeting has been held. Important decisions taken at the BOG meeting have not been implemented.

Copy of the Document that Reflects the Draft minutes has been accessed by Sabrangindia.

On July 23, 2016 draft minutes and decisions were compiled and sent to the VC. A reminder dated August 2, 2016 regarding the delay in finalisation of minutes was sent. Revised minutes were circulated by tHe VC dated September 5, 2016 to which a reply was sent dated September 12, 2016 pointing out errors and omissions. Crucial decisions taken at the BOG were simply missing from the minutes circulated by the VC.

In this connection, Prof Dhananjay Pandey on September 13, JS Rajput on September 14, RaJeev Sangal on September 16, Onkar Singh on September 17, Narendra Ahuja on September 20 and Prof Ganesh Nagariya on September 23 wrote separate emails urging another meeting of the BOG to reflect and discuss on the doctored minutes. The communications also urged a Video Recording of the proceedings of the BOG to enable objective documentation of the proceedings. ReMinfers were sent on October 8, 2016. Oral reminders on the matter of incomplete minutes were given again and on October 23 and again on November 4, 2017.

After July 8, 2016 there has been only one special sitting if the BHU-IIT BOG when rules demand atleast two meryongs of the BOG every academic year.

The conduct of tHe VC, Girish Tripathi in completely bypassing norms and procedures of the BHU-IIT is now reflected in his undemocratic actions vis a vis the student community, especially the young women students, in general.

1. BHU Crime Branch Serves Notice on Peacefully Protesting Students, Section 307 Applied
2. National Commission for Scheduled Tribes issues notice to BHU over faulty recruitment process

A Journey: How Gandhi Had Opposed the Biometric Project (Transvaal)

October 2, 2017

Black Act to India’s UID Project: A Must Read for All intellectuals: Mahatma Gandhi had opposed the then time Forcibly Biometric Project initiated by Transvaal Commission & Began ‘Satyagrah’

A Journey: How Gandhi Had Opposed the Biometric Project (Transvaal)

Mahatma Gandhi had opposed a law similar to UID as a Black Act in South Africa from 1906 to 1914.

In August 1906, the Asiatic Law Amendment Ordinance was signed into law in the Transvaal. It was humiliating & discriminating law forcing Indians in the Transvaal to register with the ‘registrar of Asiatics,’ submit to physical examinations, provide fingerprints, and carry a registration certificate at all times. Otherwise, Indians & other ‘Asiatics,’ as they were called, could be fined, imprisoned, or deported. It became known as the ‘Black Act’.

Immediately, the ordinance was translated and published in the Indian Opinion along with articles denouncing it. Within days, mass meetings were organized. Thousands attended and pledged not to cooperate with the Black Act. Leaders in the Chinese community were contacted, including Mr. Leung Quinn, as they too were affected by the Act. It was the beginning of an eight-year-long resistance campaign.

Prominent leaders pledged their support including Abdul Gani, the Chairman of the Transvaal British Indian Association, Yusuf Ismail Mian (The Chairman of the Transvaal Indian Association, later called the Transvaal Indian Congress), & Ahmad Muhammad Cachalia, a wealthy merchant.

A delegation of Indians sailed to London to meet with Secretary of State Lord Elgin, who then publicly renounced the Black Act, but privately only advocated for superficial revisions to the Act.

When the certificate offices opened on July 1, 1907, resisters picketed outside the office and dissuaded passing Indians from registering. They gathered support for the noncooperation in temples, mosques, and churches.

Initially known as the ‘Passive Resistance Campaign,’ Gandhi coined the term ‘Satyagraha,’ literally ‘truth-force,’ as an alternative name.

Satyagraha developed as a paradigm for waging nonviolent struggle, advocating ‘active resistance to oppression,’ and would profoundly influence the Indian struggle for independence in later decades.

At the closing of registration, only 511 out of the 13,000 Indians in the region had registered. Some who had registered faced shaming by the resisters, with some tearing up their certificates afterward

UID Project

The government wants to simply showcase this project as a means to providing social security to the poor so that it is not deemed unpalatable.

A very famous Italian historian said that all history is contemporary history.

When the social security number project started in the US, it was also replicated in Germany.

The social security numbers (SSN) were tattooed on US citizens before (first SSNs were issued in 1935) tattoos were used in Germany under the Nazi Party.

The US numbering programme was known as the “social security” programme, or SS programme.

The Unique Identity Number (UID) project in India is being promoted under the e-governance programme.

The German Nazi Party’s tattoo programme was operated by the social security (SS) division, which had learnt it from US.

In fact, the infamous Auschwitz tattoo began as a number provided by IBM (International Business machines), multinational computer company & funded by Rothschild (Banking Family Member & Founder of East India Cos.) supply machines to the Nazis which produce punch cards to help organize and manage the initial identification and social expulsion of Jews, the confiscation of their property and their extermination.

IBM now claims that it had no control over its subsidiaries in Germany after the Nazis took control of them.

What if a similar situation emerged in India, which is not unlikely after UID database is ready? The UID project is going to do almost exactly the same thing, which the predecessors of Hitler did, else how is it that Germany always had the lists of Jewish names even prior to the arrival of the Nazis?

The Nazis got these lists with the help of IBM, which was in the ‘census’ business that included racial census that entailed not only count the Jews but also identifying them.

At the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, there is an exhibit of an IBM Hollerith D-11 card-sorting machine that was responsible for organising the census of 1933 that first identified the Jews.

The government of the day cannot guarantee that in future, when the Nazis or some such sort come to power in India, they would not have access to UID database for vindictive measures against certain sections of the citizenry.

This is evidently the journey of ‘identification’ efforts from January 1933 to January 2009, when the UID Authority was announced.

The UID and National Population Register is all set to do what IBM did in Germany, Romania and in Europe and elsewhere through ‘solutions’ ranging from the census to providing list of names of Jews to Nazis.

This UID Number project seems to be oblivious of the history of numbering human beings. Numbering human beings is like dehumanising them. In fact, Mahatma Gandhi had opposed a law similar to UID as a Black Act in South Africa from 1906 to 1914.

He said, “…I have never known legislation of this nature being directed against free men in any part of the world. I know that indentured Indians in Natal are subject to a drastic system of passes, but these poor fellows can hardly be classed as free men” and “…giving of finger prints, required by the Ordinance, was quite a novelty in South Africa.

Source: Wikipedia

Here is the Copy of Transvaal Asiatic Registration Certificate:

(Then Time Aadhaar Letter)

An Inspiration for Thousands Where the Media Lens Does not Reach: Deekshabhumi, Nagpur

October 2, 2017

It is the 61st year of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s Dhamma revolution and Nagpur has always attracted me. For the past few years, I have been a regular to this place at Nagaloka during the Dhammchakra Pravartan Day. Nagaloka and related institutions were established by Lokmitra ji who was a Buddhist monk in those years but settled in India. In his own words, he had no understanding of Dr Ambedkar but when he came to Nagpur and saw the sea of humanity at Deekshabhumi nearly 40 years back, his whole idea changed. He decided to the work for enlightening the community. Today, Nagaloka has become a landmark in Nagpur and people from all walks of life visit here. Hundreds of students have passed out from here learning a few new techniques of life and further their education. Lokmitra is an example of dedication and well planned ideas for future to not merely spread Buddhism but in Dr Ambedkar’s mission to enlighten entire country and socio-culturally democratize it.

At the Deeksha Bhumi you can today see thousands and thousands of people coming. They come at their own. It is not a politically purchased crowed, neither is it a crowd where some babas or swamis are preaching or misguiding them. It is a crowd who want to pay tribute to Dr Ambedkar. It is their message to the world that despite your million attempts to deny Ambedkar his rightful place in history, he will always remain the biggest icon in the heart of people. They don’t care what you write in your text books as they know that his life mission was to make them better, liberate them from the cycles of slavery and democratize the entire society.

What impressed me at the Deeksha bhumi is the passion with which people come. It is not a government sponsored programme as happens for any other Jayanti including October 2, Gandhi Jayanti’s sarkari programmes when government impose their instructions on people.

Here, the flow of people is spontaneous and with devotion. Yes, Dr Ambedkar today is an icon of icons but this has not come to him because politicians or government wanted that. In fact, since independence governments, political parties and above all, India’s dishonest intellectuals have tried everything to sideline Dr Ambedkar and his literature though they have been compelled to read him now. Definitely, his writings give new ideas and extraordinarily modern viewpoints for liberation for everyone including so called OBCs and Sawarnas too in case they wish to liberate themselves. Nothing stops them to understand both Buddha and Dr Ambedkar as their path is the path of liberation and wisdom which is different than having ‘knowledge’ which makes people proud and exploit others on the power of their knowledge. Buddha never exploited people and that is why there is a huge difference.

Dr Ambedkar was an iconoclast, a man who demolished the biggest icon of our time as he never believed that just because somebody is older, or bigger or famous or great could always be right and it made him challenge Gandhi, the Pope of Hindus.

It is not that Ambedkar just challenged Gandhi, he also challenged all forms of orthodoxy and did not have time to listen to Pope who had just informed him that it will take several hundred years to liberate the people from caste system. Dr Ambedkar just walked out of Pope’s meeting and this is the story on Dr Ambedkar in Time magazine in the year 1936.

Nagpur is the den of the Sangh Parivar also. The Chitpawan Brahmins of Nagpur that dominated the Sangh Parivar found different ways and means to justify the caste order. Even today they are forced to say Jai Bhim. I was at the Resham Bagh today but it was kind of closed door programme. I and my friend Vivek just roamed around the ground when the speech was being delivered because we did not have courage to go in because we felt a strange secrecy there. We know most of the lathi wielding Sanghis never wanted any óutsider’ in their meeting and that is why the huge police presence along with these so called Swayamsevaks. The only change I saw that the Sanghi cadres were now wearing a full pant. This speech of the Sangh’s chief is broadcasted live by many channels including Doordarshan. The speech is more for the consumption of media than for the people at local level. The lathi wielding Bhakts have got support from the administration and the political leadership of the day. I wonder why they continue to keep these lathis with them, whether to intimidate and harass people or not ?

Nagpur’s two events symbolize the fight that we have in India. Between the two ideas. One idea which is brahmanical, which has all support from the status quoist media and power elite despite losing ground and the other is the huge mass at Deeksha bhumi yet no live from the channels and newspaper and other is at the Deekshabhmi. One is protected by the police and secrecy though broadcast live on TV while other is spontaneous and democratic where any one can come any time, pay their tribute, organise an event and speak to the people. One is purely a brahmanical agenda with full encouragement and protection of the Indian state while other is sea of humanity without any protection of the state but at their own. This is the real India.

This India wants betterment in life and a democratisation of society. This India does not want a hereditary control over knowledge or power but an honoured sharing of resources. This India does not want to pick up guns at those who suppressed and humiliated the Bahujan masses. This India simply want its own way of life, it want to enjoy democracy, it want to enjoy the cultural revolution that has happened. It is purely an ideological battle and it will continue. Those who worship arms will never be able to win it from those who have ideas and democracy in heart.

We know these will never be part of narratives of our media. The report will barely merit one small column in the inside pages of newspapers or a little passing reference in the TV news. That was one reason why I tried my first hand in livestreaming these events from Nagpur. The aim was just to show friends that a silent revolution has already taken place in India without hatred and without bombing others in retaliation and it can witnessed in Nagpur.

The Dhammachakra Pravartan Diwas event overshadows any other event that the Sanghis might do here including their main Dushera which is much small event compare to what we see at Deekshabhumi, even Nagloka too attract thousands of people coming there, paying tribute to Dr Ambedkar and wandering around the Iconic walking Buddha. That is what I say, is the biggest cultural revolution, and it is big and remain unreported most of the time. I want to part of this cultural revolution and feel attached to it and that is the reason that despite all my schedule, Nagpur during this period remain on annual chart. It has become part of my life and I thoroughly enjoy it.

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Make Report on HR Violations in the Hadiya Case, Public: AIPWA to the Kerala State Women’s Commission

There’s More, Nathuram Godse Fans Are Also Followed by PM Modi on Twitter

There are those deify him and are ardent admirers

Yet others find rational reasons to justify the killing of the Mahatma

Yet, the common feature in many being that they see nothing wrong with the killer

And others who equate Godse to Ram, Krishna and Obama while equating Gandhiji to Osama, Kans and Ravan

And others who wish Godse were still around for more such jobs

And those who salute Godse and support the idea of statues in his memory

Death by Bullets or Bullet Trains, Polluting Our Oceans With Chemicals

Our Gauri: A Passionate & Moving Tribute by Deepu (67 Minutes)

Our Gauri

VC Girish Tripathi ‘Goes on Leave, BHU reports The Indian Express

Another Example of the Undemocratic Functioning of VC Girish Tripathi, Minutes of BHU-IIT ‘Doctored’

A Journey: How Gandhi Had Opposed the Biometric Project (Transvaal)

Black Act to India’s UID Project: A Must Read for All intellectuals: Mahatma Gandhi had opposed the then time Forcibly Biometric Project initiated by Transvaal Commission & Began ‘Satyagrah’

An Inspiration for Thousands Where the Media Lens Does not Reach: Deekshabhumi, Nagpur

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