'...When a state starts beating up its students, alarm bells on its democratic credentials should go to red. When a democracy attacks its own students - the future -- it has lost the argument. Code red flashed in India as the Narendra Modi government has intensified a crackdown on largely peaceful mass protests against the flawed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and its bigoted twin the National Register of Citizens (NRC). This is the first time that religion has been made a criteria of citizenship of a secular republic and Indian democracy appears increasingly wobbly under Narendra Modi.
'A group of Indian scientists and scholars from within and without the country have released a note of protest against the draft Citizenship Amendment Bill, expected to be tabled in parliament on December 9. The Bill proposes to grant citizenship to Indians on the basis of religion as well as passively excludes Muslims, and has triggered protests around the country and from various civil society groups as a result. The scholars’ note, shared in full below, also calls attention to this aspect of the Bill and states that it violates the spirit of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution.
'A question in the General Studies Paper I in the ongoing Civil Services Main examination has triggered a debate on social media. “What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism,” the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) asked the candidates. The question was of 10 marks. While candidates are tweeting photos of the question paper, many are criticising the move calling it “fall of the great civil services”...'
'Madras High court on Tuesday directed Tamil Nadu Government and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department to implement dress code for devotees coming to offer worship in temples to enhance spiritual ambiance. Disposing a petition filed by one Rasu seeking police protection and permission for "Adal Paadal programme" (dance and music) at Sri Shenbaga Vinayagar temple in Tiruchirappalli district, Justice S Vaidyanathan said "we should dress for public worship in a way that is generally considered appropriate".
Shri Pranab Mukherjee
President of India
Rashtrapati Bhavan
New Delhi - 110 004
Honourable President of the Republic of India,
We, the signatories to this representation, members of the IITKanpur community (past and present) in different capacities, join the nationwide call of artists, scientists and various intellectuals who have been registering their protest against growing intolerance in India.
'Even as the stunning outcome of the Bihar Assembly Elections is being hailed across the country as a historic mandate against the politics of intolerance and hate and a harbinger of groundbreaking changes at the national level, this election will also be remembered long for empowering a long marginalized minority. The 2015 Bihar mandate saw 24 Muslim candidates being elected to the state legislature, reflecting perhaps for the first time their share in the population to some extent.
"I must say at the outset that most people, particularly the media, give way too much importance to a fatwa. First of all, they insist upon calling any statement a fatwa. I have no hope that the media will change anytime soon because fatwa, for them, is a sexy term. It’s juicy and interesting and it creates a counterpoint of Muslim communalism. If the Hindus have Bajrang Dal and VHP you also need some hate-mongering Muslim institutions to create a fine balance.
"This report is an attempt to document intense and multi-pronged attack unleashed on the democratic rights of citizens and secular values enshrined in the constitution of India. Since the present regime came to power we have witnessed that the citizens rights and secular ethos, secured during the past sixty years, have been trampled upon with impunity..." Read the full report.
"In ’secular’ India politicians of all make and public officials regularly seek the divine blessings in advertised events such as the inaugural ceremonies of state sponsored buildings and public projects and use religious priests to supervise laying of the foundation stones and undertake bhoomi puja (Worship of Earth) for the approval of the supernatural powers with the chanting of prayer. Even Virgins, Cows and astrologers are deployed at these events and no one bats an eyelid. Was’nt the state supposed to steer clear from religion?
"The Narendra Modi government on Wednesday jumped into the controversy created by the remarks of the Shiv Sena earlier in the day that the words “socialist and secular” should be dropped from the Preamble to the Constitution. Union Telecommunications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad indicated that the government wanted a debate on whether the words should be in the Preamble. “We do not need these words to be a secular country; even without them we are a secular country,” Mr. Prasad said..."
