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

Do Women Need Protection or Justice?
While it makes only a small dent, the Women's Protection Bill (WPB) casts the first stone at undoing the many draconian laws invented by Ziaul Haq. It took 27 long years, five governments and seven years for the incumbents to even begin the undoing process. Clearly in the business of law, demolition is far more cumbersome than construction.   
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/do_women_need_protection_or_ju.html

Protesters Opposing Singur Arrested in Salt Lake Stadium
On 10th January, activists including Medha Patkar, were arrested in the most undemocratic fashion and, were detained at the Salt Lake Stadium of Kolkata as they were about to leave the place where she was staying and proceed towards Singur.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/protesters_opposing_singur_arr_1.html

Pakcast: Afghan Refugees in Pakistan and Refugee Problems...
The Pakcast crew of Nasir Aziz and Ethan Casey join Human rights advocate Therese Caouette, who has worked with refugees in Thailand and Pakistan, for a lively discussion of refugee issues, including their impact on host societies. Ambreen Ali contributes a podlumn on Domestic Violence in South Asian Communities.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/pakcast_afghan_refugees_in_pak.html

749 Killed in 2006 in Maoists' Conflict in India
According to the Naxal Conflict in 2006 released to the media by Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), 749 persons were killed in the Naxalite conflict in India in 2006. On the other hand, the government strategy of Salwa Judum, in fact, makes resolution of the conflict more difficult.    http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/749_killed_in_2006_in_the_maoi_1.html

The New Maharajas of India
What is it like to be a modern-day Indian prince? Devinder Sharma and Bhaskar Goswami explain how the laws of the land are being redefined to bring in the reality of the royal tag for the rich and beautiful.    
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/the_new_maharajas_of_india_1.html

People of Ravaged Lanka
Through many real stories, M. R. Narayan Swamy, with Indo-Asian News Service, provides a glimpse of the war that ravages Sri Lanka.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/people_of_ravaged_lanka.html

Movies and Indo-Pak Peace
Faisal Mamsa, a Pakistani physician in the USA, questions the role of media vis-a-vis Indo-Pak relationships and asks - What does an average Indian think about Pakistanis?
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/movies_and_indopak_peace.html

SEZ: Sharing With the Rich
Are India’s economic policies taking the country further from what was envisioned by the constitution? The SEZ Act 2005 certainly suggests this.  
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/sez_sharing_with_the_rich.html

Bhopal Survivors Condemn Ratan Tata
Addressing a press conference today leaders of four organizations of survivors of the December 1984 Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal strongly condemned Chairman Tata Group Ratan Tata's offer to clear the path for Dow-Union Carbide's investments in India by leading an effort to pay for and clean up Union Carbide's toxic waste in Bhopal.  
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/bhopal_survivors_condemn_ratan.html

Stories of The Displaced India
The 2nd January 2007 marked the first anniversary of the Kalinganagar massacre in Orissa. Kalinganagar is one of the clearest examples of brutal abuse of power by the State agencies. After one year, justice, compensation and a sound policy on rehabilitation elude the displaced in Orissa as it does in The Displaced India. The  Asian Center for Human Rights remembers.  
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/stories_of_the_displaced_india.html

US  Muslims, Govt Discuss Islamophobia
With an increasing trend in hate crimes against Muslims in the US, representatives of the community and government officials met to discuss these trends and define Islamophobia. An Article by Muqtedar Khan follows.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/us_muslims_govt_discuss_islamo.html

Growing within the Trash Trade
While this is not a complete description of Bhavnagar, it is a description of certain poor sections of the city, that depend significantly on recycling and extracting components from the trash that comes out of the ship building industry in Alang. A report from a visit to child rights work in Bhavnagar.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/growing_within_the_trash_trade.html

Social Audit Report from Hardoi, U.P.
Asha Parivar conducted social audits of NREGS in Bharawan and Sandila blocks of Hardoi district. An analysis of the findings shows inadequate implementation of the program and significant inconsistencies.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/social_audit_report_from_hardo.html

Bengal Government Claims Busted
A report released by a committee of Singur-based organisations investigating the Singur unrest in West Bengal over a land deal between the government and Tata Motors has revealed that the government's claim of most of the land being waste was utterly false.
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2006/bengal_government_claims_buste_1.html

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