Silencing Journalists in India
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MJ Akbar V. Priya Ramani
IN THE COURT OF SHRI RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY, ACMM-01, ROUSE AVENUE DISTRICT COURTS, NEW DELHI Complaint Case No. 05/2019 CNR No. DLCT12-000025-2019 Mobashar Jawed Akbar Vs. Priya Ramani 17.02.2021 ID No. : 05/2019 CNR No. DLCT12-000025-2019 Date of commission of offence : 08.10.2018 Date of institution of the case : 18.10.2018 Name of the complainant : Mr. Mobashar Jawed Akbar S/o Sh. Sheikh Akbar Ali, Name of accused person and : Ms. Priya Ramani address Offence complained of : U/s 500 IPC read with Section 499 IPC Plea of the accused : Pleaded not guilty Final order : Accused acquitted regarding commission of offence punishable U/s 500 IPC. Date of judgment : 17.02.2021 . -2- J U D G M E N T 1. As per complaint of the complainant, complainant Mobashar Jawed Akbar is a Politician who was Minister of State in External Affairs and is a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh State. It is averred that complainant is a veteran indian journalist and is author of several renowned books. It is also averred that complainant is married having two children. It is averred that he was Member of Parliament between 1989 and 1991. It is also averred that he was appointed as National Spokes Person during the year 2014 in General Elections and in the July 2015, he was elected to Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand State. It is averred that complainant had a long carrier in journalism and he launched India©s First Weekly Political News Magazine, Sunday in the year 1996 and two daily Newspapers, The Telegraph and The Asian Age in the year 1989 and 1994 respectively. -
From Secular Democracy to Hindu Rashtra Gita Sahgal*
Feminist Dissent Hindutva Past and Present: From Secular Democracy to Hindu Rashtra Gita Sahgal* *Correspondence: secularspaces@ gmail.com Abstract This essay outlines the beginnings of Hindutva, a political movement aimed at establishing rule by the Hindu majority. It describes the origin myths of Aryan supremacy that Hindutva has developed, alongside the campaign to build a temple on the supposed birthplace of Ram, as well as the re-writing of history. These characteristics suggest that it is a far-right fundamentalist movement, in accordance with the definition of fundamentalism proposed by Feminist Dissent. Finally, it outlines Hindutva’s ‘re-imagining’ of Peer review: This article secularism and its violent campaigns against those it labels as ‘outsiders’ has been subject to a double blind peer review to its constructed imaginary of India. process Keywords: Hindutva, fundamentalism, secularism © Copyright: The Hindutva, the fundamentalist political movement of Hinduism, is also a Authors. This article is issued under the terms of foundational movement of the 20th century far right. Unlike its European the Creative Commons Attribution Non- contemporaries in Italy, Spain and Germany, which emerged in the post- Commercial Share Alike License, which permits first World War period and rapidly ascended to power, Hindutva struggled use and redistribution of the work provided that to gain mass acceptance and was held off by mass democratic movements. the original author and source are credited, the The anti-colonial struggle as well as Left, rationalist and feminist work is not used for commercial purposes and movements recognised its dangers and mobilised against it. Their support that any derivative works for anti-fascism abroad and their struggles against British imperialism and are made available under the same license terms. -
Science and Rising Nationalism in India
COMMENT BOOKS & ARTS of conservatism has long mingled with Christian fundamentalism and the rejection of evolution. But as the examples in Holy Science show, the burgeoning complexity of this fusion in India is notable. Ancient India abounded in scientific advances, in fields from astronomy and mathematics to metallurgy and surgery. The DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/GETTY DIBYANGSHU Sanskrit text Sushruta Samhita, dated to the first millennium bc, discusses techniques for skin grafts and nose reconstruction. These achievements, along with traditional Indian knowledge systems, were egregiously sidelined during colonial rule. Yet some nationalist rhetoric overstates or distorts history. Subramaniam shows how modern science has been bolted to Hindu mythol- ogy: Modi has posited, for example, that the elephant-headed deity Ganesha was a prod- uct of ancient cosmetic surgery. Other claims have been made for the current relevance of ancient practices. For instance, Modi has made speeches declaring that yoga can help tackle climate change by nurturing a social conscience. At the heart of Holy Science are several case studies examining the interplay of biology, public policy and ancient traditions in today’s India, which Subramaniam frames as “bio- nationalism”. One is the marketing of vaastu Preparations for a rally in favour of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kolkata in April 2019. shaastra, literally the ‘science of architecture’, a tradition not unlike Chinese feng shui that POLITICS originated in the Vedas — the earliest Hindu scriptures, dating back more than three mil- lennia. This belief system holds that siting rooms and entrances in certain ways bestows Science and rising harmony and encourages well-being. -
Modi, Social Media, and Competitive Electoral Populism in India
International Journal of Communication 11(2017), 4158–4180 1932–8036/20170005 Fragile Hegemony: Modi, Social Media, and Competitive Electoral Populism in India SUBIR SINHA1 School of Oriental and African Studies, London, UK Direct and unmediated communication between the leader and the people defines and constitutes populism. I examine how social media, and communicative practices typical to it, function as sites and modes for constituting competing models of the leader, the people, and their relationship in contemporary Indian politics. Social media was mobilized for creating a parliamentary majority for Narendra Modi, who dominated this terrain and whose campaign mastered the use of different platforms to access and enroll diverse social groups into a winning coalition behind his claims to a “developmental sovereignty” ratified by “the people.” Following his victory, other parties and political formations have established substantial presence on these platforms. I examine emerging strategies of using social media to criticize and satirize Modi and offering alternative leader-people relations, thus democratizing social media. Practices of critique and its dissemination suggest the outlines of possible “counterpeople” available for enrollment in populism’s future forms. I conclude with remarks about the connection between activated citizens on social media and the fragility of hegemony in the domain of politics more generally. Keywords: Modi, populism, Twitter, WhatsApp, social media On January 24, 2017, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), proudly tweeted that Narendra Modi, its iconic prime minister of India, had become “the world’s most followed leader on social media” (see Figure 1). Modi’s management of—and dominance over—media and social media was a key factor contributing to his convincing win in the 2014 general election, when he led his party to a parliamentary majority, winning 31% of the votes cast. -
Resistance from Within Muslims Against the Practice of Thple Divorce
S THE DEBATE OVCT the issue Aof triple divorce is becoming more and more pronounced and sharply focused, it is evident that a majority of the educationally and Resistance From Within economically well-off Muslims, both men and women, are against the Muslims against the Practice of THple Divorce pronouncement of triple divorce in a Askari Zaidi single sitting. Most of the lower income Muslim men, however, appear to be in favourof its continuation, It was a routine fatwa given by a the Shariat Act, 1937. It would be valid though their women differ from them. scholar belonging to the Jamiat Ahle only if three pronouncements are This was clearly brought out by a Hadees, a small Muslim sect which made in three consecutive terms of survey conducted jointly by MRAS/ believes in the supremacy of Hadees “ritual purity” (monthly menstrual Burke, a market research agency, and (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad), course). The Pioneer in Delhi and Lucknow, in May this year that sparked off the The Jamiat Ulemai Hind (JUH), a as well as a convention held in the controversy. The fatwa, first body of Muslim theologians capital on August 8. pub-lished in the Jamiat’s magazine belonging to the Deoband Darul The day-long convention was titled Jarida Tarjumaan, of May 21, Uloom, however, called a press called by the Muslim Intelligentsia and later quoted in several newspaper conference in July and denounced the Meet (a social movement launched in re-ports, was generated from a case stand taken by the Ahle Hadees. The tfie aftermath of the Ayodhya tragedy) involving aman of western Uttar JUH holds the view that the to evolve a consensus in the Pradesh who had pronounced ‘talaq’ pronouncement of triple divorce in community on the issue of triple thrice to his wife in a fit of anger but one sitting is irrevocable, and if the divorce. -
RESOLUTION on INDIA the State of Freedom of Expression in India
RESOLUTION ON INDIA The state of freedom of expression in India continues to deteriorate. Writers who voice dissenting viewpoints continue to be at risk for harassment and murder, and India’s defamation laws continue to be exploited by self-interested parties to prevent the publication of material that may well be in the public interest. A culture of intolerance linked to an emerging nationalist discourse and a rise in vigilantism - which PEN International identified in its 2015 and 2016 reports on freedom of expression in the country, and reiterated in its submission to the 27th session of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review – continues to grow. The low-cost of initiating defamation proceedings in the courts, combined with an expectation of impunity for attacks carried out against writers, intimidate critical voices into silence and result in a chill on freedom of expression. In the past six weeks alone, three incidents have demonstrated the dire state of freedom of expression in the country: MURDER: On 5 September 2017, Gauri Lankesh, a senior journalist and editor of the weekly Kannada-language tabloid Gauri Lankesh Patrike, was shot dead in front of her home in Bengaluru, Karnataka state. Lankesh, aged 55, was an outspoken critic of communalism and caste-based discrimination in her writing, and a champion of progressive causes, such as supporting student movements. To date there have been no arrests in the case, and the murderers remain at large. At least 16 writers or print journalists have been killed in India since 2013. Lankesh’s murder follows three similar recent murders – of scholar M M Kalburgi, rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, and activist Govind Pansare – which have remained unsolved, and which led to 39 Indian writers and artists returning awards from India’s Sahitya Akademi (Literature Academy) in protest against the Academy’s silence and governmental inaction, and more than 130 writers, artists and filmmakers returning other accolades. -
The Saffron Wave Meets the Silent Revolution: Why the Poor Vote for Hindu Nationalism in India
THE SAFFRON WAVE MEETS THE SILENT REVOLUTION: WHY THE POOR VOTE FOR HINDU NATIONALISM IN INDIA A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Tariq Thachil August 2009 © 2009 Tariq Thachil THE SAFFRON WAVE MEETS THE SILENT REVOLUTION: WHY THE POOR VOTE FOR HINDU NATIONALISM IN INDIA Tariq Thachil, Ph. D. Cornell University 2009 How do religious parties with historically elite support bases win the mass support required to succeed in democratic politics? This dissertation examines why the world’s largest such party, the upper-caste, Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has experienced variable success in wooing poor Hindu populations across India. Briefly, my research demonstrates that neither conventional clientelist techniques used by elite parties, nor strategies of ideological polarization favored by religious parties, explain the BJP’s pattern of success with poor Hindus. Instead the party has relied on the efforts of its ‘social service’ organizational affiliates in the broader Hindu nationalist movement. The dissertation articulates and tests several hypotheses about the efficacy of this organizational approach in forging party-voter linkages at the national, state, district, and individual level, employing a multi-level research design including a range of statistical and qualitative techniques of analysis. In doing so, the dissertation utilizes national and author-conducted local survey data, extensive interviews, and close observation of Hindu nationalist recruitment techniques collected over thirteen months of fieldwork. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Tariq Thachil was born in New Delhi, India. He received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Stanford University in 2003. -
Communist Party of India (Maoist) Central Committee
COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) CENTRAL COMMITTEE Press Release 9-9-2017 Strongly condemn and protest against the assassination of journalist Gauri Lankesh by Hindutva-terrorist Sangh Parivar goons! Intensify the countrywide united people’s movement against Brahmanical Hindu-fascism! Well-known journalist, social activist, political commentator and translator Gauri Lankesh was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants at around 8.30pm on 5 September near her home in Bangaluru when she was returning from work. Three bullets hit her chest and head and she died instantaneously. The Central Committee, Communist Party of India (Maoist), condemns this heinous murder in strongest possible terms and conveys its condolences to her relatives and friends. Our Party holds Brahmanical Hindu-fascist goons of Sangh Parivar led by Mohan Bhagwat & co. to be directly responsible for this assassination. This is not only a blatant attack on free speech and freedom of the press but an assault on all revolutionary, democratic, progressive, secular and rational dissenting voices of the country. In this context, we emphatically reject and strongly condemn the patently false insinuation made by some leaders of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP suggesting that our Party might be behind this murder. This is nothing but a futile attempt to divert the growing mass anger against the Sangh Parivar. The CC of our Party calls upon the oppressed classes and the people of the country, the religious and national minorities, Dalits, Adivasis, women, students and youth, intellectuals, artists, advocates and other democratic sections – particularly the journalists working in the print and electronic media – to strongly protest against the murder of Gauri Lankesh, to demand prompt and stringent punishment of the perpetrators and to intensify the united countrywide people’s movement against Brahmanical Hindu-fascism. -
August 17 Page 1
Evening daily Imphal Times Wanted man joining protest at Keishampat Leimajam Leikai Community Hall Regd.No. MANENG /2013/51092 Volume 4, Issue 184, Wednesday, August 17, 2016 www.imphaltimes.com Maliyapham Palcha Kumshing 3414 2/- Najma Heptulla Wanted man Khomdram Ratan Amnesty Intl. India appointed issued a rebuttal of Manipur joins relay hunger strike the charges against it Governor IT News Imphal, Aug 17: The man who By : Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar was declared ‘wanted’ by the Amnesty International India, which was booked in a case state police department and of “sedition” and “promoting enmity” by Bengaluru police which carries a cash reward of on Independence Day, has issued a detailed rebuttal of the Rs. 5,00,000/- to any persons allegations levelled against it. The organisation was booked who can provide information for putting together an event on the violation of human about is whereabouts on June rights experienced by families from Jammu and Kashmir. 2, 2016 – Khomdram Ratan The organisation has said it was independent of any today joined relay hunger political, economic or ideological interests, stating that its PTI strike protest being underway vision is for every person in India to enjoy the rights New Delhi, Aug 17: Former at Keishampat Leimajam Leikai enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Union Minister Najma Community Hall demanding other international human rights standards and those Heptulla was today made implementation of the Inner guaranteed by the Constitution of India. Governor of Manipur while Line permit System in the state. Amnesty said the allegations levelled against it were ex-Rajya Sabha MP V P Interestingly the relay hunger baseless, pointing out that three of the families interviewed Singh Badnore goes to strike is being underway, since no arrest has been made. -
Chidanand Rajghatta to Launch His Book Illiberal India: Gauri Lankesh & the Age of Unreason by : INVC Team Published on : 20 Jul, 2018 09:32 AM IST
Chidanand Rajghatta to launch his book Illiberal India: Gauri Lankesh & the Age of Unreason By : INVC Team Published On : 20 Jul, 2018 09:32 AM IST INVC NEWS New Delhi, Noted journalist and author, Chidanand Rajghatta will be launching his latest book ‘Illiberal India: Gauri Lankesh and the Age of Unreason', published by Westland under their new literary imprint, Context, on 24th July, Tuesday at Café Turtle, Greater Kailash-I in New Delhi. Gauri Lankesh was a fierce critic of the growing Hindutva faction in Karnataka and India. Her increasingly strident stance on separate religion-status for Lingayatism too won her many foes. Equally, her commentary won her admirers across the country. On 5 September 2017, Lankesh was shot to death by unidentified gunmen. The murder followed the style of previous murders of rationalists M.M. Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar Illiberal India: Gauri Lankesh and the Age of Unreason examines the volatile political landscape that is the background to the murder that chilled the nation. It is the story of two people who grew into political consciousness together, married, separated, disagreed and remained fast friends—an object lesson in the sort of tolerant engagement that our country sorely lacks today. This personal-is-political biography of Lankesh and of India is riveting reading. URL : https://www.internationalnewsandviews.com/chidanand-rajghatta-to-launch-his-book-illiberal-india-gauri-lankesh-the-age-of- unreason/ 12th year of news and views excellency www.internationalnewsandviews.comCommitted to truth and impartiality Copyright © 2009 - 2019 International News and Views Corporation. All rights reserved. www.internationalnewsandviews.com. -
Kuwaittimes 3-5-2018 .Qxp Layout 1
SHAABAN 17, 1439 AH THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018 Max 35º 32 Pages Min 26º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17522 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Qatari leader receives IMF warns Arab states West sparks new outrage Liverpool join Real Madrid 3 letter from HH the Amir 11 against debt complacency 30 in calling slavery ‘choice’ 16 in Champions League final Amir lauds democratic exchange between parliament and Cabinet Voting on no-confidence motions next week • Oil minister denies resignation By B Izzak and Agencies two ministers, while they fell short of filing a non-coop- was not the first time that two ministers and the prime conspiracy theories eration motion against the prime minister. National minister were grilled on the same day. About a decade KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem said voting on ago, former prime minister HH Sheikh Nasser Al- Al-Sabah lauded yesterday the healthy democratic the two no-confidence motions against Oil Minister Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and three other minis- Our wasted potential exchange between National Assembly MPs and Cabinet Bakheet Al-Rasheedi and Social Affairs and Labor ters were grilled in the same session, which also lasted members. In his letter to HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Minister Hind Al-Sabeeh will take place next Thursday. for almost 24 hours. Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the Amir congrat- Lawmakers need 25 votes to automatically oust the MP Ali Al-Deqbasi said yesterday he was confident ulated the head of the Cabinet on his outstanding per- two ministers, but Ghanem expressed belief that the two that the oil minister will survive the no-confidence formance during his interpellation session. -
INDIA. the MODI FACTOR 2014, He Promised to Push Through Key Reforms and Bring Is ISPI Senior Advisor in Charge INDIA of the Institute’S India Desk
Ugo Tramballi When Narendra Modi was elected Prime Minister of India in THE MODI FACTOR INDIA. 2014, he promised to push through key reforms and bring is ISPI Senior Advisor in charge INDIA of the Institute’s India Desk. He about the massive economic development needed for the The Italian Institute for Inter- was global correspondent and “world’s largest democracy” to win its place among global national Political Studies (ISPI) columnist with the newspaper Il superpowers. With over 1.3 billion citizens, India is soon to THE MODI FACTOR is an independent think tank Sole 24 Ore. become the world’s most populous country, and more than dedicated to being a resource one quarter of the people joining global workforce during for government officials, busi- ness executives, journalists, the next decade will be Indian. The poorest of the world’s civil servants students and the Nicola Missaglia 20 largest economies, India’s potential for catch-up growth public at large wishing to better edited by Ugo Tramballi and Nicola Missaglia is a Research Fellow at ISPI’s is enormous. And so are the limits and contradictions India understand international issues. Asia Centre, in charge of the In- must overcome for Modi’s vision to gain momentum. What introduction by Paolo Magri It monitors geopolitical areas as dia Desk and of the Institute’s has his government achieved so far? How likely is Modi’s well as major trends in interna- Digital Publications. tional affairs. “Minimum government, maximum governance” strategy to Founded in Milan in 1934, ISPI deliver