HIJAM IRABOT DAY - How to Carry Forward the Democratic Movement in Manipur?

Hijam Irabot Day How do we carry forward the democratic movement in Manipur towards development, peace and unity!

Thursday, 30 September 2010, 1.30 pm to 5 pm

Venue: Room No 22, Arts Faculty, University of Delhi

30 September has been widely recognised and observed as IRABOT DAY in Manipur to commemorate the birthday of comrade Hijam Irabot (30 September 1896- 26 September 1951).

Korean Civil Society Groups Writes Appeal Letter to Meena Gupta Committee on POCSO Project in Orissa

To: The Chairperson Meena Gupta Committee

Greetings and peace from the People of Korea

First, let me say that we appreciate your efforts regarding the Pohang Steel Company (POSCO)’s project launched in Orissa. Our civil society, including NGOs in South Korea, has been paying close attention to this project. We have noticed recently that the Saxena Committee’s report reveals this important fact. The villagers, protected under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest-Dwellers Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006 (Forest Rights Act) reside in the areas the POSCO project will occupy. Furthermore, the report discloses the problems caused in the process in which the state government attempted to acquire the land for the POSCO project.

Kashmir's Abu Ghariab?

-By Suddhabrata Sengupta

Two days ago, I noticed a video posted by somebody on my facebook page. It was yet another video from Kashmir. It was tagged ‘brothers please watch, sisters please do not watch’. In later incarnations of the video, posted repeatedly on Facebook sites, Youtube channels and on blogs. it was tagged ‘Indian Security Forces Kashmiri Youth to Walk Naked on Road’ or ‘Kashmir – India’s Abu Gharib (sic)’.

[ The video was available on Youtube on the night of 8th/9th September, 2010, before being taken down]

Notwithstanding the misspelling of Abu Gharaib in these tags, there was something compellingly accurate in the designation. What I saw, and what i have seen unfold subsequently as a response by the Indian state to the circulation of this video, makes Abu Gharaib look like child’s play. Welcome to the virtual, viral, televisual reality of the nightmare of Kashmir.

For the past several weeks, I have been watching, and forwarding, several videos uploaded on to Youtube and facebook from Kashmir. Every video that I have seen contains evidence of the brutality of the Indian state’s footprint on the Kashmir valley, and of the steadfast yet resilient courage of its people, and of the innovative use they have been making of the internet to bear witness to their oppression.