Caught between the Sangh Parivar which has communalised an essentially secular concern for a uniform civil code and the orthodox Muslim leadership resistent to any change, the women's movement and other secular-democratic forces seem to have been gripped by - an intellectual paralysis. Unless these organisations de-communalise the demand and shift the focus of the debate to gender justice - not just Muslim, but all personal laws in India are loaded against women - the uniform civil code issue may prove to be a lethal weapon
Clearly emboldened by some recent poll gains by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in local elections in the state, a RSS-BJP worker Aswin Raj allegedly assaulted the children and damaged their musical instrument, the police have arrested him
The bail order accompanies a temporary suspension of sentence for Sengar will walk free; it has returned public attention to the survivor and her mother's pursuit of justice since 2017; Sengar will, however, remain in jail as he is also serving a 10-year sentence in the custodial death case of the rape victim’s father
In a statement, accompanied by open letters to senior political leaders, the Bombay Catholic Sabha (BCS) has strongly condemned the “brutal intimidation of Christians in some parts of the country and increase of such act of terror during the Christmas season”
An investigation into how a nationwide network of right-wing organisations, with political and state patronage, is transforming a religious ritual into a campaign of hate, through public weapon worship in universities, police stations, and community spaces, it seeks to legitimise violence, indoctrinate children, and dismantle India’s constitutional secular order
‘This is Hindu Rashtra’ say mobsters in Odisha as vendors selling Santa hats are attacked; In MP churches observing Christmas celebrations are stormed by far right politicians belong to the ruling BJP, Delhi sees intimidation by the Bajrang Dal on women sporting Santa hats and similar attacks are seen in Rajasthan. All such incidents have invited widespread condemnation on social media. Delhi, the national capital also sees the free run of right wing bullies attacking those in Christmas attire; meanwhile, widespread protests have erupted over the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to deny Christmas Holidays to students. Clearly it is the BJP run states that have seen this lawlessness ahead of a much loved Indian festival.