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).
NEW YEARS GREETINGS!
SHOULD ADIVASIS CONTINUE TO LIVE IN FORESTS?
Daya Varma and Vinod Mubayi
All Indians were Adivasis living in jungles at some time in history; approximately 7 percent still do. Should not the government take appropriate steps to rehabilitate them before proceeding to exploit the mineral wealth of the forests, which should be treated as national property?
L.K.ADVANI AND THE MYTHOLOGY OF “SADNESS”: AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT
Badri Raina
An eye-witness report by Journalist Ruchira Gupta about who did what including LK Advani during the demolition of the Babri does not appear in the Liberhan Report; yet what it reveals about senior leaders of the Bhartiya Janata Party should be an eye-opener.
LISTEN TO THE MUSLIM WOMAN’S VOICE
Zakia Soman
The endless plight of the Muslims of India since 1947 is creating a new category of Dalits.
IS THE CHECK IN THE MAIL? The confessions of a groveling Pakistani native orientalist
Pervez Hoodbhoy
Pervez Hoodbhoy is a fearless opponent of the Jihadi culture in Pakistan; and yet, maybe because of it, he is being maligned.
IN THE NAME OF RELIGION
Ghazi Salahuddin
This insane surge in terror bombings early this week is bound to prey on our minds. Yes, the instinctive response is likely to be that of utter dejection. Still, the situation calls for some soul-searching. This means we need to seriously examine our thoughts and feelings in the context of what is happening.
THE IMPACT OF WAR ON GLOBAL WARMING
Claudia Saba
The Copenhagen parley is ignoring the impact of wars on global warming. How serious it is?
NEPAL: Crisis Continues
Vinod Mubayi and Daya Varma
The Nepal crisis continues. Recent moves indicate a more active and larger role for the military in the politics of the country.
FRIENDS LIKE THESE
CK Lal
With our friends homing in on security, Nepali democracy really will have to be home-grown.
NEPAL: UN HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL VOICES CONCERN ABOUT PROMOTION OF ARMY OFFICER
Richard Bennett of the human rights office (OHCHR) in Nepal (From UN News Center]
25 December 2009 – A top United Nations official in Nepal today expressed serious reservations over the controversial promotion of a military General with ties to breaches of human rights to be second- in-command in Nepal’s army.
GETTING OUT OF THE QUAGMIRE
Sukhdev Shah
As things have evolved over the past three years, Nepal has become a fertile ground for a military takeover of the government, independently or under the shadow of a constitutional authority. Such a possibility has been talked about in a limited circle but been forced open by a delegation of some Nepali Congress (NC) leaders who recently urged President Ram Baran Yadav to consider imposing President’s Rule to help restore peace and enable the Constituent Assembly (CA) to complete writing the constitution before the expiry of deadline in five months.