The art of creating ‘happy’ open-air prisons

In 2005 the BJP government of Chhattisgarh claimed that  Salwa Judum was a self-initiated people’s movement aiming to finish Naxalism, and people were flocking to Salwa Judum camps which would be models of development. Instead, all the people who were forcibly incarcerated in Salwa Judum camps fled back to their villages as soon as they were able and fifteen years on, the Naxalites are hardly finished, even if weakened. The villagers whose homes were burnt by Salwa Judum or those whose family members were killed in the conflict, and who have still not got justice, are living testaments to how lies purveyed by the media and ruling parties remain simply lies.

Land Acquisition and Modi in Dantewada

Prime Minister Modi must be commended for visiting Dantewada. But while the last visiting PM recognized its unique biodiversity and culture, Mr. Modi wants to get rid of these as fast as possible.

The government has announced Rs 24, 000 crore investment in the region for a ultra mega steel plant at Dilmilli, and the Raoghat-Jagdalpur railway line among other things. The MOUs are with the public sector SAIL, NMDC and IRCON, but as ongoing construction at the NMDC Nagarnar steel plant shows, many private sector companies like the Tatas have contracts to build specific components.

Jammu and the 'Junglees'

How some faith-based land claims are more equal than others

Nandini Sundar

Nothing infuriates people more than double standards and indeed, this is something the BJP constantly plays upon with its accusations of "Muslim appeasement". Yet, in at least two recent instances involving religious sites in different corners of the continent – Amarnath in Kashmir and the 'Ram setu' – the appeasement of Hindutva forces at the expense of everything else, including actual Hindu sentiment, is glaring. The mainstream media does it, the political parties do it, and sad to say, the security forces are doing it, with one army officer allegedly saying they could not fire upon protestors chanting 'pro-India' slogans, even as they uprooted rail tracks and smashed public property. Alas, no such qualms were displayed when it came to Kashmiri fruit sellers defying an illegitimate blockade or even wounded people in ambulances. Evidently, all one has to do while abusing the law is wave the tiranga, never mind that in doing so one is cheapening the flag itself.