19 August 2001
Scotland on Sunday
By David Orr
LAST Wednesday in a village in central India, a woman known by only a single name realised a cherished dream. Shantibai was allowed to raise the national flag to mark Independence Day.

What made an unexceptional ceremony so special was the fact that Shantibai is a tribal woman from a socially backward community. Objections from higher-caste members in her village in the state of Madhya Pradesh had at first prevented her from hoisting the flag.

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Shame of Hidden ApartheidRead More »

10 August 2001
Inter Press Service
By Ranjit Devraj
NEW DELHI: Far from creating detente on the 52-year-old Kashmir issue, the mid-July Indo-Pakistan summit may actually have triggered a new phase of intensified violence now unfolding over the divided territory.

A joke which did the rounds during the three-day summit, held in the historic former Mughal capital of Agra, put the Kashmir issue in a nutshell: Pakistan has the issue and India has Kashmir.

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South Asia: New Violence in Kashmir Has Roots in Failed SummitRead More »

7 August 2001
The New York Times
By Barry Bearak

Fire swiftly consumed a thatch-walled shelter for the mentally ill in southern India on Monday morning, killing at least 25 inmates who were shackled to poles, the police said.

Some witnesses reported that when they first heard screams they assumed it was the customary ranting. Then they saw the blaze lighting up the predawn sky. “Everyone inside was chained around their feet, and they didn’t have much chance of getting out of that shed,” said Mumtaj Begum, a woman at the scene.

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Blaze Kills 25 at Shelter For Mentally Ill in Southern IndiaRead More »

24 June 2001
The Boston Globe
By Pamela Constable, Washington Post
 
NEW DELHI: The government newspaper ad looked routine, like those that invite bids for sewer contracts or announce results of civil service exams.

But the fine print conveyed a hostile-sounding message to foreign visitors and their Indian hosts. All private citizens and public establishments were ordered to report any overnight foreign guest to police within 24 hours or face a potential five-year prison sentence.

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In India, Police Keep Tabs on Overnight Foreign GuestsRead More »

13 April 2001
Noticias en Espanol
by Por Ranjit Devraj
NUEVA DELHI: Nuevas restricciones del gobierno de India a la presencia de delegados de algunos estados extranjeros en conferencias internacionales celebradas en este pa s causaron fuertes protestas de organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG).

Los organizadores de esos encuentros deber n obtener la aprobaci n previa del Ministerio del Interior si entre los participantes figuran ciudadanos de Afganist n, Bangladesh, Pakist n o Sri Lanka.

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India: Gobierno Restringe Ingreso De Delegados Extranjeros (“India: government to restrict entry of foreign delegates”)Read More »

13 April 2001
Inter Press Service
By Ranjit Devraj
NEW DELHI, Apr. 13, 2001 – Organizers of international conferences here will now have to gain the prior approval of the Indian government if the participants include nationals of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Pakistan or Sri Lanka.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and those trying to promote people-to-people contacts say the Home Ministry’s order is a blow to efforts to reduce political tension on the subcontinent.

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Politics-India: Protests over Curbs on Foreign DelegatesRead More »