Artists Express Concern Over Alarming Rise of Intolerance

The following is the statement issued by Artists Alert: 2015, on October 27, 2015
THE artist community of India stands in firm solidarity with the actions of our writers who have relinquished awards and positions, and spoken up in protest against the alarming rise of intolerance in the country. We condemn and mourn the murders of MM Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare, rationalists and free thinkers whose voices have been silenced by rightwing dogmatists but whose ‘presence’ must ignite our resistance to the conditions of hate being generated around us.

Fight the Attack on Constitutional Values

THE constitutional head of the Indian State Pranab Mukherjee on October 7, 2015 observed that “we can’t allow the core values of our civilization to be wasted.” The president further elaborated that “…..the core value is what over the years civilization celebrated diversity, promoted and advocated tolerance, and plurality.” This statement or warning of President Mukherjee has been made in a specific context of the role of Sangh Parivar and the BJP government which is leading to a complete polarisation of society on religious basis, a phenomenon which is spreading hatred and instilling intol

Ramnathi Villagers Demand Banishment Of Sanatan Sanstha HQ from Ramnathi

RAMNATHI village in Goa is the headquarters of the Sanathan Sanstha, which operates from a luxurious large complex close to the ancient Ramnathi temple. On October 11, 2015, the villagers of Ramnathi village held a historic public meeting demanding a ban on the organisation and further demanding that the Sanatan Sanstha be banished from the village, because of its dubious activities and the disrepute that it is bringing to the village.

Communal Killing in Dadri

THE Prime Minister maintains his record of “opportunistic silence” while his warriors wreck havoc on constitutional guarantees and legal frameworks. The horrific incident of lynching of a 50-year-old Muslim man and assault on his 21-year-old son in Bishada village following rumours that the family had killed a calf and eaten beef is the bloody harvest being reaped from the seeds of hatred sown by the Sangh Parivar on the issue of cow slaughter.

Explaining the Rise of Rightwing Social Forces in India

THE unexpected and unprecedented expansion of the right wing social forces in India in the twenty first century deserves special attention and analysis because Indian rightists and “counter social revolutionary forces” are determined to destroy the idea of pluralist, secular and democratic India and replace it by an anti-people and anti-secularist full-fledged idea of “Hindu Nationhood”.

Left Parties Organise Peace March Against Communal Incidents in Jharkand

THE communal violence incidents in the last week of September had created a sense of insecurity among people of Ranchi and other districts. On the festive occasion, incidents where meat was allegedly thrown outside places of worship in different places of Ranchi and some districts took place. These incidents are a part of planned conspiracy. They are not done by some mischievous groups but they are part of efforts for creating communal polarisation by organised communal forces.

A Mockery of Justice in Kandhamal

IT is seven years since the anti-Christian violence unleashed by the Hindutva forces engulfed Kandhamal. But the victims are yet to receive justice. Violence targeted at minorities inevitably leads to a deterioration in their standards of living which sometimes takes decades to overcome. This is apart from the trauma and scars left by the fear and terror of those dark days which remain to haunt survivors. This gets intensified when the State and the criminal justice system fail to deliver on compensation, rehabilitation, and most importantly on punishment to those responsible.

Scholars, Historians Appeal: Resist Attack On Reason

SAHMAT organised a press conference on September 5 with a view to resist assault on reason and increasing communalisation of society and culture with the conviction that it can be beaten back by the sustained resistance of the community of scholars, artists and activists bolstered by the support of the wider community.

Communalisation of the State Apparatus

A MYTH has been spread by the bourgeois writers of democracy that the state and its apparatuses are "neutral agencies" and the rule of law is implemented in an impartial and unbiased manner by all managers of the capitalist democratic state.

Dissent, Hindutva & Politics Of Being Anti-National

LAST week, Sakshi Maharaj, a BJP MP, was once again in the news for calling all those who attended Yakub Memon’s funeral as anti-national. Just before that the minister for parliamentary affairs, Venkaiah Naidu stated that anyone questioning the hanging of Yakub Memon was “doing disservice to the nation”. A few days later, three news channels were served with notices to explain why they had questioned the president and the decision of the Supreme Court on the hanging of an “anti-national terrorist”.

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