This week's headlines in The SouthAsian
Details at : http://www.thesouthasian.org

Terror Before the Monsoon
While the monsoons are at the doorsteps of Mumbai, the residents of Netajinagar are out looking for another place to live. Shirish Khare writes on the heartless police action perpetrated by the state on slum dwellers.

http://www.thesouthasian.org/blog/archives/2009/terror_before_the_monsoon.html

 

Another Attempt to Dilute RTI
The new UPA government is making another attempt to dilute this act. The implications of the amendments planned will be significant, taking away from the ability of people to monitor government processes as well as protecting corrupt practices by ministers and administrators.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2009/another_attempt_to_dilute_rti.html

Waiting on Mr. Nepal
This article by Kanak Mani Dixit discusses the follies and faults of the Nepali government, the brazen attempt by the Maoists to “capture the state” and the problems of the opposition.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2009/waiting_on_mr_nepal.html

Birds of a Feather
This article by Manshi Asher in Hindustan Times describes the Golden Peacock Awards - a consortium of industrialists trying to pat themselves on the back for good behavior (environment policies, corporate responsibility, corporate governance) while independent reviews have shown gross violation on numerous facets of their operations. Examples - First Satyam and now Vedanta.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2009/birds_of_a_feather.html

Dialectic Democracies
M. C. Raj writes on the capacity and the need for dialectic democracy within formal communities and instruments of the state.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2009/dialectic_democracies.html

Indigenous People Suffer in Lalgarh
With alleged ongoing activity by Maoists groups and a major security thrust by State forces, reports tell of violence affecting people in Lalgarh.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2009/indigenous_people_suffer_in_la.html

Study Shows High Malnutrition in Children
A recent malnutrition study conducted by government agencies (under ICDS progfram) shows about 5000 children in the district of Ghazipur alone suffer from severe malnutrition (grade 4).
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2009/study_shows_high_malnutrition.html

Islam and the West
In a recent presentation to Asians in New York, M. J. Akbar talked about the difficulty in relating Islam and the West - one a religion, the other a region. An article by Tufail Ahmad, first posted in Henry Jackson Society.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2009/islam_and_the_west.html

New Project Threatens Himalayan Ecosystem in Pakistan
Zafar Iqbal highlights a 916MW project undertaken by the Pakistani government in that part of Kashmir under its administration while pushing aside environmental concerns and those of affected people.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2009/new_project_threatens_himalaya.html

Work On Ganga Expressway Project Continues Despite High Court Ban
The hasty manner, in which the Uttar Pradesh government had granted environmental clearance to the Ganga Express Way Project, prompted the High Court to quash the environmental clearance given to this project thereby imposing a ban on its implementation on 29th May, 2009, till further notice.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2009/work_on_ganga_expressway_proje.html

Dreaming of Tamil Elam
While the world mourns or condemns Prabhakaran, the aspirations and stories of people oppressed is lost. Shahidul Alam writes.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2009/dreaming_of_tamil_elam.html

Cheeni Kum - The Story of Sugarcane Cutters
According to Government statistics, sugarcane production here in Marathwada is very high but the exploitation is even more  pervasive which, unfortunately, remains unaccounted for.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2009/cheeni_kum_the_story_of_sugarc.html

I cannot hope to work towards equality and justice, towards non violence, till I stop dominating other opinions, other voices.