Founding Editor: Daya Varma (1929-2015)
Editors: Vinod Mubayi (New York) and Raza Mir (New Jersey).
Editorial Board: Ram Puniyani and Irfan Engineer (Mumbai); Pervez Hoodbhoy (Islamabad); Dolores Chew (Montreal); Vamsi Vakulabharanam (Amherst); Ajay Bhardwaj (Vancouver).
Circulation/website: Feroz Mehdi (On behalf of Alternatives, Montreal).
TERROR STRIKES MUMBAI AGAIN
Vinod Mubayi
The recent terrorist attack in Mumbai has affected people of all strata. The killers not only attacked the Taj hotel but also the main railway station and Cama hospital, which is frequented by the poor of Mumbai. The death of Karkare, who was investigating the role of Sangh Parivar in terrorism was a grave loss. The assault must be condemned in the strongest terms not only because of its utterly brutal nature but even more so because of its possible repercussions in the country’s polity.
TERRORISM AND SECURITY
Daya Varma
The Indian Prime Minister is being chastised by all kinds of people from Hindutva leader Advani to leftists for not providing adequate security. Making all of India like the present day Kashmir will stifle civilian life with graver consequences than can be brought about by terrorists.
LAMENT FOR MUMBAI: TEARS AS THE CITY OF JOY BURNS
Natasha Fatah
An outpouring of personal anguish by a young Canadian journalist with historic ties with Mumbai.
EMPATHY, GRIEF IN PAKISTAN AT MUMBAI MAYHEM
Beena Sarwar
Karachi-based Journalist Beena Sarwar recounts the outpouring of sympathy in Pakistan for the victims of the Mumbai terrorist attack and for India as a whole.
MUMBAI BLOODBATH
This Joint Statement was released to the press simultaneously in Pakistan and India on November 30 2008.
STATEMENT BY SADBHAV MISSION
MUMBAI UNDER SIEGE
Yoginder Sikand
“O ye who believe! stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear God. For God is well-acquainted with all that ye do.” (The Quran, Surah Al-Maida:8
Big events give rise to big conspiracy theories. Many have been floated following the recent Mumbai tragedy named 9/11 of India. Yoginder examines the saga of Mumbai and the role of Lashkar-e Tayyeba, one of the many outfits in this tragedy.
MUMBAI TERRORIST ATTACKS REPREHENSIBLE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
Dr. Fai (Kashmir American Council)
The Kashmir American Council like so many other organizations and individuals condemns the Mumbai terrorist attack.
THE DECEMBER ISSUE SHOULD FOCUS ON MUMBAI TERROR
Kiran Omar
Kiran Omar had submitted an article for the December issue of INSAF Bulletin; she felt the issue should focus on Mumbai episode.
KARKARE’S FAMILY REJECTS NARENDRA MODI’S OFFER
Karkare family shuns Rs. 10 million offer from Narendra Modi, the orchestrator of Gujarat anti-Muslim pogrom.
MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS: UPDATED LIST OF DEAD, INJURED
Submitted by Mumtaz on 28 November 2008 – 7:03pm.
Mumtaz has compiled a partial list of victims of the Mumbai terrorist attack.
TWO GREAT PARTIES, TWO INCOMPETENT LEADERS: ADVANTAGE HINDUTVA FASCISM
Daya Varma
Historically the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress have played a crucial role in forging Hindu-Muslim unity, which is opposed by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), the political wing of Hindutva fascism. There has been a let down in the role of CPI over years and with its division into CPI and CPI(Marxist), electoral politics had a sway. Against the historic and glorious tradition of the Communist Party, the two General Secretaries led the two parties to opportunistically ally with BJP to topple the present government on the non-issue of Indo-US nuclear deal.
FIGHT THE LIBERAL-LEFT MASKS THAT PROTECT THE FASCISTS
Kunal Chattopadhyay
The most important aids to the Hindutva-fascists are being provided by certain liberal or left wing, or even civil libertarian voices and former leftists. The strategy of the RSS and its extra-parliamentary wings are obvious. Yet people with left and liberal masks and past are mobilized by the fascists. These renegades from progressive battles flaunt their pedigrees all the better to defend the fascists in a roundabout way like not condemning strongly the murder of Hindutva leader Lakshmanand Saraswati or lumping all violence to be the same.
FACING UP TO SANGHI TERROR MODULES AND FASCIST DESIGN
From ML Update
Malegaon episode has revealed that the Sangh Parivar represents a lethal convergence of both communalism and terrorism. Custodial torture and fake encounters are invested by the Sangh Parivar and its political wing Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) with a halo of gallantry as long as the victims are Muslim. The same forces, however, begin to cry foul the moment some ‘swami’ or ‘sadhvi’ or some army official comes under the scanner.
ANATOMY OF SANGH PARIVAR
Ram Puniyani
The arrest of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur in the context of Malegaon blasts along with the arrest of army officers and the involvement of Bhonsala Military School has unfolded the whole new dimension of terrorism. The Sadhvi has been the member of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Durga Vahini, which are the parts of Sangh Parivar. However from the time of the murder of Gandhi by Godse, Sangh Parivar continues to deny its role, notwithstanding the evidence, in terrorism.
NANO IN GUJARAT- MAKE BELIEVE STATURE OF MODI
Ram Puniyani
Shifting of Nano from Singur, West Bengal to Gujarat has been projected as a feather in Narendra Modi’s cap. Modi, the organizer of the Gujarat anti-Muslim pogrom of 2002 is being portrayed as the future of India notwithstanding the dismal economic performance of his government.
AND NOW HINDU TERRORISTS?
Asghar Ali Engineer
Ram Madhav of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) contends that there is no such thing as Hindu terrorism. When asked about Sadhvi Pragnya’s arrest, he tried to distance RSS from her as did Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani. However, there is strong evidence of terrorism by Hindu zealots.
DHULE COMMUNAL VIOLENCE: INDEPENDENT CITIZENS’ INITIATIVE REPORT
Suryavanshi, Medha Patkar, M.B. Shah, J.G. Khairnar, Gopinath Landge, Shyam Patil, Avinash Patil, Vinod, Sandeep Barve
A team of concerned citizens investigated the communal riots in Dhule which erupted 9th October after 16 odd years, the previous one having taken place in 1992. The brutal attacks by outside mobs of communally charged youth equipped with arms have shaken the people of Dhule. The damage both in terms of human life and property is enormous. Most of the survivors are mill workers and daily wage laborers or small traders from poor households. No high ranking Govt. official or political leader visited the area and could promise them of building their future. Shocking revelations of the violence against minorities were witnessed. The team gives horrid details of the violence and makes many recommendations.
A HEALTHY DEBATE WITHIN THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF NEPAL (MAOISTS)
Daya Varma
Two separate documents, one authored by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Chairman and the other by Mohan Baidya were presented to the National Cadre Conference. Prachanda argued in favour of Federal Republic and Baidya for People’s Republic like in China. The debate appeared healthy and the Conference adopted what is termed People’s Federal Democratic National Republic, which seems to accommodate both views. Such debates, not very characteristic of communist parties, are healthy development.
A NEW POLITICAL FORMATION IN UTTAR PRADESH (UP)
Daya Varma
A new political formation in UP, Jan Sangharsh Morcha (JSM), held a massive rally in Lucknow on November 10 . It aims as a third alternative to the two existing parties, one led by the Chief Minister Mayawati and the other by the ex-Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. JSM will field candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2009 and explore the possibility of all-India platform.
A PROFILE OF NOVEL PEOPLES’ UNITY CAMPAIGN
Based in a report sent by VK Tripathi
Members of Sadbhav Samiti go door to door enquiring about their hardship and popularizing people centric nationalism as opposed to religious nationalism and persuade for communal harmony.
REBUTTAL OF PRAFUL BIDWAI’S COLUMN “THE ROAD TO GUJARAT”
In my (Daya Varma) opinion, political honesty and personal integrity demands that Medha Patkar, Sumit Sarkar and others in the company mount a fiercer resistance against Tata’s Nano venture in Gujarat than they did in Singur. Will they remain content criticizing Tata? This query is the substance of the following letter in Frontline by Ramakumar. The author of the letter Ramkumar argues that “Praful Bidwai’s column (“The Road to Gujarat”, November 7) is intriguing since he along with Medha Patkar and others opposed tooth and nail Tata’s nano car factory venture in Singur, West Bengal, ruled by the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led left front.
DR. ASGHAR ALI ENGINEER CONFERRED D.LITT BY JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA UNIVERSITY
Another honor for Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer.
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