2024

Issued on this the July 1, 2024.
We, the people of India, condemn the alarming increase in Hate Crimes against minorities, which have worryingly increased post the results of the recently concluded general election!
Although the clear verdict by the Indian electorate was against polarisation and the divisive campaign of hate, the ruling NDA refuses to learn its lessons. BJP leaders have loudly blamed the minority community for their defeat, such targeting of minority communities has (…)

As heat waves intensified over a vast part of the country, Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh was repeatedly found to be among the more severely affected parts of the country. Amidst the increasing difficulties of the people here the only saving grace that people were increasingly discussing the urgency of the task of water conservation.
The ravages of global warming apart, a part of the credit should also go to the water conservation and sanitation volunteers called Jal Sahelis. Linked (…)

This essay looks at the phenomenon of virality on the internet by mapping Nancy Tyagi’s recent journey to fame. It takes a concentrated look at her social media presence and her journey as an influencer over a short time span to analyse whether such stories reflect a case of organic virality or that of a mechanised production of popularity that makes influencers like her achieve a level of stardom akin to that of a celebrity.
The phenomenon of virality, that is, large scale diffusion and (…)

Introduction: The Colors of Our Spaces
Pride Month is a vibrant celebration of LGBTQIA+ identities and histories, rooted in the transformative Stonewall Riots of June 1969. It honors activists like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Stormé DeLarverie, whose courage sparked a global movement for queer liberation. This month-long celebration is a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality and the indomitable spirit of the LGBTQIA+ community. This editorial examines Pride (…)

The Lambani community is known by various names such as Banjara, Gormati, Vanjara, Gor, and Sukali. The British categorised them as gypsies. Within Karnataka, they are recognised by names like Banjara, Lambani, Lambada, Lambadi, Lamani, Sugali, and Sukali. Constituting a semi-nomadic group, the Lambani community has been an integral component of the Indian societal fabric for long. Exhibiting a vibrant and flamboyant way of existence, these individuals possess a profound connection to their (…)

June 27, 2024
With the process of swearing-In ceremony of all newly elected Lok Sabha members not yet complete, and the election of Speaker pending for the next day, Prime minister Narendra Modi started addressing the members from a mike specially placed next to the Speaker’s seat. He appeared to be in such a great hurry in reminding his audiance of the "most vicious attack" on our Constitution, by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on "this day tomorrow" ( 26th June 2024) 50 years ago. (…)

As news of Noam Chomsky’s failing health makes the rounds, a journalist and peace activist from Pakistan shares some of her learnings from interactions with a trailblazing public intellectual whose moral compass has impacted the world
By Beena Sarwar
I once asked Noam Chomsky how he manages to remember so many facts and figures and hold audience attention. He replied that he didn’t convey any new information, that his talks are based on materials already in the public domain, and that he (…)

The Spanish war has probably produced a richer crop of lies than any event since the Great War of 1914-18, but I honestly doubt, in spite of all those hecatombs of nuns who have been raped and crucified before the eyes of Daily Mail reporters, whether it is the pro-Fascist newspapers that have done the most harm. It is the left-wing papers, the News Chronicle and the Daily Worker, with their far subtler methods of distortion, that have prevented the British public from grasping the real (…)

The Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD, India chapter) extends heartfelt condolences and solidarity to the peace-loving people of South Asia on the passing of Karamat Ali on 20th June 2024
Karamat Ali was renowned as a veteran labour activist, affectionately known to both old and new members of the forum, as Karamat Sa’ab. We remember him fondly as a legend, a crusader for justice, peace, and democracy, and a passionate lover of literature, poetry, and music. He (…)

Communist Party of India (Marxist)
June 27, 2024
Press Statement
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
Strongly Condemn Vicious Communal Assault on Muslims
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemns the spate of attacks against members of the Muslim community in various parts of the country in the period since the election results were announced.
In Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur, three Muslim men (…)