Anup Chetia, one of the founders and the general secretary of the banned United Liberation Front of Assam, is back in India and engaged in peace talks with the government. Also known as Golap Baruah and Bhaijan, he was extradited from Bangladesh in November, and was later released from Guwahati jail on bail. Chetia had been arrested in Dhaka in December 1997 for illegally entering Banglades
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has always been a bastion of the left. Decades ago, people in power saw to it that JNU moved on the left beat. Recently, JNU students (and possibly some unidentified outsiders) chanted few slogans in favor of Afzal Guru who was hanged by the state. A furor ensued. Police arrested Kanhaiya Kumar, head of JNU students’ union and slapped sedition case agains
The recent statement from the liquor baron Vijay Mallya indicating he may not return to India at all has another bad news for banks which are putting efforts to
Veteran actor, writer and filmmaker, Padma Shri Nana Patekar is known for leading a simple life. In September 2015, along with noted Marathi actor, Makarand Anaspure, he started Naam Foundation to aid families of farmers affected by drought in Maharashtra. Talking to Geetanjali Mi
For over two and half years now, I have tried very hard to convince the Indian government to do something about the widespread prevalence of substandard drugs in the country. A recent report puts the number of substandard drugs as 1 in 7; an audit of the Armed Forces Medical Stores Depot by the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) shows that 1 in 4 locally procured drugs are substandard. Thi
We live in an ultraconnected world today, where a multitude of media – including the internet – and a host of channels crisscross, complement and supplement each other. If one of the streams is cut, the flow of communication seeps through parallel channels and reaches the audience it is intended for. Nevertheless, governments seem to think otherwise. As we have
Here is an anecdote of 2007 vintage. A well researched book on the history of Gujarat’s maritime trade with central Asia was being released. The small audience in the hall was largely made up of academics and some business leaders behind the trust that funded the research. Thus, the chief guest could put pressures of politics aside and speak from heart. “We, BJP and Congress, will k
Dear daughter, You asked me about the JNU episode the other day. For a nine-year-old, you seem quite concerned about the controversy, probably because it involves my alma mater. I thought it would be best to respond in a letter, which you can also read later when it wi
Students, faculty and staff drawn from all classes, castes, regions and religions make JNU a microcosm of the country. The institution reflects a rich diversity of cultures, languages and lifestyles prevailing in the country. JNU is a great leveller: Differences never translate into hierarchies. Students from Africa, Palestine, Middle East and other parts of the world add to the multicult
The arrest of JNU students under section 124A of the Indian penal code (IPC) for protesting against the execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru has kicked off a debate over the relevance of the colonial provision in a democracy. While it would not be tough to justify the arrests given the broad ambit of the law introduced by the British to deal with freedom fighters, it may not be eas
Is the freedom of expression being systematically suppressed in recent years? I do believe that there is a constant effort to do that, which is depressing. A free-thinking society signals growth, equality and development. But the changing scenario certainly puts a question mark on these. Is political intervention a reason for this shift?
National Trust is part of the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities under the ministry of social justice and empowerment. It works in particular for the welfare of people with four intellectual disabilities. Purnima Sharma spoke to its joint secretary and CEO CK Khaitan on how it is trying to bring change in the lives of persons with disabilities, or PwDs.
Ten years ago, Laxmi was only 15 when a self-styled lover had thrown acid on her face to avenge her for ignoring his romantic overtures. The acid had left Laxmi’s face scarred and also inflicted deeper psychological wounds. However, soon Laxmi met many other women with si
Why do you say that the Badals have used power to consolidate their personal businesses? What would you do about it if you come to power? In Punjab, it is public knowledge that the Badals have looted and robbed the state. They have completely monopolised the busin
Dr Najma Akbarali Heptulla, a former long-serving deputy chairperson of Rajya Sabha, heads the minority affairs ministry. She is one of the only two Muslim faces in the Modi government, but she denies feeling alienated in the BJP, which seems to have a pro-majority image. In conversation with Sweta Ranjan, Dr Heptulla states that the image of her party is absolutely clean and it is determin
On the occasion of Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary, January 23, the Modi government de-classified 100 files relating to the great freedom fighter. Two days later, his grandnephew Chandra Kumar Bose joined the BJP at a rally in Howrah, in the presence of party president Amit Shah. Bose then said, “I believe that it is only the BJP that can realise the vision of Netaji, Swami
A Swedish citizen, an American green-card holder and a Bengali at heart craving to live in India; award-winning Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen wears many hats. So, when she agreed to meet me in New Delhi for a luncheon interview, I was wondering if I should be prepared to host a stereotype Bengali. Not taking chances, I checked the menu of Eau De Monsoon at Le Meridian
When I sat down to write about my struggle of getting an admission in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), one thing clearly struck my mind: in this country the rules, regulations and laws are interpreted in such a negligent and covert manner that they could entail many possibilities of manipulation by public servants and administrators. One such manipulation of the law was played on me.
The supreme court is hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) questioning the ban on entry of women of the reproductive age in the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The PIL was filed in 2006 by Indian Young Lawyers’ Association in the midst of a raging controversy over temple authorities conducting ‘purification’ rituals and attempts being made to prosecute Kannada actress Jaimal
Long before the JNU row, renowned author Arundhati Roy who was once booked under the sedition law (which failed to stand up to judicial scrutiny) felt that justice is a thing which is o
