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).
JUSTFIED BUT MISPLACED ANGER AT BHOPAL JUDGEMENT
Daya Varma
On December 3, 1984, Bhopal became the site of the world’s worst industrial disaster. The question is: should India at all entertain hazardous industries. If the answer is yes, then what should be done to minimize the chances of disaster? And what should be done to minimize the suffering of the survivors and the families of the dead?
ISRAELI APARTHEID: SUSTAINED INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS NEEDED
Vinod Mubayi
A sustained world-wide campaign of boycott, divestment, and sanctions aimed at Israel is needed, just as it was in apartheid South Africa, to end the many decades long oppression of Palestinians by the State of Israel. [Also see article by Pervez Hoodbhoy in this issue]
International: THE FLOTILLA MASSACRE: WHY?
Pervez Hoodbhoy
It seems there is no crime beyond the reach of Israeli state, which killed nine peace activists trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians locked in Gaza. [Also see second article on Israel]
GHETTOES IN THE MAKING
Ram Puniyani
As per the report in a section of media recently (November 2009) UK based Muslim charities have warned the Muslims living in the relief colonies set up in the wake of Gujarat carnage, that they must abide with a code of conduct, no TV, no music, education only in Madrassa, particular type of cap and beard for men, hijab for women, etc. If these are not adhered to the Charity threatened that they will stop supporting the relief work. At the same time the members of Tablighi Jamat insisted on the similar lines, ‘Islamic Behavior’ or else! The Muslims living in these colonies are living a wretched life, totally bereft of any support from state and boycotted by the society at large.
KASHMIRIYAT REVISITED
Ram Puniyani
One of the consequences of the violent movement in Kashmir was the exodus of Pandits from the valley to Delhi and other parts and the decimation of the cultural life of Kashmir. They have been living as refugees ever since. The recent visit of a big number of Pandits to the valley and the welcome they received is a heartening development.
INDIAN MUSLIMS – PROBLEMS AND VOTING PATTERN
Asghar Ali Engineer
Prior to the formation of the Left Front government in West Bengal, communal riots between Hindus and Muslims plagued that region. The Left government put an end to it and was generally supported by Muslims. For reasons analyzed in this article, there has been significant erosion in the Muslim support for the Left Front.
PROJECTING RETROGRADE FATWAS: REINFORCING STEREOTYPES
Ram Puniyani
Fatwas by Muslim clerics is routine. Although these do not play a decisive role in the conduct of India’s Muslim population, the media highlights some, which are decidedly unfair, and ignores others, which have larger implications. For example, the media sensationalized a fatwa against Muslim women working at public places and ignored the one against resort to terrorism. Why?
POLICE FIRING IN DHULIA (Maharashtra) ON MAY 6, 2010
An Enquiry into the Dhulia incident of May 12, 2010 in which many Muslims were arrested and Muslim property was damaged reveals an in-built prejudice on the part of Police against Muslims.
TERRORISM AND GANDHIAN NON-VIOLENCE
Asghar Ali Engineer
Recent terroristic attacks by Maoists in India and jihadis in Pakistan and the violence world over raise the question of the relevance of Gandhian teaching and practice and the lack of compliance of it by many who claim to be Gandhian. Violence has different forms and this article presents an in-depth analysis of factors leading to persistence of violence and the need for activists like Gandhi.
Pakistan: A MURDEROUS MINDSET
Huma Yusuf
In a forthright and bold analysis, the author contends that Pakistanis are collectively complicit in the brutal attack on Ahmadis in a mosque by allowing the persistence of religious bigotry as justifiable defense of Islam.
Nepal: POLITICAL PARTIES DEMAND COMMITMENT TO PLEURALISM FROM MAOISTS
Kamal Dev Bhattarai
Although the United Communist Party of Nepal (UCPN)-Maoists has incorporated various provisions of parliamentary democracy in its constitution, its stand on pluralism is not sufficiently forthright. Other political parties of Nepal have expressed their concern on this matter.
Nepal: THREE-POINT PACT ENDS STALEMATE
Himalayan News Service (May 29, 2010)
The Constituent Assembly (CA) was elected in the first general election in Nepal in April 2008 with CPN (Maoists) winning the most seats. Much has happened since then but the mandate of the CA has not been completed and its term was coming to an end, which would have caused a major crisis. At the last minute the major parties (Maoists, UML and Congress) reached an agreement to extend the term of CA.
India: THE FUND OF GOODWILL FOR THE TRIBAL PEOPLE
Dr. B.D. Sharma, the former Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes appeals to the President of India to redress the needs of the Tribal people.
Canada: CANADIAN GOVERNMENT APOLOGIZES FOR AIR INDIA TRAGEDY
The Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologizes to the families of the victims of terrorist bombing of Air India flight which claimed the lives of the all the passengers and the crew totaling 329.
International: PROTEST AGAINST ISRAELI HIGH HANDEDNESS IN INDIA
(FOIL-News Report)
Sentiments against Israeli belligerence are not receding in fact growing with the time. Mumbai residents join the series of Protest happening all over the world against the Killing of 19 Innocent Peace loving civilians. CPI ML, Bharat Bacho Andolan, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and SIO on Thursday hold a Protest near Churchgate Railway station in South Mumbai.
OBITUARY: JOAN HINTON, PHYSICIST WHO CHOSE CHINA OVER ATOM BOMB, IS DEAD AT 88
William Grimes
Joan Hinton, a physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project, which developed the atom bomb, but spent most of her life as a committed Maoist working on dairy farms in China, died on Tuesday in Beijing. She was 88. The cause has not yet been determined, but she had an abdominal aneurysm, her son Bill Engst said.