Religious congregation and misogyny in Rajasthan

Village elders attend the Jagaran

In post-independence India, the December 16 gang rape case shook the conscience of India and evoked mass outrage in the form of street protests across India. A barrage of subsequent analyses focused on the legal and preventive mechanism rather than looking at the social, cultural and religious dimensions which spawn and reinforce anti-woman attitude. Pedagogy, parenting, schools, peers, teachers, curriculum books are some of the channels which shape a person’s understanding of society vis-à-vis women’s rights. One more contributing channel in this regard is community and religious gatherings.

China’s strategic culture: today, tomorrow, and yesterday

China’s strategic culture: today, tomorrow, and yesterday

When it comes to the strategic doctrine, which underpins China’s foreign policy, operational and doctrinal aspect, is of great importance in shaping international relations. As enunciated in China’s white paper on national defence in December 2006, its doctrine is that of an “active defence”, an ambiguous terminology to being with.  Under this doctrine any aggression aimed at states, like Taiwan, will be legitimised (Cordeman and  Kleiber 2007: 26).  In the same vein, another white paper on defence, launched in April 2013, is a mere replay of earlier revanchist policies. The paper argues that PLA’s interest is to safeguard and expand Chinese existing boundaries (Kondapalli 2013).

Is UPA-III Possible?

Is UPA-III possible?

The UPA-II government has drawn an unrelenting barrage of opprobrium on various fronts:  corruption, imploding economy, national security, the Lokpal Bill, misuse of CBI, unemployment and rising food prices. These issues have dealt a blow to its chances to come back to power. Despite these pitfalls, it is too early to write off the alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. There are three points on which the fate of the UPA will be decided in the polls.

America’s War on Whistleblowers

“America’s War on Whistleblowers”

Human rights are universal, not bounded by geography. Whether it is U.S., China, Russia, or India, everyone has a birth right to speak their mind and reveal information on Government shenanigans. In this endeavour of collective good a whistleblower incurs danger to her life and is likely to invite vilifying barbs from the ruling government.  Despite a battery of predicaments, she fights against the mightiest power of the world to ensure transparency, fairness and respect for privacy laws.  Her urge to fight flows from making this world more just and egalitarian wherein universal rights are not circumvented. Some tenacious whistleblowers and Journalists in the U.S. set out to do the same: Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Deep Throat (Mark Felt), Daniel Ellsberg, Julian Assange, Bradley Manning, Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden.

India-Pakistan: New Beginning

One fine day in a journalism college, my soft-spoken Pakistani friend showed me her supposedly-new discovery: a collage of a walled city on Google. She asked me to decipher anything which was similar. “Are you teaching an Indian to identify Delhi,” I nonchalantly quipped, after gazing at the picture. “Look carefully,” she prodded me.

To Continue reading follow the link http://indiaopines.com/india-pakistan-new-beginning/

Tales of endless persecution, torture and exploitation

Tales of endless persecution, torture and exploitation

Another World Refugee Day on June 20 was met with familiar indifference by host countries. Every year, it is passed off as a necessary irritant when media air and publish stories on refugees.

Well, this is another sordid tale of Rohingya refugees–who fled Myanmar–in India, sheltering around 11000 Myanmarese refugees (a figure obtained from the UNHCR). In June and October 2012, Indian cities– Jammu, Delhi, and Hyderabad– and the state of Mizoram saw the influx of Rohingya Muslims. The trickle still continues.

Being inaccurately fast and irrelevant

Being inaccurately fast and irrelevant

In a mad rush for scoops, Indian TV channels have given short shrift to accuracy and detailing of an event. This inaccurately-fast syndrome, coupled with nauseating trivia, has become skin deep in the wake of the ascendancy of a Narendra Modi and a natural calamity.

JDU leaves BJP high and dry

 JDU leaves BJP high and dry

Putting an end to all speculations and its 17-year-old partnership, the Janta Dal United on Sunday divorced the National Democratic Alliance in the wake of Narendra Modi’s elevation as the Bhartiya Janta Party’s campaign chief.

In no uncertain terms, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and JDU president Sharad Yadav sent clear signals that they will not compromise with firebrand and communal politics of the BJP.

Third Front as tragedy and as farce

Third Front as tragedy and as farce

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce, Marx once said. It has become a pet-description for columnists and academicians to tell us that history teaches us and we should learn from our blunders. But the fever for the Third Front (TF) is hardly on the wane despite its crushing defeat in the previous Lok Sabha (LS) polls, securing a dismal 80 seats. However, the previous drubbing has not deterred regional parties from gravitating towards the TF ; this time with new parties, rejigged formation and renewed vigour.

Obama’s Winged Robots; Breathing Fire, Flouting Laws

Obama-Push: It takes two to drones: source:www.mediaite.com

Shivnarayan Rajpurohit

Soon after becoming the President of US, Barack Obama was conferred the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in anticipation (not for his past work) that he would make the world more peaceful. Since then belying all expectations, he has accelerated drone strikes to counter terrorism; his skullduggery flouted sovereignty of other states from Asia to Africa, and human rights violations followed; and his rhetoric on “counterterrorism strategy” has scarcely materialised.