'The problem of a Hindu rashtra is that it has no text which can be adapted to the modern world.' 'The most prominent element of the Hindu way of organising society and the State is through caste.' 'This is not acceptable to most Hindus.' 'Because a Hindu rashtra also erodes the power and the rights of the majority of Hindus, we can be assured that this is not something that the BJP, or any other force can do,' argues Aakar Patel.
'Anybody and everybody who opposes this government for whatever reasons will be branded a terrorist and charged in such a manner that all human rights will be taken away.'
Amid the crisis has risen an outpouring of empathy from ordinary people across India led by the civil society, who have stepped up to help migrant labourers, domestic helps, construction workers, and small scale workers who were left jobless because of the nationwide lockdown.
'They are innovating and a new Dalit leadership could be seen at the horizon'
'We are not producing good students who are examining issues independently of what they are being fed either by the media or their educators,' says Aakar Patel.
The JMM-Cong-RJD alliance won 47 seats in 81-member assembly while the incumbent BJP managed to win only 25 seats. CM Das lost his seat to a party rebel despite giving the first full-term government to the state.
'The Naxalite strategy is to periodically attack police forces to provoke a reaction.' 'Once the security forces over-react and cause suffering to innocents by high-handed actions, the people will be alienated and support the revolution.' 'This appears to be the Naxalites' strategy and hence, their recent brutal killings of policemen,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Such is the force of his oratory that many Muslims, even those who don't vote for him, have come to believe that Asaduddin Owaisi is the first and only politician who speaks up for Muslims since Independence, observes Jyoti Punwani
'If the BJP thinks it is going to overnight transform Bengal into Madhya Pradesh, sorry, that's not going to happen because I have faith in our ethos and culture.'
Following the footsteps of the MNS chief's call for 'Marathi pride', Soren publicly claimed on Sunday that Jharkhand remained the sole preserve of adivasis (tribals) and Moolvasis (original settlers).
The JAAC also called for an indefinite economic blockade in Assam, Jharkhand and greater Jharkhand from January 27 to demand among others inclusion of the community in Assam and Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
A major train tragedy was averted on Thuraday when a bomb planted on railway tracks by suspected tribal militants in lower Assam's Udalguri district exploded minutes after Arunachal Express passed the area, official sources said.
Official sources informed that the state government is taking serious view of the growing activities of the AANLA that was formed in 2005 by a section of frustrated tribal youth with help from bigger militants groups, including the banned United Liberation Front of Assam and Naga rebel group, the NSCN-IM.
At least five people were killed and four others injured in a bomb blast in a New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express in Assam's Golaghat district early Thursday morning.
Tribal activists killed a teenager and seriously injured two others and set their vehicle ablaze on Monday morning as the 36-hour Assam bandh called by the All Assam Advisai Students Association began.
Curfew was on Sunday relaxed for 12 hours from 8 am in Beltola area of Guwahati -- the scene of a clash between activists of a tribal students union demanding Schedule Tribe status and locals -- which left one dead and at least 240 injured.
At its peak five years ago, it was a lifeline for 5.5 crore, or one in every three rural homes
Sixty-eight militants, 66 belonging to the banned United Liberation Front of Asom and two from All Adivasi National Liberation Army on Thursday laid down arms.
Unlike the 2012 manifesto, the BJP has chosen not to make any extravagant promises.
The farmers called off their agitation on Monday after the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government announced it has accepted "almost all" of their demands in writing and assured to implement them in a time-bound manner.
The tripartite agreement was signed by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, top leadership of the four factions of the NDFB, ABSU, Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry Satyendra Garg and Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
For 26 days 25,000 displaced people took part in a march seeking the restoration of their land. Seven died during the journey but the marchers walked on so that they could be heard.
The operation was conducted between June 23 and 25, the police said.
Two militants from the outfit All Adivasi National Liberation Army died in an encounter at Hatidandi in Karbi Anglong hill district of Assam on Friday afternoon.
'Banning conversion would harm Hinduism by taking away the need for reform.'
The lawyer discovers disturbing development while speaking to Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore.
'We should credit Prime Minister Modi with having foresight and courage and showing leadership on climate change.'
Bodo tribals influence as many as 30 seats. No wonder, national parties are keen to forge alliances with Bodo groups.
'We have done majoritarianism through other means.' 'The Citizenship Amendment Act, read together with the National Register of Citizens, will prove what I mean,' notes Aakar Patel.
As thousands of protesting farmers marched into Mumbai on Sunday, Hemant Waje walked along with them. This is his account.
The Shiv Sena on Friday advised Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to listen to his wife and bring the rates of pulses under control.
Minister of State for External Affairs General (Retired) VK Singh on Tuesday wrote to Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs M Venkaiah Naidu seeking the renaming of New Delhi's Akbar Road as Maharana Pratap Road.
'They take each and every election with seriousness.' 'No other political party has that kind of cadre who is strongly aligned with the reason, motto and ideology of their party.'
After the prolonged GNLF movement, as well as the agitations by the 'Uttar Banga Tafsili Jati/Jan Jati Adivasi Sangathan', Uttarkhand and Kamtapur Liberation Organisation, the GCPA's demand has put the Buddhadev Bhattacharjee government in a fix.
Security forces in Assam arrested 26 tribal insurgents, including 18 belonging to the NDFB-S, accused of massacring Adivasi villagers on Monday.
'We should be open to looking at Ramdas Athavale's suggestion of reservations. India will not be unique if it chooses to do this, says Aakar Patel.
Raking up the December 16 gang rape case and the infamous Tandoor murder case, Narendra Modi on Friday attacked Sonia Gandhi over the issue of security of women and said women are not even safe in the Congress.
West Bengal government brought all state-run sanitation programmes under Mission Nirmal Bangla
'I will not say that the AIMIM is a 'B' team of the BJP. But due to the AIMIM, the BJP benefits for sure'
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