26 November, 2008
Tolerating Terrorism
By Ram Puniyani
We are hearing strange arguments; Hindus can’t be terrorists as it is not in their genes. This statement also subtly hinted that terrorism is in the genes of ‘some’ other community. But lets be clear terrorism is not a genetic problem, it is due to social, political and economic reasons17 November, 2008
Sangh Parivar's Double Talk:
Beware Perverse Patriotism
By B G VergheseWhat is surprising, however, is the response of the spokesmen of the Parivar. They disown any association with sadhvi Pragya and other civil suspects held for the Malegaon bombing. Yet they take the line that Hindus cannot be terrorists and that the armed forces are a part of Indian society which has been horrified by the pusillanimous and apologetic approach of the UPA government to terror attacks and cannot therefore be blamed for patriotic reactions.This apologia comes close to showing sympathy for and indirectly condoning what is undoubtedly a grave dereliction of duty and rank indiscipline
15 November, 2008
Saffron Terror
By Praful BidwaiSadhvi Pragya Thakur’s arrest and the questioning of Hindutva extremists for the Malegaon blasts point to the need for action against majoritarian extremism
Fighting Fascism
By Yoginder SikandLast month, the New Delhi-based human rights’ group Anhad, along with some 90 other organizations, held a two-day national convention on the theme, ‘Countering Fascism: Defending the Idea of India’. It was attended by scores of social activists from various parts of the country. Predictably, it received hardly any mention in the so-called ‘mainstream’ Indian media
10 November, 2008
Counter Terror
By Rana AyyubBajrang Dal. VHP. Abhinav Bharat. The names of ultra right-wing outfits are increasingly cropping up as investigators wake up to a new form of terror. Rana Ayyub tracks the dangerous trend
Journalistic Fascism
By Yoginder SikandAjit Sahi is an investigative reporter with the New Delhi-based Tehelka magazine. He recently published several startling reports clearly indicating that scores of innocent Muslims, including some former members or associates of the banned Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), across the country have been falsely implicated by the police, intelligence agencies and the media as being behind various terror attacks. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand, he talks about how influential sections of the Indian media are playing a major role in demonizing Muslims today
06 November, 2008
Nanded Case: Of Lost Leads
And Shoddy Investigation
By Meena MenonInvestigations into the terror activities which seem disparate right now have to be coherent
05 November, 2008
Anatomy Of Sangh Parivar
By Ram PuniyaniWhile superficially at loggerheads the ideological wavelength of RSS indoctrination is similar to the one used in Pakistani Madrassas for training Al Qaeda. Here the religion is different paradigms are same. To deal with such ideologies leading to acts of terror, what is also needed is to combat their ideological foundations
04 November, 2008
Communalism And The Myth
By Ambrose PintoIn interpreting communal violence in any part of the country it is wrong to state that the two communities that are in conflict represent the sentiments of the two communities. Communalists do not represent their communities at all. So, it is wrong to state that India had or has Hindu-Muslim or Hindu-Christian clashes
03 November, 2008
And Now Hindu Terrorists?
By Asghar Ali EngineerThe civil society should also become vigilant against all terrorists of whatever religion or group. As communal riots were major danger in twentieth century, terrorist attacks are for 21st century
31 October, 2008
Multi Headed Hydra Monstrosity Of The Sangh Parivar
By Mustafa KhanThe kind of atmosphere built up over the last six months was such that it could have led to upheaval in the society on unprecedented scale. Amar Singh feared that Muslims might rebel against their repression and oppression on account of the innumerable arrests of many innocent members of the community. It is for such an eventuality that the RSS is training its cadres in arms and ammunition. They would take over the reign
29 October, 2008
Just The Tip Won't Do:
Expose The Whole Iceberg
By Kavita KrishnanNo longer can the Sangh Parivar and BJP ever disown its role in terrorism. A former firebrand ABVP leader and so-called 'sadhvi', Pragya Singh Thakur, has been arrested for her role in the Malegaon blasts of September 2006 as well as in the more recent Modasa blasts. Even more ominously, two ex-Army officers are implicated in the blasts, and it has come to light that an institution called the 'Bhonsala Military Academy' in Nagpur has been imparting arms training to the Bajrang Dal
23 October, 2008
Revivalism Of Religious Rights Is A Challenge
To Democratic Secular Constitution
By Vidya Bhushan RawatThe dirt in the name of secularism need to be cleaned first. Those who take shelter in the name of secularism need to believe in its perception and practice otherwise India is heading for a Afghanistan kind of a situation where we all will be speaking for our respective communities and not for those whose rights are violated and dignity challenged. It is a grave challenge and we must think it over
16 October, 2008
A Moratorium On Conversions: Who Decides?
By Joseph D’souzaSo who decides on a moratorium on conversions? The RSS? The media? Those who come to the table and dialogue on this issue? Or the oppressed Dalit and low caste person in India? Dare we take away this final and most basic of human rights from the most dehumanized group of people in human civilization?
05 October, 2008
The Parallel Streams Of Anger
By M.J. AkbarDr Manmohan Singh said, on his return from France, that incidents in Orissa had shamed India before the world. That is important, but far less important than the fact that the violence in Orissa has shamed Indians in India. I measure what Indians do not by the standards of France, but by the values of modern India, which strengthened the spirit of our freedom movement against western colonialism and were enshrined in that noble document called the Constitution of India. The Bajrang Dal has shamed India before Indians
04 October, 2008
Others Among Us
By Suroor ManderWe have forced a community to stand up and condemn every act allegedly done by their fundamentalists; expecting this from the educated, the literate, the clerics and the ignorant. However, we don't have any such expectation from Hindus against violence perpetuated by fundamentalists from their community
01 October, 2008
Communalism, Centrestage
By Shabnam HashmiCommunal forces have invaded all spaces, including the minds of secular politicians
29 September, 2008
Some Bombs Get Defused
By Smita GuptaJust who is a terrorist? Definitions change when it comes to the Hindutva extreme
27 September, 2008
Attack On Christians Is Attack On
Indian Secularism And Democracy
By Madhu ChandraThe ongoing and uncontrolled attack on Christians in Orissa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and now spreading to other parts of India is the clear signpost of Saffron fascist forces involved in religious ethnic cleansing. Most of the churches, Christian homes and Christian villages in Kandhamal and 14 other district of Orissa are vandalized. A single Hindu temple is not attacked in whole of the state. What signpost does it give to the eyes of every Indian civil society?
An Unholy Crusade
By SanjanaThe real conversion happening in Karnataka is that of the RSS-BJP, who are using aggression to consolidate their hold in a once secular state
06 September, 2008
Visit To Orissa
By Shabnam HashmiThis account is based only on the testimonies for those who managed to escape and reach Bhubaneshwar. The situation is very serious in Orissa and only a full fact finding team can come out with full details after it is allowed to enter those areas
Hindutva's Violent History
By Angana ChatterjiThe Sangh’s history in postcolonial Orissa is long and violent. Virulent Hindutva campaigns against minority groups reverberated in Rourkela in 1964, Cuttack in 1968 and 1992, Bhadrak in 1986 and 1991, Soro in 1991. The Kandhamal riots were not unforeseen
05 September, 2008
Then They Came For Christians…
By Ram PuniyaniOrissa is witnessing unprecedented violence against the tiny Christian minority. On August 23, 2008, Swami Laxmananand along with his four followers was killed, probably by a group of Maoists. Immediately, anti-Christian violence began on big scale. The way it began it seemed as if preparations for it were well afoot. It was systematic and widespread. It sounded as if preparation was already there, just the pretext was being waited for
31 August, 2008
Blast After Blast :Who Is Responsible?
By Teesta SetalvadIf as part of their strategy Hindu extremists disguise themselves as Muslims and then engage in terrorist activity, could they also be responsible for sending out emails claiming responsibility for blasts under assumed Muslim names and using an Islamic vocabulary? How then can we know who is responsible for the series of blasts that have ripped through a succession of Indian cities? What then of national security, public peace and communal harmony?
04 August, 2008
Some Good Amid The Bombs?
By Teesta SetalvadThe fragile peace prevalent even after the bomb blasts, hopefully, will help Gujarat and Gujaratis see the inherent values of a lasting and comfortable peace
30 July, 2008
Cycle Of Terror: How To Stop Its Movement?
By Mumtaz Alam FalahiTwo and half months after Jaipur bombings which left 60 people dead, Bangalore and Ahmedabad were ripped through by serial blasts on 25th and 26th July respectively – 25 explosions in total within 24 hours – and 50 people were dead and more than 150 wounded. Jaipur is unsolved till date and, with past investigations into terror attacks in mind, it can be said that Bangalore and Ahmedabad will remain unsolved, too. This is what has kept the cycle of terror moving
03 July, 2008
Spritual As Criminal?
By Subhash GatadeTime to ban 'Hindu Janjagruti Samiti' and 'Sanatan Sanstha'
29 June, 2008
Silent Emergence Of Hindu Terrorism
By Subhash GatadeWhat is common between Kathmandu - the capital of Nepal ; Thane, Vashi which happen to lie in Maharashtra; Tenkasi, which is part of Tamilnadu and Indore, which lies in Madhya Pradesh? Aprops there seem to be no commonality, although a close look at stray sounding incidents in these places brings forth a pattern which has serious import for the manner in which (non-state) terrorism is viewed in this country. It is disturbing that media which calls itself 'watchdog of democracy' and which has no qualms in stigmatising the minority community on unfounded allegations of 'terrorist acts' has suddenly gone mute since the perpetrators of terrorist acts in all these cases belong to the majority community
12 June, 2008
Politics Of Identity And Intolerance
By Ram PuniyaniOn fifth of June (2008) a group of followers of Shiv Sangram Sanghtan (SSS), led by a former MLC of Nationalist Congress party, attacked the house of editor of Loksatta, a prominent Marathi daily, Kumar Ketkar and tried to break open the house. They, as per their leader, were expressing their spontaneous anger against Ketkar, who according to them had insulted Shivaji in his editorial
06 May, 2008
Conversion: A Political Weapon
By Ram PuniyaniThe realization that to impose Hindu rashtra in this country the electoral majority is needed as a starting point, the process of co-opting Adivasis into Hindu fold has been stepped up. And this 8% population can be the wonderful addition to electoral base for the right wing politics. The second advantage is that by indoctrinating them they can be unleashed against the other enemies of Hindu nation, like Muslims, as witnessed in Gujarat, where they were used as ideal foot soldiers for the agenda of Hindu Rashtra
14 March, 2008
The Hindutva Experiment: From Lab To Factory?
By Mukul DubeMany people, including this writer, have argued that Gujarat 2002 was possible because the political wing of Hindutva ruled both in Gandhinagar and in Delhi. The persistence - and, indeed, the growth - of Hindutva in the period since the general election of 2004, suggest that that argument is limited and perhaps flawed. What we are seeing today may well be the repetition across the country of the successful experiment, promising lab processes being carried out on an industrial scale
20 February, 2008
Terrorism's 'Tenkasi' Moment
By Subhash GatadeThere are reports that the Tirunelveli Police have indicated that the explosives used in Tenkasi are similar those used in the Makkah Masjid blast at Hyderabad. It is incumbent that in the light of the revelations in the Tenkasi blasts , the CBI should reinvestigate the Makkah Masjid Blasts and other Blasts which took place in different parts of the country
11 February, 2008
Whither Justice: Trajectory Of Srikrishna Report
By Ram PuniyaniThe state Congress leadership thinks it can fool the victims all the time. But the question is how long can Congress sustain policies which betray the victims, which are against the promises and oath which they take while grabbing the seats of power?
17 January, 2008
Why Is Civil Society Mute To
Threat Of Communalism In India?
By Vidya Bhushan RawatIf we do not find answers to our inherent discriminations as well as false nationalism, which is disturbingly turning into an upper caste cricket match that we witnessed in Sydney, then, I am afraid, the situation would go out of hand. This is the biggest hour of crisis in our social life and we have to respond it with responsibility and courage and not to let down the founding fathers of our nation, who gave us a secular and liberal constitution which is still our proud possession and a guarantee for social justice and equality for all
07 January, 2008
Riots In Orissa
By Angana ChatterjiIndependent investigators charge that the violence was planned, that the police had prior knowledge of Hindutva groups’ intent to riot. The pertinent district collector and superintendent of police have been transferred, not discharged. A Judicial Review Commission (JRC) chaired by a former (not sitting) judge has been appointed by the government of Orissa to investigate the riots. Its power or legitimacy is in question
02 January, 2008
Orissa: Anti Christian Violnce
By Ram PuniyaniIt is no coincident that the BJP is part of the ruling coalition in Orissa, and those involved in the vandalism are part of some or the other organization directly affiliated with the RSS. The major such are Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Bajrang dal and their local variants. While the media reports are sketchy, the Citizens Inquiry team, which was to visit the area has been denied permission to visit the districts and was escorted out of the area
31 December, 2007
Decoding Modi's Victory And Secular Politics
By Manish ChandNarendra Modi's repeat landslide victory in Gujarat against the spectacular odds stacked against him - anti-incumbency, the odious hangover of the 2002 riots, an unforgiving Muslim minority, BJP spoilers and a hostile media - has exposed the fragility and speciousness of secular politics practised in the country by those who are quick to seize on the secularism mantra as the sole rallying point
29 November, 2007
Taslima Controversy: No To Appeasement Politics
By Kashif ul-HudaBy shipping Nasreen out, the West Bengal government seems to be giving into the demands of Muslims, but it has chosen to act on an issue that has no socio-economic relevance to a majority of them. This appeases known anti-Muslim parties more than the average Muslim individual, as it gives them more ammunition to target Muslims with. It might also please those Muslim leaders and organizations that have been campaigning against Nasreen for their own ulterior motives. These Muslim leaders can now claim victory and be on the lookout for another symbolic issue to add another feather in their cap
Taslima Nasrin vs MF Hussein
By Syed Ali MujtabaThe other hypocrisy that comes out very clearly from this episode is while the Sangh Privar and others welcome Taslima Nasrin, a foreigner with open arms to live any where in India, they have booted out MF Hussein, the living Picasso of India from his own country. It seems the ninety-year- old living legend is heading to become another Bahadur Shah Zafar who may bemoan for not getting two meters of land for his burial in his own motherland
The Paradox Of Taslima Nasreen
By Vidya Bhushan RawatIs Taslima treading a dangerous path in India by courting the Hindu fundamentalists?
12 October, 2007
Hindutva —Terrorism's New Signature
By Subhash GatadeWhile nobody can deny the role of jihadi terrorists belonging to the likes of Lashkar-e-Toiba or Jaish-e-Mohammad in many such bloody and inhuman incidents, one feels pertrubed over the mono-chromatic presentation of such a complex phenomenon where green tends to dominate the rest. The conspiracy of silence over the phenomenon of what is known in popular parlance as 'Hindutva terrorism' needs to be questioned and confronted. ...The fanatics who spread violence in the name of religion are worse than terrorists and more dangerous than an alien enemy
01 October, 2007
Saffron Terror
By Subhash GatadeMilitant Hindutva is on the rise, but there is a conspiracy of silence that seeks to hide this reality
29 September, 2007
More Teeth To Police, Not Victims
By Colin GonsalvesIn a critique of "The Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005", Colin Gonsalves opines that the Act simply relegates victims to a footnote. For instance, when it comes to sexual violence, it does not recognise the fact that the nature of atrocities committed against women during riots is radically different from those committed during 'normal' times
22 August, 2007
Taslima, Hussein And Liberal Ethos
By Ram PuniyaniThe reaction to the attack on Taslima Nasreen in Hyderabad, where she came for release of Telugu version of her book Lajja, (9th August 2007), led by three MLAs of MIM party of Owaisi came as a jolt to the liberal human values, to the values which Koran preaches and to the democratic liberal values which we cherish
08 August, 2007
Do Not Cry For The Bombay Riot Victims!
By Subhash GatadeThe conspiracy of silence over the Bombay riot victims is nothing surprising
05 August, 2007
Double Standards: Punishing The Culprits Of Violence
By Ram PuniyaniWe seem to be heading for two sets of justice system as a whole. The ones belonging to minority community, suffer maximum in the communal carnage. They get killed, their properties are destroyed. The guilty in these cases are generally not punished. Those aiding and abetting these crimes get away with it and sometimes even promoted
15 June, 2007
Political Hindutva : The Countdown Has Begun?
By Subhash GatadeA report prepared by one of the national secretaries of the BJP Mr Prabhat Jha analysing the election results to UP, provide enough proof of the pathetic situation in which the party itself finds today. This report would be presented before the national executive meeting of the BJP to be held in last week of June and much fireworks are expected there
08 June, 2007
Sangh Spreads Its Cloak In American Campus
By Girish AgrawalHindutva forces are systematically spreading their ideology in American universities, reports Girish Agrawal from New York
04 June, 2007
Gujarat: Symptoms Of Hindu Nation
By Ram PuniyaniAs far as the gross violations and that too the one's related to minority community are concerned, Gujarat is the worst state without any shadow of doubt. In other BJP ruled states like MP, Rajasthan and Chattisgarhg also, the violations are of severe degree, still they do not match with the ones in Gujarat
31 May, 2007
Misdirected Hyderabad Bomb Blast Investigations
By Adv. Irfan EngineerFor the truth to be unraveled, there needs to be a thorough and impartial CBI Inquiry which examines all possible theories and marshals thorough evidence to prove the guilt of the accused. For we must know the truth to be able to stop bomb blasts
30 May, 2007
Christians: A Faith Under Assault
In Secular India
By Vidya Bhushan RawatA review of John Dayal's book "A matter of Equity: Freedom of Faith in Secular India"
24 May, 2007
Violence Against The Cross
By Ram PuniyaniThe scattered attacks on the Christian missionaries working in remote places of India speaks a lot about the nature of the political formation carrying out these attacks, their agenda of regarding Muslims and Christians as internal threat to Nation explains the current politics which is far from the one which should be seen in a civil society!
21 May, 2007
'Where One Burns Books,
One Will Soon Burn People'
By Jawed NaqviCultural censorship is rapidly gathering steam in India. A drawing student was recently picked up from an arts college in Baroda and thrown into prison because religious zealots raided the campus and objected to his painting of Hindu gods and goddesses
19 April, 2007
Should BJP Be Derecognized?
By Ram PuniyaniIn a democracy it is a difficult choice to ban/derecognize parties or organizations. What does one do with the organizations which pay lip service to democracy but are tied to apron strings of those organizations which stand opposed to democracy and Indian constitution? It is no secret that RSS chief just six years ago called for scrapping of Indian constitution and bringing in one based in India holy books. It is no secret that RSS combine is working for Hindu Nation. By implication though BJP takes oath for preserving Indian constitution, it has no qualms in violating the same when the time comes
18 April, 2007
BJP's Hate Campaign
By The HinduWhat the BJP's election campaign CD `Bharat ki Pukar' presents — excerpts from the transcript
11 April, 2007
Election Commission Must Derecognize BJP
By Shamsul IslamIt is high time that the Election Commission of India should take serious note of the anti-national utterances of the BJP president and initiate proceedings for the de-recognition of the BJP. It is unfortunate that none of the organs of the Indian Democratic-Secular State has so far bothered to challenge BJP and its president on this account
Defining Minorities
By Ram PuniyaniAllahabad High Court ruling (April 2007) that Muslims have ceased to be a minority in UP as their percentage in population is 18.5% totally defies the logic of Indian Constitution, the legislatures understanding and the pronouncements of the Supreme court on the issue
10 April, 2007
Goa : Communal Tinderbox Waiting To Explode?
By Subhash GatadeIt does not need lot of wisdom to comprehend how things may unfold in the near future. A ascendant Hindutva brigade, a lacklustre Congress and the absence of a strong people's movement to unite people cutting across communities and castes, it would not come as a surprise if the situation deteriorates further
27 March, 2007
Revisiting Babri
By Ram PuniyaniRam temple issue became the symbol of assertion of affluent Hindutva politics in opposition to the democratic values. Identity, especially religious one, came up in a big way and waylaid the real issues of the poor and struggling majority of Hindus as well as other sections of society
15 March, 2007
Yogi In 'tears', But Can The Drama
Whitewash His Black Deeds ?
By Subhash GatadeThere are very few moments in the house where one comes across instances where a tragicomedy unfolds itself. The zero hour in the Parliament on Monday (12 th March 2007) witnessed one such occasion when a MP of the BJP Yogi Adityanath broke down, and MPs from either side of the ruling dispensation rushed to console him and asked the chair to look at his 'grievances'
03 March, 2007
Terrorism: Biased Investigation
By Ram PuniyaniIts time Central government intervenes, and inquiry of all the terror incidents in Maharashtra is handed over to CBI or preferably to the committee headed by a judge of impeccable credentials. Are Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh listening?
28 February, 2007
Hindutva's Uncivil Society In Eastern UP
By Subhashini AliThe Hindu Mahasabha-BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath, makes no attempt to mask his intentions with civilities and double-talk. He calls upon the majority community to recognize Muslims as the enemy and to utilize every opportunity to attack them. He has created his own organization, the Hindu Yuva Vahini, which has branches in almost every village, small town and district headquarter of Eastern UP
17 February, 2007
Golwalkar Guruji: Superhuman Or Less Than Human?
By Subhash GatadeWhatever may be the ideas of every justice loving person about the anti-human core of Golwalkar, his continued valorization in the Sangh circles reminds one of a Sanskrit proverb : Nirastapadapedeshe Erandopi Drumayate! (In a treeless country even castor counts for a big tree!)
16 February, 2007
Contemporary Times-Role Of Religions
By Ram PuniyaniReligions have to raise the issues of human rights of all people of the World. It is this alliance which will ensure that the focus of world policies has to be brought back to the issue of Human rights of weaker sections of society. Nothing short of a genuine dialogue amongst people of different faiths can overcome the obstacles created by the political forces misusing the religious identity for their political goals
13 February, 2007
An Open Letter To Indian Cricket
Team Captain Rahul Dravid
By Shamsul IslamI am sorry to write that by participating in the birth centenary programme of M. S. Golwalkar (Guruji), the ideologue of the RSS, in Nagpur on January 20, 2007, you have not only violated the trust which this country has put in you but also saddened large sections of your fans who love and adore you because you and your team represent a Secular-Democratic India
Hate As A Weapon To Gain Power
By Vidya Bhushan RawatBJP's manifesto for Uttarakhand reflects the bankruptcy of its ideology. That Sanskrit will be the state language and the government would pass anti conversion laws shows that BJP has not learnt the methods of governance at all. It also shows how the saffron party does not talk of governance but only hate formula to win an election
10 February, 2007
Civil Liberties In India
By Teesta SetalvadNani A Palkhivala Award 2006 Acceptance Speech
08 February, 2007
Ferreting Out The Bible Of Hindu Fascism (Hindutwa)
By I.K.ShuklaGolwalkar's We or Our Nationhood Defined: A Critique by Shamsul Islam
07 February, 2007
A short Film On RSS
By Ian Mcdonald02 February, 2007
Gohana Nay Gujarat
By Subhsash GatadeIf Congress Party and its leaders would never be able to absolve themselves from their complicity in the carnage of Sikhs in 1984, the name of RSS and its affiliated organizations would ever remain itched in the public psyche for the crimes, which were committed against innocent citizenry in the year 2002 in Gujarat
08 January, 2007
How Yogi Adityanath Wants To Do A Modi?
By Subhash GatadeA key feature of the Hindutva experiment furthered by Yogi Adityanath is to always keep Muslims in focus and win over the dalits and backwards to his side. In order to organise the Dalits against the Muslims he has made it a policy to interfere in all small or big quarrels between them and endeavour to paint it in communal black
05 January, 2007
Communal Riots 2006
By Asghar Ali EngineerThis was comparatively an year with few riots. In fact post-Gujarat India has witnessed fewer riots. Gujarat was indeed another watershed like the one after post-Babri riots. It has been witnessed that after some major riot, subsequent years witness smaller and fewer riots
Blasts Galore: Communalism 2006
By Ram PuniyaniThe optimism for the future of democratic values lies in the rising resistance to the assertions of sectarianism, amongst a section of people who are becoming more aware of the threat posed by the communal fascism. Various secular action groups, peace activists and minority rights groups are making their presence felt through their campaigns and deliberations
21 December, 2006
Communalism Or Affirmative Action
By Ram PuniyaniHad there not been the fear of backlash of RSS combine, reservations for Muslims would be the ideal solution out of this impasse. In the present scenario all steps short of reservations should and need to be taken to work towards the democratic goal of equality
19 December, 2006
Victims Of Meerut's Hashimpura Killings:
Brutalised, But Not Broken
By Harsh ManderThey mounted the truck and opened fire blindly, killing at least half the men there. They dragged out the bodies and threw them into the canal. Zulfikar listened as the truck finally drove away. He came to know later that they then drove to the Hindon Canal, and completed the massacre of the remaining men. Of the nearly 50 men who the PAC picked up, only six survived
08 December, 2006
God And Faith In The Life Of Indians
By Subhash GatadeThe observations of recent survey tend to emphasise the growing religiosity of the Indian people, especially its younger lot, and thus could boost the ratings of social/political formations whose weltanshauung itself revolves around god. They also demonstrate the growing 'market of spirituality'
06 December, 2006
The Legacy Of Babri Masjid
By Farzana VerseyWhy do 800 million Indians find us a threat? The Muslim is an abstraction now. S/he would be forced to ask: Who am I? And the response would be…I am the AK-47 rifle, I am the detonated bomb, I am the dynamite that has blown up cars, trains, bodies, I am the beard, the burqa, I am the voice that shouts out loud in the streets to support dictators who look like thieves, I am the bent over figure taking up public space for my prayers, I am the loudspeaker that beckons believers and is a nuisance to the ears, I am the butcher with the knife over a poor goat's neck, I am the one that the metal detector detects faster than anyone else. I am not like you anymore. This is the legacy of Babri
28 November, 2006
Golwalkar- The Guru Of Hate
By Ramachandra GuhaGolwalkar's book disparages democracy as alien to the Hindu ethos and extols the code of Manu
25 November, 2006
India's Veneer Of Religious Integration
By Praful BidwaiMedia stories based on official data being gathered by a government-appointed committee have shockingly disclosed that Muslims, India's largest religious minority, face systematic exclusion and serious discrimination at multiple levels
22 November, 2006
Democracy Besieged
By Ram PuniyaniRajinder Sachar Committee, on the basis of thorough inquiry has not only confirmed what Gopal Singh Commission found but also that trends are in the direction of further worsening of the socio-political indices of Muslim minorities. The data shows that Muslim community is at the bottom of economic indices, being worse than even the SCs, STs. They are worse off in education, and are far behind OBCs in employment. Their representation in judiciary, bureaucracy is very poor compared to their percentage in population, and more so in class I and II jobs, they are very low down in landholdings, and much worse in employment in private sector
21 November, 2006
Questioning The Concept Of ‘Nationalism’
By Arnab Roy ChowdhurySinging ‘Vande-Mataram’ may be an exhilarating experience for many of us, but it can’t be the scale to gauge ‘Nationalism’. The saffron Brigade has time and again come up with various ploys and designs to put various questions framed in ‘game-theoretical’ situations to the minorities, which are infact done to rejuvenate their waning influence in their heartlands
15 November, 2006
In India, The Wages Of Distrust
By Sudha RamachandranIndia's intelligence and security services adhere to an unwritten code not to recruit Muslims on grounds that they can't be trusted. This exclusion mirrors other sectors of professional life, and the country is poorer for it
09 November, 2006
Ghettoes Reserved For Muslims?
By Farzana VerseyThe mainstream in contemporary India is not a stagnant pool of historical rights and wrongs. Therefore, no one community can define it or circumscribe it for others. It is time for everyone to get out of the ghettoes of their minds
07 November, 2006
Malegaon Bomb Blast Trail: Whatever
Happened To The 'Fake Beard?'
By Subhash GatadeCan it be now said that the truth is finally out as far as Malegaon bomb blast is concerned ? And the real perpetrators of the gory carnage have been apprehended ? Or there are still loose ends which are to be met
RSS Run Schools: Indoctrinating In Sectarianism
By Ram PuniyaniRSS run schools are coming under a scanner, with MHRD minister contemplating action against them (Oct 2006). In last three decades thousands of schools of different variety have mushroomed, Ekal Vidyalaya, Sarswati Shishu Mandirs, and Vidya Bharati, run by RSS combine
06 November, 2006
Malegaon's Date with Terror: 9/8
By Mubasshir AhmedIt took 40 innocent lives to highlight the sheer governmental apathy and the neglect which has persisted for decades in Malegaon. The bomb blasts have exposed the vulnerable underbelly of 'two Indias' — The India of Mumbai and the India of Malegaon
26 October, 2006
The Hindu Islamist
By Farzana VerseyDhiren Barot is the first person in Britain to be convicted for a terrorist conspiracy. There has been silence among op-ed writers about the episode. What is curious about this case is not that he is an Al Qaeda activist, but the arguments being dished out by the British Indian community to delink themselves from him. It isn't because of their immense concern about terrorism, but due to their covert Islamophobia
25 October, 2006
Mayhem In Mangalore
By Yoginder SikandEarly this month, a series of violent incidents rocked Mangalore and several nearby towns and villages in coastal Karnataka. Two people were killed, dozens injured and property worth several lakhs was destroyed. Although a semblance of peace has now been restored, tension remains
13 October, 2006
Hindutva And The Defence Of
'Upper' Caste Hegemony
By Yoginder SikandThe ideology and politics of Hindutva are geared to protecting and promoting the hegemony of 'high' caste Hindu elites. Claiming to speak on behalf of all 'Hindus', Hindutva formations have made no bones about defending 'upper' caste privilege.This is clearly evident in their opposition to caste-based reservations
09 October, 2006
Should Mohammad Afzal Guru Be Hanged?
By Ram PuniyaniWhile Supreme Court deserves all the respect, one has to see that the primary investigation done by the police, whatever its flaws, forms the base of the judgment. When that investigation has holes should it be accepted as it is presented? When the primary culprits are either dead are some of them absconding, can 'the whole truth be out'? Or is it that somebody has anyway to be punished to quench the thirst for revenge, and who better than the one who has a Muslim name and happens to be from Kashmir
07 October, 2006
Looney American Foundation Threatens
To Sue The Nobel Committee
By Ra RavishankarAn (as yet) imaginary account of the developments following the announcement of the Nobel Physics Prize in a Hindutva community; the lack of context and critical information (in the account below) is typical of how the mainstream press has covered Hindutva-related issues in the U.S.
06 October, 2006
A Prelude To Malegaon Bomb Blast
By Aleem FaizeeAll the Muslims are continually demanding with their fellow secular non-Muslim friends that impartial and independent inquiry should be made about not only Malegaon blast but all terror acts on Indian soil then why government of India is afraid of independent inquiry is a question in the minds of plenty of people
04 October, 2006
Reclaiming Not "Converting To" The Sufi Way
By Jayshree KewalramaniThe Gujarat Religious Freedom (Amendment) Bill 2006 not only encroaches upon individual space, it further seeks to perpetuate Hindus (subsuming Jains & Buddhists), Muslims and Christians as mutually exclusive and, what are worse, hostile categories. It is not business of the state to determine or monitor the parameters of individual preference, especially those pertaining to matters of personal faith
29 September, 2006
Malegaon Blasts Investigation -
A Litmus Test Of Impartiality
By Praful BidwaiFairness of the investigations into the Malegaon blasts will decide whether the Indian state can re-establish its secular credentials and win Muslim hearts
26 September, 2006
Hashimpura Muslim Massacre Trial Reopens:
Can Justice Be Expected?
By Azim A. Khan SherwaniIn May 1987 policemen belonging to the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) shot dead 42 Muslim men, most of them youths, including some minors, from the Hashimpura locality in Meerut. The massacre occurred in the wake of the communal riots that broke out in Meerut in April that year after the Rajiv Gandhi government decided to open the gates of the Babri Masjid to allow Hindus to worship therein
25 September, 2006
The Discourse On Terrorism And
The Missing Muslim Voice
By Yoginder SikandHowever, while on the subject of 'fidayeen elements' or Islamist militants, it is striking how general discourse on terrorism in India, as elsewhere as well, is now so heavily lopsided, focusing, as it does, largely on militant acts committed by some Muslims. Terrorism in India is now talked about almost wholly in the context of fringe Islamist or Muslim militant groups, whereas similar acts of terrorism by other actors, including the state or by Hindutva outfits, are rarely described as such in the 'mainstream' media or by politicians
23 September, 2006
Citizen Tipu And Saffronazis
By Subhash GatadeThe move to obliterate Tipu's name from the pages of Kannada history is another vindication that Sangh Parivar has taken it upon themselves the task left unfinished by the colonialists
21 September, 2006
Gujarat Bill: Denying Religious
Freedom In Freedom's Name
By Yoginder SikandThe recent passing of a controversial bill by the Gujarat Assembly has, understandably enough, generated a storm of protest. Ironically called the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2006, the Bill, critics argue, represents a major assault on religious freedom, particularly of non-Hindus, in Gujarat
The Judgement Takes Effect,
But The Cause?
Outlook EditorialEven as the CBI, Mumbai police and governments pat themselves on the back, and citizens demand death penalty for all the Memons—four of the family have been convicted, three acquitted—there has been no conviction in any of the thousands of cases registered during and after the post-Babri riots from December 7, 1992, to January 21, 1993
18 September, 2006
Update On Malegaon
By Subhash GatadeAs of now the formal position vis-à-vis the identity of the perpetrators is still unchanged. It could be Lashkar or Bajrang Dal. It just means the roots and the perpetrators of the bomb blasts in Malegaon on Shab-e-Barat could be traced to either the Lashkar-ISI nexus or to the Bajrang Dal-Mossad connection
16 September, 2006
Investigation Into Malegaon Blasts
By Ram PuniyaniWhile every other thing is being highlighted and the usual suspects are being further demonized through the hard work of communal organizations and media, there is only a small section of media and popular opinion which will bother to state that the organizations like Bajrang Dal also need to be probed and put on the scanner
15 September, 2006
A Song, A Blast And The Indian
Media's 'Secular'Pretensions
By Yoginder SikandBias against Muslims is deeply-rooted in large sections of the Hindu-owned media in India, even in influential sections of the English press that prides itself in its claim of being 'secular' and 'progressive'. Two ongoing controversies-the Vande Mataram affair and the Malegaon bomb blasts-suffice to confirm this argument
Malegaon Blasts: Footprints Of Nanded?
By Subhash GatadeThe most important lesson, which should be remembered, is that the law and order machinery should be even handed in its approach in unearthing the truth. It should not repeat its earlier folly of stigmatizing the whole community, which it is alleged to have engaged in after the Bombay blasts. It should also not be seen going soft on Hindu militant formations for fear of providing political capital to Hindutva organizations
Lesson From The Malegaon Carnage:
Price Of Alienating A Community
By Vidya Bhushan RawatAn Indian has to defend the secular values of the country and believe in fair play. A country denying dignity and right to its minorities cannot remain peaceful and would rarely progress if it alienates its second majority, the Muslims
02 September, 2006
Fascism Versus Indigenous People
By Goldy M. GeorgeIn a broader perspective, communalism of polity is preliminary to fascism of polity. In today’s context it is not mere communalism of polity, rather it is the fascism of state under the Hindutva brigade is what is ongoing in India. Hence as an activist working with Dalits, and also associated with some of the Adivasi movements, I would like to emphasis some of the major threats faced by the Dalits and Adivasis or Indigenous people
31 August, 2006
Song For The Nation - Vande Matram Controversy
By Ram PuniyaniAfter Arjun Singh, MHRD Minister clarified that singing of the (August 2006) of Vande Matram is voluntary, on 7th September, the supposed centenary year of this song, BJP went hammer and tongs blaming Congress for this 'appeasement' of minorities
18 August, 2006
Islam And Indian Nationalism
By Yoginder SikandThe claim that Muslims cannot be loyal citizens of India because of their faith, articulated in different ways by both Hindutva and radical Islamist ideologues, has been stoutly refuted by a major section of the Indian ulama or Muslim clerics. In fact, numerous ulama, particularly those associated with the Deoband madrasa, played a major role in the Indian freedom movement
16 August, 2006
India's Tryst With Secular Democracy
By Ram PuniyaniThis 15th August, India completed 59 years of its independence. Today where do we stand in our resolve to have a secular democratic India? It is a tragedy that conditions have so shaped during last couple of decades that one is forced to think about the very future of the democratic foundation of the country
15 August, 2006
'Karmayogi' Golwalkar Guruji-
Coming Soon To A Theater Near You
By Subhash Gatade
As part of the grand birthday centenary celebrations of the second Supremo of RSS, Madhav Sadhashiv Golwalkar the Sangh Parivar is organising number of programmes intended to sanitise the man including a film directed by Nitish Bhardwaj,( of ‘Mahabharat’ fame)10 August, 2006
Stop Harrassing The Innocents
An Appeal from All India Secular ForumThe Mumbai blasts shook the nation and killed over 200 innocent people. This act is highly condemnable and the perpetrators of this ghastly crime need to be punished with all severity. In the wake of horrific bomb blasts the police is blindly operating on the formula that all Muslims are suspects and has been arresting and harassing innumerable innocent Muslims
08 August, 2006
Terrorism And Muslims!
By Ram PuniyaniDoctoring of Mass Consciousness in the era of US Oil Hunger
07 August, 2006
Police And Communal Riots
By Vibhuti Narain Rai & Yoginder SikandVibhuti Narain Rai is a senior Indian Police Service officer. He is also the author of 'Combating Communal Conflicts--Perception of Police Neutrality During Hindu-Muslim Riots in India'. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand he talks about the role of the Indian police in handling communal riots
05 August, 2006
Ayodhya's Forgotten Muslim Past
By Yoginder SikandThe Ayodhya controversy continues to drag on, with no sign of any solution in sight. Hindutva ideologues insist that Ayodhya must be theirs alone. Reinventing tradition and myth, they claim that Ayodhya has always been Hindu, thus promoting it to the status of a Hindu Vatican. Yet, as critical historians have pointed out, this claim is completely unsubstantiated
03 August, 2006
When Is Violence ‘Terror’ And When Is It Not?
By M R Narayan SwamyThere was nothing ‘natural’ about the slaughter of Sikhs in 1984, and nothing ‘natural’ about Gujarat 2002
31 July, 2006
Islam, Madrasas And Cultural 'Arabisation':
Insights From India
By Yoginder SikandMindless berating of the madrasas for allegedly being actively engaged in promoting 'Arabisation', without looking at the phenomenon as, at least in part, a reaction to Hindutva and to the homogenising agenda of the Indian state that defines itself in Brahminical Hindu terms, is hardly fair and can only further reinforce the insular, exclusivist character that most madrasas are today identified with
29 July, 2006
Hashimpura : Not Just The Name Of A Massacre
By Subhash GatadeThe court of Additional Sessions Judge, Delhi has finally framed charges of murder, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, abduction, unlawful confinement, assault and unlawful compulsory labour against these PAC men charged with killing Muslims during curfew in Meerut on May 22, 1987. And the trial has started on 15 th July after an agonising wait for 19 years
28 July, 2006
Mumbai Blasts: Hindutva Lobby
Launches Anti-Muslim Tirade
By Yoginder SikandEven as scores of Indian Muslim organizations have forcefully denounced the recent Mumbai train blasts and called for an impartial investigation into the carnage, the Hindutva lobby, ever on the prowl for an excuse to hound Muslims, has launched a massive anti-Muslim tirade
18 July, 2006
Understanding Jana Gana Mana
By Shumon SenguptaA friend of mine recently forwarded me an email chain that aims at mobilizing support to substitute Jana Gana Mana with Vande Mataram as India’s National Anthem. And as far as the contrived Jana Gana Mana controversy is concerned, I would urge everyone to study Tagore more extensively before jumping on the bandwagon or making unsubstantiated pronouncements
15 July, 2006
The SIMI Story
By Yoginder SikandWhether or not the SIMI was behind the blasts in Mumbai will be known only after a fair and impartial investigation. Yet, the fact remains that groups like the SIMI, although representing a tiny fringe of the varied landscape of Islam in India, do pose a grave threat not only to the country as a whole but, equally, to the Indian Muslims as well
13 July, 2006
Fact Finding Report On The Attack
On RSS Head Quarters
Fact Finding ReportAll these confounding happenings lead the team to question the veracity of the Commissioner of Police's narration of the encounter. The 'Cock and Bull' story of the encounter thus compels the team to infer that the encounter appears to be fake and requires, at the interest of the nation society, a fair probing
Terror Attacks: More To It Than Meets The Eye
By Ram PuniyaniThe claim to unearth the arms and ammunition, the projection of terrorist activity in nearby areas, the probable stage managed attack on Nagpur Head Quarter of RSS, are these meant to hide, the Nanded blasts and involvement of RSS affiliates in the ghastly crime, under the carpet?
22 April, 2006
The Real Threat?
By Subhash GatadeLal Krishna Advani, ex President of BJP would not have imagined in his wildest dreams that Sangh Parivar's own people, would get caught in making illegal bombs just when he with his entourage was busy sermonising all and sundry about threats before the nation
21 April, 2006
Tackling Terrorism - Varanasi,
Jama Masjid Show the Way
By Ram PuniyaniThe Varanasi example which the Shahi Imam quoted has become a good deal of landmark in how to respond to terror attacks
06 April, 2006
Adivasis: A Cultural Cooption
By Ram PuniyaniFrom 1987 Sangh (RSS) has activated its offshoot Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (VKA) into higher gear of activity. Adivasis, the most neglected part of society are being wooed through newly devised cultural mechanisms
13 March, 2006
Move Over Intelligent Design,
Here Comes Bhartiya Creationism
By Ra RavishankarA fictional account of a tete-a-tete between Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, the spiritual leader of the Texas-based Vedic Foundation and a Hindutva activist
10 March, 2006
M.S. Golwalkar: Conceptualizing Hindutva Fascism
By Ram PuniyaniBeginning this twenty Fourth February, RSS combine has undertaken programs in different parts of the country to celebrate the centenary year of RSS second Sarsnghchalak (supreme dictator), Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, known in Sangh circles as Shri Guruji. What are going to be the implications of this celebration?
25 February, 2006
Gujarat: Four Years After The Genocide
By Azim KhanThe Gujarat police are almost completely saffronised,cooking up false cases of sedition, illegal arms and criminal conspiracy against young and innocent boys of the Muslim community. Extending illegal detention of poor Muslims by the Anti-Terrorist Squad and Crime Branch is an everyday affair. In Modi's Gujarat equality before the law and equal protection of the law have no meaning
Shared Traditions In Gujarat
Challenge The Communal Divide
By Yoginder SikandExactly four years ago, Gujarat witnessed a state-sponsored genocide that culminated in the deaths of some three thousand Muslims and led to a complete breakdown of inter-community relations, the scars of which have still not healed. Yet, despite the relentless assault of Hindutva forces in Gujarat, all is not lost
23 February, 2006
Sanitising The Supremo
By Subhash GatadeOn the birth anniversary of Golwalkar Guruji
13 February, 2006
Muslim-Buddhist Clashes In Ladakh:
The Politics Behind The 'Religious' Conflict
By Yoginder SikandThe underlying causes of the simmering conflict in Ladakh are thus largely political and economic, and not religious as such, although this is how it has been sought to be presented
10 February, 2006
Communalism 2005
By Ram PuniyaniYear 2005 turned out to be a year of mixed fortunes for the right wing Hindutva politics in India. At surface it seemed that it is crumbling but deep down its grip on societal affairs is getting firmer at places
07 February, 2006
Ghettoisation Of Muslims In India
By Imran Ali and Yoginder SikandA major issue afflicting Muslims in some parts of India is that of enforced ghettoisation. Periodic anti-Muslim riots and pogroms, sometimes instigated by state authorities in league with fiercely anti-Muslim Hindutva groups, have forced Muslims in several places to shift to separate localities for safety
03 February, 2006
Intimidating A Minority
By Ram PuniyaniThere has been a continuous rise in the number of incidents of anti Christian violence since last one decade in India. Currently this violence has become a regular feature in Madhya Pradesh and other BJP ruling states in particular and in other parts of the country in general
23 January, 2006
India: Cultural Nationalism Or Secular Democracy?
By Ram PuniyaniAfter going through the turmoil created by Advani's 'Secular Jinnah' statement, its controller, RSS decided to get rid of him and finally appointed Rajnath Singh, a regional leader, and hardcore hindutwa fanatic as the President of BJP
08 January, 2006
Now, Hindu Nationalists Rewriting
California Textbooks
By Angana ChatterjiThe attempts of diasporic Hindu nationalist organizations in the United States to intervene in revising segments on India, Indian history, and Hinduism in 6th grade textbooks in California State schools is disturbing
29 October, 2005
Communal Riot in Mau: A Report
By Roop Rekha Verma & Nasiruddin Haider KhanReport of a fact finding visit to the riot hit city of Mau
27 October, 2005
Dead Fishes On Juhu Beach
By Subhash GatadeThe immersion of idols causing irreparable damage to the environment is not the only example which demonstrate how rituals of a section of people can become nuisance of sorts for the wider populace or for that matter the ecosystem itself
25 October, 2005
Set Back To Amity Initiatives In Ayodhya
By Ram PuniyaniUnder the influence of VHP a section of Hanuman Garhi mahants filed a case in the court that Roza Iftar is against the by laws of the temple, and court ruled in their favor. Also, many a VHP activists sat on a Dharna in front of Hanuman Garhi to oppose the Muslims entry into the temple premises for the Roza Iftar party
16 October, 2005
RSS And The Politics Of Disaster Relief
By Ra RavishankarNot surprisingly, if there is one set of people that's smugly delighted with the earthquake that has devastated Pakistan, it has got to be the Hindu fascists owing allegiance to the RSS ideology. RSS apologists routinely point to its alleged relief work during disasters (as if this could compense for its numerous crimes), but a peek into the Hindutva listservs offers a different reality
10 October, 2005
Defining Minorities In A Democratic Setup
By Ram PuniyaniBy asserting that only Jews and Parsis are minorities,RSS chief Sudarshan wants to do away with the safeguards for weaker religious denominations, especially Muslims and Christians, who are the major victims of RSS progeny's Trishuls and Lathis
30 September, 2005
Communal Politics Climax And Downfall
By Asghar Ali EngineerCommunal politics, being highly emotional, is heady and creates strong illusion of success. Those who indulge in communal politics create emotional hysteria among their followers. We in India have had many experiences such emotional politics
15 September, 2005
Is 'Riot Free India' A Possibility?
By Ram PuniyaniThe demonization of minorities seems to be the ground on which violence stands and sustains itself. No measures for the riot free India can be complete without bringing to halt the stereotyping the minorities and effectively neutralizing the 'hate other' propaganda
11 September, 2005
War In The Parivar
By Jyotirmaya SharmaAs the Bharatiya Janata Party prepares to hold its National Executive meeting in Chennai next week, dissonance within the organisation over questions of ideology, leadership and politics is clearly visible
22 August, 2005
See RSS, Think Al Queda!
By Subhash GatadeThe RSS may call itself a cultural organisation, but an established US think tank has virtually equated it with Al Queda and some other outfits, terming them "new religious movements (NRMs) that have also emerged as sources of violence". ..
16 August, 2005
Our" Women, "Their" Women
By Ram PuniyaniThe shifting of girls' college away from Muslim locality by the BJP led Madhya Pradesh government reveals the deeper communal agenda, it does intensify the communalization process in the manners which are novel and horrific, both at the same time
The Nanavati Report And After
By Praful BidwaiIndia's claim to high stature in the world does not lie in a Security Council seat or in nuclear weapons, and not even in economic might. It lies in democracy and pluralism. That claim will be reduced to a farce if heinous mass-level crimes and barbaric forms of collective victimisation go unpunished. That would be a tragedy not just for Delhi's Sikhs or Gujarat's Muslims, but for all Indian citizens
14 August, 2005
An Evaluation Of The Communal Violence (Suppression) Bill, 2005
By Colin GonsalvesThe big question is, would a communal violence law have prevented the 1984 riots? My guess is that the Communal Violence (Suppression) Bill, 2005, in its present draft, would have proved a dud
Shameless Collaborators
By V.B.RawatThe ghost of the 1984 massacre of Sikhs has returned to haunt the Congress. For two days you make noise in the parliament and then ask a person to resign. It's good but not enough
Stop Funding Hate By Yoginder
Sikand & Biju MathewBiju Mathew is a prominent Indian leftist social activist based in New York. In this interview he talks about his work, particularly about the Campaign to Stop Funding Hate that has sought to stop American funding to Hindutva groups in India
02 June, 2005
Is RSS A Terrorist Organization?
By Ram PuniyaniThe only point of overt confusion some times can be that unlike Osama, or the AK 47 weilding terrorist in parts of the World, RSS volunteer will appear to be the apostle of quietness. The violence is leased out by clever social and psychological manipulation. In that sense AK 47 may miss the target but a mind poisoned and initiated by Hate ideology propagated by RSS will come out as violence some time or the other, here or there, it's just a question of time
01 June, 2005
Why RSS Is Angry ?
By Subhash gatadeThe Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is furious with an American think-tank for declaring it a terrorist organisation and lumping it with a host of jihadi organisations and secessionist outfits.The Sangh leadership has written to the Terrorism Research Centre, protesting against the “terrorist” tag, but is yet to get a response....
22 May, 2005
Aggressive Vegetarianism
By Ram PuniyaniIn certain parts of India vegetarianism is also being used as a social and political weapon to browbeat the muslim community
25 April, 2005
Hindutva Undivided Family
By Ram PuniyaniRecent statement of K. Sudarshan that Vajpayee and Advani should retire created a lot of storm in the tea cup. As matters shaped up, in due course the storm was brought under control and the storm in the tea cup is showing the signs of subsiding
18 April, 2005
RSS And The Gender Question
By Ram PuniyaniRSS Supreme leader K. Sudarshan pointed out recently that women are barred from RSS as Indian society did not accept, and does not accept even now, young boys and girls working together because it could have consequences on the society. One wonders which Indian society Mr. Sudarshan is talking about !
07 April, 2005
Twenty Five Years Of Bharatiya Janata Party
By Ram PuniyaniBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) completes twenty five years on sixth April, 2005. Founded in 1980 on the plank of Gandhian Socialism it has traveled a long journey
11 March, 2005
Masks Unlimited:Vajpayee, Babri Demolition
And Gujarat Riots
By Ram PuniyaniVajpayee's association with RSS and his loyalty to the agenda of RSS, the one of Hindu Nation and Hindutva politics remained the central point of his politics and gave him the craftiness and ability to pretend moderation and double speak, a role which suited him perfectly
07 March, 2005
RSS In Action In Rajasthan
By Nalini TanejaIf anybody needs convincing that every election is important, they should look at the chain of events in Rajasthan since the BJP came to power in the state
23 February, 2005
Savarkar: The Whole Truth
By Ram PuniyaniReview of the book "Savarkar: Myths and Facts" by Shamsul Islam
20 February, 2005
Fresh Light On 1984 Riots
By Kuldip NayarRiots were "organized", some Congressmen instigating the anti-social elements to "target the Sikh community" without any "meaningful intervention" by the police. This is the import of the report by former Supreme Court judge G.T. Nanavati on the 1984 riots
10 January, 2005
Communalism 2004
By Ram Puniyani2004 was a year that saw tremendous set back for hate driven Hindutwa politics in India
26 November, 2004
Police And Communal Riots
By Vibhuti Narain Rai & Yoginder SikandIn a normal situation an average Hindu does not necessarily see the police as friendly or helpful but during communal riots he looks upon the police as a helper and protector. On the other hand, Muslim riot victims do not generally feel that they would get any protection from the police, even when their lives and property are under threat
23 November, 2004
Swami And Fiends
By S. AnandShankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati's arrest for murder brings other ungodly affairs to the fore
16 November, 2004
The Brahminist Citadel Shaken
By Ra Ravishankar"Am I Veerappan?", Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati asked after he was arrested this Thursday on charges of instigating the murder of his bete noire Sankararaman. His character is evident from those who have spoken out in his favor
08 November, 2004
Religion, Identiy And Democracy
By Asghar Ali EngineerWe should not allow religion to be politicised at any cost and democracy should remain a source of people's participation in decision making and for welfare of common masses. One must understand the difference between religion as a faith and religion as a political ideology
07 November, 2004
Oh, That Other Hindu Riot Of Passage
By Khushwant SinghThe assassins of Mrs Gandhi were hanged within four years, while 20 years later, the killers of 10,000 Sikhs remain unpunished
04 November, 2004
Fresh Hopes In Babri Masjid Demolition Case
By Rizvi Syed Haider AbbasCBI, now has taken some active steps into tightening the noose against Babri Masjid demolition accused, an attitude found missing during the last BJP led NDA government
India's Far Right Drops Its Mask
By J. Sri RamanIndia's far right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), drops its mask and and takes a more assertive and aggressive stance
03 November, 2004
Verdict Maharashtra: 2004
By Ram PuniyaniWe are witnessing the 'mini Pakistans' and 'borders' right in our cities and small towns. Surely no society Can progress under these circumstances. The need is that we try to build bridges between our communities at social level
02 November, 2004
1984 In The Life Of A Nation
By Indira JaisingGujarat happened because of the failure to punish the killers of 1984 Sikh massacre
01 November, 2004
Shiv Sena On The Threshold Of Disintegration
By Kumar KetkarToday the Sena has become a pathetic shadow of its supremo. With no ideology or faith to hold on to, with no organised set-up apart from the undependable network of frustrated and militant lumpens; with no second line leadership or charismatic successor, the Shiv Sena stands on the threshold of disintegration
20 October, 2004
Drafting A Law To Prevent Communal Violence
By Asghar Ali Engineer
The Congress led UPA Government had promised to draft a law to prevent communal violence in its Common Minimum Programme but it is hardly its priority. It is no more talking about it nor is it preparing any draft for discussion
12 October, 2004
Communalising Kerala
By R KrishnakumarA criminal assault on nuns of the Missionaries of Charity in Kerala, the first such incident involving the organisation in the country, raises concerns about the spread of communalism in the State
11 October, 2004
Erasing The Past For Present Political Agenda
By Ram PuniyaniIn order to polarise votes in the forthcoming election in the Indian state of Maharashtra the far right BJP-Shiv Sena alliance tried to destroy a tomb sacred to Muslims
09 October, 2004
Hindutwa's Demographic Worries
By Dr T T SreekumarA reply to an article appeared in the RSS mouth piece, Organizer, claiming that Hindus in Kerala are fast becoming a “minority”. In this rebuttal Dr. Sreekumar points out that the said article is replete with so many inaccuracies, half truths, lies and bland statements
29 September , 2004
Politics In Demographics
By Ram PuniyaniThe religion based census data can serve different types of purposes. If this opens our eyes to the plight of this community, poverty, illiteracy and insecurity and if we aim to redress it as a nation , the data will be worth its while
18 September , 2004
Indian Census: For A Better Understanding
By Yasser Arafath. P. K.The Hindutwa forces are using the finding of the latest census report to whip up communal frenzy. But we must take a closer look and understand the broader prespectives
17 September , 2004
What I Saw At Babri Masjid
By Jeff PenberthyJeff Penberthy, then Time's bureau chief in New Delhi,who was present when Babri Masjid was demolished, gives an account of what he saw on December 6, 1992
15 September , 2004
Caught In Historical Cliches
By Praful BidwaiThe Sangh Parivar's tirades against textbook reform reek of obscurantist communalism and its glorification of Savarkar legitimises his pioneering of the Two-Nation theory and poisonous Hindutva
13 September , 2004
Of Figures And Indian Fascists
By J. Sri RamanWe have heard of chemical warfare, of biological warfare, not, however, of population warfare. It has been left to the fascists of India to discover this new dimension to unconventional warfare
Population Growth? Who Cares!
By Surjit S BhallaWe are all economic animals first, and religious identities second, and political entities third. Perhaps this reality has struck our fundamentalists, which is why they so often resort to demagoguery, rather than facts
12 September , 2004
Look Beyond The Camel
By Dr Rafiq ZakariaHindus and Muslims must pursue the path of reconciliation. Prejudices and suspicions are counterproductive; camaraderie among them is essential for both development and integration. Each has to help the other to make the country strong and prosperous
Indian Census - After the Xenophobia,
The Report Card Of The Communities
By John DayalReleasing a false report on the religious divisions and growth data from the 2001 census smacks of of a conspiracy with the Hindutva Parivar
11 September , 2004
Sorry, Wrong Number: Venkaiah Naidu
And The 247-Year Hitch
By Shankar Raghuraman
If the present growth rates were maintained for Muslims to outnumber Hindus in India, it will take 247 years and by that date India's population would be about 158 billion!!! So the sangh parivaar can exit the panic modeManufacturing Hysteria: On
Census-Inspired 'Nationalism'
By D.Jayaraj and S.SubramanianThe misinterpreted data on the population growth rate of India has become a tool in the hands of Hindu nationalists to whip up hysteria against the nation's minorities
10 September , 2004
BJP Back On Aggressive Hindutva Track
By Asghar Ali EngineerIt seems secularism is becoming a distant dream in view of increasing communalisation of our politics. Those who strive for inter-religious harmony will have to face increasing challenges in coming days
01 September , 2004
Crime, Politics & Hypocrisy- BJP's Comeuppance
By Praful BidwaiThere is more than poetic justice in the way in which the law caught up with Ms Uma Bharati through a Karnataka arrest warrant, forcing her resignation as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister
30 August , 2004
Religion, Politics And The Modern State
By Ram PuniyaniLast two decades have witnessed a constant invocation of religion in the arena of politics.There are many an arguments , which regard Secularism as a western concept. This stream is joined by an unexpected quarter of Post Modernists
26 August , 2004
BJP's New Stunt
By Praful BidwaiThe Bharatiya Janata Party has proved to be a bad, terribly peevish, loser. It still behaves as if the last Parliament election were somehow stolen from it
25 August , 2004
Veer Savarkar : Brave By Half
By Ram PuniyaniThis article was written when Savarka's potrait was unveiled in the Parliament. The article is republished in the context of the latest controversy involving Manishankar Aiyar and the Sangh Parivar
30 July , 2004
On Comprehensive Law On Communal Riots
By Asghar Ali EngineerThe United Progressive Alliance Government has promised, in its Common Minimum Programme that a law will be enacted to prevent communal riots but what is stated therein seems post-riot measures like special courts to punish the guilty, to pay uniform compensation to the victims etc
29 July , 2004
Religion, Power And Violence
By Ram PuniyaniIt is time that the people associated with religion realize the abuse to which religion has been put
24 July , 2004
Men In Khaki Proudly Wear Hindu Identity
On Their Sleeves
By Anand S T DasAs you step into any police station in Ahmedabad, you can't help feeling that the force is Hindu first
05 July , 2004
Hindutva Politics: Future Trajectory
By Ram PuniyaniTime is overdue for social groups to combat the communal poison at the level of society; the need for demolition of myths against minorities, the need for intercommunity committees to promote amity. And this is paramount if we want to preserve the democracy and associated principles
18 June , 2004
Lashkar-e-Taiba, Who?
By The Hindu CorrespondentThe Ahmedabad police gunned down four motorists including a 19 year old girl student on the way to Ahmedabad alleging them to be terrorists plotting the murder of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. But relatives and friends of the girl, Ishrat Jahan Shamim Raza vows her innocence, raising doubt over the encounter death
29 May , 2004
A Critique Of Hindutva
By Pra