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Showing posts from February 11, 2013

What Happened At Jantar Mantar On 9 Feb 2013

An Account Of The Clash Between Protestors Agitating  Afzal Guru's Hanging And Bajrang Dal Activists At Delhi's Jantar Mantar. BY SHAZIA NIGAR (Tehalka.Com) A peaceful protest against the hanging of Afzal Guru developed into a skirmish when the protestors were attacked by a right-wing mob at Jantar Mantar today. Organised by Peoples’s Union for Democratic Right’s the protest consisted of 30-40 people – university students, professors, activists, Kashmiri students and concerned citizens. They had only just gathered at Jantar Mantar with their placards and posters when a group of right-wing activists attacked them. Those present at the scene claim that the attackers tore up posters, abused, molested and beat up women and men. An eye witness claimed that the mob consisted primarily of Bajrang Dal members as they were carrying the organisations scarves. The Bajrang Dal was present at Jantar Mantar demanding the expansion of National Highway

In a climate of cynicism, hope for the young

By    Swapan Dasgupta   Only the most audacious of astrologers would presume to anticipatethe course of politics. Even the most discernible of trends can often be overturned by either events or accidents of history. So it is with the run-up to the next general election scheduled for April-May 2014.  A few weeks ago, dispirited Congress loyalists were celebrating Rahul Gandhi’s angry young man act at the Jaipur conclave where he was formally anointed heir-apparent. For nearly a week, the Congress believed that the apparently reluctant Gandhi had finally decided to take the plunge and commit himself to rejuvenating the party. The party’s optimism also stemmed from the belief — by no means unfounded — that the BJP was in the throes of internal disarray, with the heart of the party and the organisation pulling in different directions.  In less than a month, events have conspired to change reality. Rahul is still very much in the reckoning, working assiduously at his long-t

Mufti urges return of Afzal's body 'Mahatma Gandhi's country looking like a banana republic'

GNS Jammu Feb 11:  Urging government of India to roll back the draconian measures in Kashmir that has imprisoned an entire population, People's Democratic Party patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed has said the narrow minded approach to the problem has already caused serious set back to peace process. In a statement issued today he said the least the government could do to retrieve the situation to some extent in the aftermath of the execution of Mohammad Afzal Guru would be to lift unconstitutional curbs on normal life and return his body to the family. Mufti said it was sad that our democratic system could not accommodate some basic decency and legal requirements in dealing with an issue that could have very serious impact on the state and its future. He said clemency to Afzal would only have lifted the democratic profile of the country, enhanced its prestige and sent a positive message of accommodation to people of the state. "If there ever was an overwhelming reason to use th