2023

On Tuesday [25 July 2023] in the current session of Parliament Union Minister for Environment and forests introduced the Biodiversity bill amidst the opposition’s sloganeering on the Manipur issue. The content of the proposed both bills on Biodiversity and Forests dilutes conservation efforts of biodiversity and protected ( including range) forests listed in Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. New amendments will directly harm the interests of forest (…)

On his 116th birth anniversary (July 31st, 2023) we not only remember Kosambi (31 July 1907 — 29 June 1966) but seek to emulate his spirit. While most left intellectuals today are more preoccupied with building careers or absorbed in petty intrigues, one could, on this auspicious occasion, learn from DDK’s total focus on research and the interests of the people. Without such focus, discipline, and single-minded effort nothing great can be accomplished in life. We will be condemned to a (…)

There are remarkable parallels between the suffering of the victims of Manipur public stripping and gangrape, the international women wrestling champions’ sexual harassment case and even the Bilkis Bano gangrape of February-March, 2002 in Gujarat. And that is the alleged complicity of the state. In each instance we find the criminal/s won’t dare to commit such a heinous crime in full public view but for the confidence of protection of the state.
The official media in Delhi and Imphal, (…)

The Background in Brief
In April this year, a Manipur High Court verdict, in a favourable response to a demand by the (Hindu) Meitei community — constituting the dominant majority in the state inhabiting the Imphal Valley — for a Scheduled Tribe status directed the state government to make a decision on the issue preferably within four weeks.
The (Christian) tribal communities, inhabiting the surrounding hill areas, took fright and protested. The All Tribal Student Union of Manipur (…)

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The issue of corruption exists in varying degrees in many countries and is often referred to as cancer that eats away at the fabric of society. However, in India, the gravity of the problem is particularly alarming, with its overwhelming presence and detrimental impact on the economy. There is no need for empirical investigation to confirm this fact, as it is evident from India’s consistent ranking as one of the highest players in global corruption indices.
This paper explores the (…)

Can the Aadhaar database pave the way for genocide in Manipur like in Armenia and Nazi Germany?
Now that Indian Parliament, European Parliament, Chief Justice of India, Prime Minister, the Chief Minister of Manipur, National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women have taken note of the genocidal violence in Manipur and now that the 11 July, 2023 order of P. James Swu, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Medziphema, Nagaland barring the common service centres (…)

With a couple of months to go for assembly elections in Telangana, the political heat is raging in the state. With the goal of winning the elections, the leaders of the respective parties are taking the stage. As a part of that, the Congress Party is creating activities in a way that is attractive to all sections of the population. The Telangana Congress is planning to give guarantees, like Karnataka. The enthusiasm given by the results of the Karnataka Assembly elections is increasing, but (…)

With the demise of veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the people of Kerala has lost not only a man of consensus but also an endearing statesman with a humane touch. The Congress stalwart died on July 18, 2023 at the age of 79. During his lifetime, Chandy was known as the warm, down-to-earth politician and his humility, generosity and accessibility turned him into a People’s leader over the years (Mathew, 2023). Looking at the flood of tributes pouring in or the (…)

Greetings
Thanks for introducing me to Sai Deepak’s talks / interventions etc and also asking me to give my take on the debate and also understand it in light of how ’Hindutva is understood or what ’Hindutva is all about’.
Listened to Shashi Tharoor and J Sai Deepak.
https://youtu.be/7x-W_lIH5-4
Before coming to the crux of the issue would love to share my impressions about debate itself, about the speakers, their styles, persuasiveness etc. and share stray comments on some of (…)

by Jutharat Attawet
July 17, 2023
The nature of transnational surrogacy, where an intended parent seeks a woman to carry their baby internationally, allows people to circumvent national laws.
Anong*, from Thailand’s northern Petchaboon province, was 25 when she decided to be a surrogate mother for the first time.
"I was a surrogate in 2013 and 2018 … [I] was hired by a couple from a foreign country," she said, adding she needed to pay off her debt and looked online for a surrogacy (…)