27 October, 2009 | Voice of America

More than 2,000 years ago, Hindu priests, in what is now modern-day India, divided society into four distinct castes. The four original castes have now been subdivided into about 3,000 categories. Caste distinctions remain strong. Many lower-caste Indians – known as Dalits – say those distinctions reinforce discriminatory practices. Dalit activists recently sought to highlight the issue of caste at the United Nations-sponsored World Conference Against Racism. There are deep divisions in India about whether caste practices are racist or not.

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Caste Discrimination Endures in IndiaRead More »

28 March 2009 | HindToday

New Delhi: 28 March (RINA): Torture of Muslims in police custody is commonplace. Although India is rising a world power and is under a spell of tremendous economic boon, however, on the other side of the coin there are gross human rights violations in the country. India fares badly in human rights records. In fact in the case custodial tortures it is placed fairly high on the international index. According to the Ravi Nair, Director of South Asian Human Rights Association, “In the Indian context it is custodial torture is a normal practice and is not looked down upon”.

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Torture Muslims In Police Custody Is A Commonplace In IndiaRead More »

24 January 2009-30 January 2009 | Economic and Political Weekly, volume no. 44 issue no. 4 dated

Law and Judiciary
This unconventional war cannot be won in a conventional way. It can only be won by showing that our values are stronger, better and more just, more fair and more humane than the alternative. Terrorism is a multifaceted phenomenon that must be dealt with intelligently. Anti-terror laws must only be enacted after well-considered debate. Laws that empower the security agencies by limiting civil liberties should not be constructed in haste. The December 2008 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Bill was rushed through without adequate debate. The government ignored calls from some Members of Parliament (MPs) to refer the bill to a standing committee for review before being enacted.

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Stop This Terror of Law: Ravi NairRead More »