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).
SOUTH ASIA ENGULFED BY CONFLICTS!
Vinod Mubayi
South Asia is experiencing an unprecedented degree of ethnic, linguistic, and religious conflict. This is exemplified by the fast growing Talibanization of Pakistan and the violence perpetrated on innocent civilians, the depredations of the Hindutva fundamentalists in India not only against religious minorities but also on all those who do not subscribe to their ideology, but above all by the majority Sinhala – minority Tamil conflict in Sri Lanka now reaching a climax, which threatens a full-scale genocide of the hapless Tamil population, caught between two brutal opposing forces, the LTTE and the Sri Lanka Army.
LIONS, TIGERS, AND THE CULLING OF SRI LANKA’S TAMILS
Neil DeVotta
Sri Lanka’s Lions (Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist government) and Tigers (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) continue their savage war that is now slaughtering thousands of innocent Tamil civilians caught in the crossfire. The government claims to go out of its way to minimize civilian casualties, despite having relied on a strategy of deliberately and indiscriminately bombing areas filled with Tamil civilians; the LTTE, which is branded a terrorist group by over thirty countries, claims it is fighting to liberate Tamils-even as it forcibly recruits civilians, including child soldiers, to fight government forces and uses these trapped Tamils as human shields; and the international community, which claims to care about the plight of innocent civilians, stands impotently on the sidelines as beleaguered Tamils are being murdered.
FUNDAMENTALISM WITHOUT BORDERS
Daya Varma and Vinod Mubayi
While Muslims are the obvious target of Sangh Parivar, no one should feel immune to their pernicious policies- even Hindus?
KITCHEN, CHURCH AND CHILDREN: Shri Ram Sene Beats up Girls in a Pub
Ram Puniyani
Having killed and humiliated thousands of Muslims and Christians, the Hindutva fascists extend their operation to include non-conformist Hindus, starting with women. But that is not where it will end.
HINDU TALIBAN
(Editorial, The Hindu, February 7, 2009)
The California-based late IK Shukla had the foresight to introduce the term “Hindu Talibans” to describe hooligans of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and other outfits of the Sangh Parivar. Now the mainstream media too is recognizing that the Sangh Parivar is on war path against what people cherish about India.
HOLY GARB: PROFANE AGENDA: Seers Demand Dropping of Word Secular from Indian Constitution!
Ram Puniyani
The self-appointed custodians of Hindu ethos want to take the next jump by transforming Secular India into a formal Hindu India.
DEMOCRACY, ELECTIONS AND MINORITIES IN INDIA
Asghar Ali Engineer
Major political parties recognize the significance of Muslims votes. So in the upcoming federal election they are using a variety of tricks to wooing Muslims – but just for their votes and hardly their well being.
IN THE NAME OF “HONOUR” – EDUCATION OF GIRLS IN FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED TRIBAL AREAS OF PAKISTAN UNDER SIEGE
Kiran Omar
Born to be illiterate – is that the fate of girls in certain parts of Pakistan?
THE SAUDI-ISATION OF PAKISTAN
Pervez Hoodbhoy
A stern, unyielding version of Islam is replacing the kinder, gentler Islam of the Sufis in Pakistan. The vibrant culture of the subcontinent is being crucified in Pakistan.
INDIA IS A SILENT BYSTANDER IN SRI LANKAN TRAGEDY
Tapan Bose
Violating all international norms formulated at the end of the World War II, the government of Sri Lanka will practically imprison the Tamil population as a solution to the present conflict and future issues.
A HUMANITARIAN TRUCE TO SAFEGUARD TRAPPED CIVILIANS IN SRI LANKA
(National Peace Council of Sri Lanka; Press Release; January 29, 2009)
In the battle for final victory and surrender of LTTE, the Sri Lanka government does not care who and how many civilians die and suffer – such is the scale of humanitarian crisis.
JOINT INDIA-PAKISTAN CAMPAIGN FOR PEACE AND HARMONY
(Initiated by COVA (Hyderabad) and Piler (Karachi)
We are happy to inform you that the India-Pakistan Joint Signature Campaign against terrorism, war posturing and to promote cooperation and peace between India and Pakistan is drawing excellent support from the civil societies of India and Pakistan. The following prominent personalities have signed the petition: Read the endorsements…
RALLY FOR PEACE BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA
(SACW Feb 1, 2009 Dispatch# 2604)
Lahore: A massive turnout at the peace rally organized by the Aman Tehreek from Regal Chowk to Punjab Assembly building in a bid to defuse tension and war-mongering between India and Pakistan was seen on January 31, 2009.
CPI(M) AND CPI DEMAND CANCELLATION OF DEFENCE CONTRACT WITH ISRAEL
(Submitted by Vijay Prashad).
On February 9, 2009, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of India sent the following letter to Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India opposing defence contrats with Israel.
THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HONORS KING-GANDHI ASSOCIATION
(Submitted by Zafar Iqbal, February 12, 2009)
The US House of Reps passed a with a 460-0 vote a resolution to “…commemorate the impact that Dr. King’s trip to India and his study of the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi had in shaping the Civil Rights Movement…”
OBSERVATIONS OF A BRIEF TRIP TO SHANGHAI: MODERNITY TROUNCING TRADITION
Arun Kumar
A trip to China is an eye-opener for a curious and informed Indian. How does China compare with India in general wellbeing and infrastructure?
OBITUARY: ILLUSION OF AN EPOCH – Victor Kiernan (1913-2009): Historian and India’s friend
Rudrangshu Mukherjee (The Telegraph, February 22, 2009)
The death of the British Marxist historian Victor Kiernan, deeply connected with India, naturally inspired many columns including from Eric Hobsbawm and Tariq Ali. Here is one from Prof. Mukherjee produced below.
HELPING CAPITALISTS WOULD NOT HELP THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM
Daya Varma
Every one knows that the present economic crisis, which started from the U.S. is now affecting the whole world. Yet capitalism as a system is not about to collapse like did the Soviet-brand of socialism. Yet the solution being devised by leaders of the capitalist world are helping individual capitalists but not the system.