South Asia

Bench flags suspicious FIR, delayed ‘victim’ statements, and questions complainant’s conduct in alleged conversion case

Baba Adhav’s unique work was encompassed in an approach that saw dismantling of the shackles of caste, hierarchy and discrimination through meticulous and inspired organisation of the invisibilised unorganised workforce –hamals (head-loaders), rag-pickers and domestic workers—towards a combination of improved living conditions, working conditions and social conditions, a sense of dignity and pride in their work

On the eve of International Human Rights Day, 50 +, several organisations and individuals have launched a “Beware of Aadhaar” Campaign: The signatories have flagged the issue that Aadhaar is “not a model to emulate but it raises serious concerns about surveillance, exclusion and rights violations on the ground. This statement, “Beware of Aadhar” offers a concise critique of India’s digital ID experiment and why exporting it is dangerous

Tejo Mahalay & Mina Bazar: P. N. Oak’s Pseudohistory demeaning both Muslims & Rajputs, is both Communal and Casteist; P. N. Oak’s legacy is not one of historical revision but of ideological engineering. His “Tejo Mahalay” myth and “Mina Bazar” fantasy are not just anti-Muslim—they are anti-Rajput and fundamentally Brahminical

In its ruling, the Court holds that Ahmedabad Police normalised extraordinary powers, suppressed peaceful dissent, and failed to inform the public — directing that all future prohibitory orders must be published across social media and modern communication platforms

Of late, in Tamil Nadu, the Communists and the Self Respecters (members of the DK) who have until now been viewing each other with disdain until two decades ago, have, through the re-discovery of Periyar by the former realised the value of a political reaffirmation of the fundamentals of the Self-Respect Movement. This is crucial in the state given the current context of the brutal march of ‘Hindutva Hegemons’.  Both movements now face a historical challenge, in theory and practice, to be able to convincingly – and through action - club the anti-caste struggle with the class struggle  

An intrepid and committed social reformer and organiser of the urban working class, labourers, domestic workers, waste-pickers, Baba Adhav of the “Ek Gaon Ek Panavtha” (One Village One Water Source/Well), who challenged the caste system, died in Pune on Monday December 8