News for 'Human and Civil Rights'

Airlift Review: Akshay is impressive

Airlift Review: Akshay is impressive

Rediff.com22 Jan 2016

'Even when toasting a true story, say our movies, a superstar is worth more than a real hero,' says Raja Sen.

Ford Foundation funding dries up as Modi clamps down on NGOs

Ford Foundation funding dries up as Modi clamps down on NGOs

Rediff.com14 Jul 2015

Modi denies the charges and was exonerated in an Indian Supreme Court inquiry in 2012.

Obstruction and obfuscation have become hallmark of opposition: BJP

Obstruction and obfuscation have become hallmark of opposition: BJP

Rediff.com7 Jan 2017

The political resolution passed at the party's national executive claimed that the Modi government has created a new "history" in the direction of the poor's welfare with its bold initiatives.

Najeeb Jung: The man who may run Delhi

Najeeb Jung: The man who may run Delhi

Rediff.com13 Dec 2013

If an elected government had been sworn in, Jung's tenure and the government would have been more or less co-terminus and Jung would have been just the ceremonial head of Delhi. Now, he will run Delhi, pending another round of assembly elections, says Aditi Phadnis

New Pak PM mentions Kashmir 14 times, India 17 times in UN speech

New Pak PM mentions Kashmir 14 times, India 17 times in UN speech

Rediff.com22 Sep 2017

'If India does venture across the LoC, it will evoke a strong response.'

'In its imperial mood, China is surrounding India'

'In its imperial mood, China is surrounding India'

Rediff.com1 Apr 2018

'It is very much a danger.' 'With Tibet following the India tradition of ahimsa and the global visibility of the Dalai Lama who embodies these values, he should be supported by India as a diplomat.' 'It would be in India's self-interest and instead of being embarrassed about his presence, India should recognise this (role).' 'By appeasing China, India does not get anything in return; they (the Chinese have not stopped) claiming Arunachal, part of Kashmir, etc.'

Every Indian must salute these patriots

Every Indian must salute these patriots

Rediff.com9 Apr 2018

BharatShakti.in Founder Nitin A Gokhale pays homage to Mr E N Rammohan and Colonel M B Ravindranath, two genuine Indian heroes who sadly passed into the ages on Sunday

Time for Sri Lanka and India to reset ties

Time for Sri Lanka and India to reset ties

Rediff.com23 Jan 2015

President Maithripala Sirisena's government in Colombo has clearly decided to restore some balance in its diplomatic outreach, which presents a great opportunity for India.

Aadhaar is against Arthashastra, Hadith and Bible

Aadhaar is against Arthashastra, Hadith and Bible

Rediff.com9 Oct 2017

It emerges that not only does the CIDR project fails the test of fairness, justness and reasonableness besides the test of not being fanciful, oppressive or arbitrary; it also fails the test of Arthashastra, Hadith and the Bible.

'Wonder what they are trying to hide'

'Wonder what they are trying to hide'

Rediff.com21 Mar 2016

'The Indian government has accepted and is a party to international agreements, standards and conventions on religious freedom.' 'We did not force it on them. We are not trying to impose something on them that they haven't already agreed to...' 'India has never allowed us to visit, which is very disappointing for such a wonderful country with such a rich democratic tradition. They seem to be afraid to let us in.'

'Every single child matters, every single childhood matters'

'Every single child matters, every single childhood matters'

Rediff.com10 Dec 2014

Kailash Satyarthi, co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, in front of packed crowd made a rousing speech asking every person to come together and set our children free. He honoured those who came before him and also said that he accepted this honour on behalf of all the martyrs and activists in India. Here's the transcript of his moving acceptance speech.

'Terrorism should not be branded Hindu or Muslim'

'Terrorism should not be branded Hindu or Muslim'

Rediff.com19 Jul 2017

'They have the same pet peeves, the same ruse, the same beliefs, the same justifications.' 'All terrorists thrive on the premise that by perpetuating violence and bloodshed on innocents, they are justifying the injustices done to their community.'

New UN chief has an Indian connection

New UN chief has an Indian connection

Rediff.com7 Oct 2016

'Antonio Guterres takes over as the UN secretary-general with tremendous goodwill as the process of his election was without the usual horse trading and compromises.' 'We have every reason to believe that he will be sensitive to Indian positions,' says Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.

Bleeding hearts! Don't bleed the nation!

Bleeding hearts! Don't bleed the nation!

Rediff.com25 Feb 2016

'All their idealism, intensity of emotions, acute sense of right and wrong, and burning passion for public causes can never serve as justifiable grounds to be touted by students of any country, let alone of India, with all its fragility and vulnerability, to question its unity in the name of freedom of expression,' says B S Raghavan.

Yashwant Sinha leads team to meet Hurriyat; BJP, Centre deny sending him

Yashwant Sinha leads team to meet Hurriyat; BJP, Centre deny sending him

Rediff.com25 Oct 2016

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha on Tuesday created ripples as he led a five-member delegation of civil society members to meet separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a bid to break the three-month impasse in Kashmir triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.

Why extrajudicial killings will never bring lasting peace

Why extrajudicial killings will never bring lasting peace

Rediff.com12 Jul 2013

It's perverse to rationalise 'controlled' killings or torture -- without going down a slippery moral slope. Once the state stoops to torture, it's liable to sink into tyranny, says Praful Bidwai.

Sheena Bora Trial: Why was Indrani overjoyed?

Sheena Bora Trial: Why was Indrani overjoyed?

Rediff.com14 Dec 2019

Indrani was cheering Pasbola on from the back, with little, happy whoops, that she muffled with her chunni. Indrani was in her element on Friday. The defence's cross-examination was clearly going her way and Indrani was delighted.

Climate Change: Looking for hope beyond Lima conference

Climate Change: Looking for hope beyond Lima conference

Rediff.com22 Dec 2014

With the weaker-than-expected agreement at the recent Climate Change Conference at Lima, there is an urgent need to highlight endeavours in civil society and business for a sustainable global economy with grassroots empowerment, say Rajni Bakshi.

'Protests have forced government on the backfoot'

'Protests have forced government on the backfoot'

Rediff.com21 Jan 2020

'The protests have forced the government to announce that the NRC is not an immediate priority.' 'Even if they are trying to pursue this policy in a different guise, through the NPR, the fact that they have been forced to pause and backtrack at least temporarily shows the positive impact of the protests.' 'Moreover, various state governments have opposed the NPR which cannot be carried out without their cooperation. That is also a success of the protests.' 'The state governments would not have taken this stance against the central government if their hand had not been forced by the popular mood.'

'UPA government let down the people of J&K'

'UPA government let down the people of J&K'

Rediff.com4 Jan 2017

'I felt like a used and discarded rag.' 'The pro-dialogue constituency has shrunk in the valley.' Academician and author Dr Radha Kumar was among the three interlocutors which the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government appointed on Kashmir in October 2010, speaks of how the panel report was never acted upon.

The myth of the Magna Carta

The myth of the Magna Carta

Rediff.com26 Jun 2015

The Magna Carta was not quite a grand demand for equality, freedoms and rule of law but just a narrow demand for restricting the ruler's powers to ring fence the interests of the elite. But its consequences greatly expanded over the centuries into a charter, which guarantees individual liberties, equality and justice to all, irrespective of race, religion and class, says Mohan Guruswamy.

Modi's BRICS symphony in Goa

Modi's BRICS symphony in Goa

Rediff.com17 Oct 2016

Narendra Modi's success at the BRICS summit is the best Diwali gift for India's diplomacy and marks her ascendancy to global leadership, says Tarun Vijay.

The time will come when America can dictate to India, and expect to be obeyed

The time will come when America can dictate to India, and expect to be obeyed

Rediff.com3 Mar 2014

'A plausible American tactic,' Rajeev Srinivasan suspects, 'would be to try and prevent the BJP and Modi from coming to power by splitting the anti-Congress vote using the AAP, and in case that fails, to follow up with a Plan B to make India ungovernable, to create mass conflict through their agents.'

Meet India's first blind IFS officer

Meet India's first blind IFS officer

Rediff.com17 Jun 2015

The inspirational story of Beno Zephine!

'We are here because of Modi and Obama's vision'

'We are here because of Modi and Obama's vision'

Rediff.com26 Apr 2016

'Big countries do not agree on every set of issues.' 'Look, one of the differences in the relationship is that when we do not agree, we are sitting down and talking to each other.'

Women take back Bengaluru

Women take back Bengaluru

Rediff.com6 Feb 2017

They are shaken by the mass molestation in the city on New Year's Eve. But they are not waiting to be rescued. Nikita Puri reports.

When your home is demolished for no fault of yours...

When your home is demolished for no fault of yours...

Rediff.com1 Jan 2020

For 'a person who has dedicated his life to teaching students, guiding them to restoring monuments and preserving our built heritage, I never dreamt that my home will one day be demolished.'

Is only Delhi's air polluted?

Is only Delhi's air polluted?

Rediff.com22 Nov 2017

'The answer is no, the entire country's is.' 'So why such obsession with Delhi?' 'But the most powerful people in India live here: The prime minister, civil servants, Supreme Court judges, MPs, diplomats, dadas of the media...' 'If they can't deal with their own problem, what chance does the rest of the country have, with its foul air, dying rivers, frothing lakes, and crumbling mountains?' says Shekhar Gupta.

Tamil Nadu's controversial Jallikattu is back after Centre lifts ban

Tamil Nadu's controversial Jallikattu is back after Centre lifts ban

Rediff.com8 Jan 2016

Making the announcement, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan tweeted: 'The Union government has made arrangements to allow Jallikattu in TN.'

'I am an ordinary activist, never wanted the limelight'

'I am an ordinary activist, never wanted the limelight'

Rediff.com12 Dec 2014

'It is for the first time the voices of the most deferred, the most neglected, the most ignored, the most abused, the most vulnerable - the children-- has been heard. It is a great moment.' 'I always wanted Pakistan and India to have good relationships because I believe that this is very important for the development of both the countries.' 'If children are taught hatred, if they are taught about sectarianism and prejudice, then we can see that there will be terrorism in society." Nobel Peace Prize winners Kailash Satyarthi and Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai were given an ovation after they delivered their rousing speeches in front of a packed audience at a glittering ceremony in Oslo on Wednesday. A day later, they sit down for an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour and share their dreams, their hopes for the future. Read excerpts from the interview.

How should India deal with Pakistan?

How should India deal with Pakistan?

Rediff.com13 Feb 2018

'We need to be in a perpetual state of aggression, and able to swiftly change the goal posts to keep Pakistan in a state of imbalance,' argues Sanjeev Nayyar.

What Parrikar needs to focus on in 2017

What Parrikar needs to focus on in 2017

Rediff.com14 Jan 2017

'The defence minister needs to focus on human resources-related issues at the same pace in 2017 as he did on acquisitions in 2016,' says Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd).

'Around one lakh jobs are created in colleges itself'

'Around one lakh jobs are created in colleges itself'

Rediff.com2 Aug 2019

'More than 1,000 start-ups are created from colleges, and more start-ups are coming up every year.'

'Yes we can, yes we did!' Teary Obama bids farewell

'Yes we can, yes we did!' Teary Obama bids farewell

Rediff.com11 Jan 2017

United States President Barack Obama said goodbye to his nation in an emotional address enriched with wisdom and optimism.

When India got her first female Supreme Court judge

When India got her first female Supreme Court judge

Rediff.com8 Mar 2017

It was in 1989, 39 years after the setting up of the Supreme Court in 1950, that Justice M Fathima Beevi was appointed. Meet the brilliant legal minds who have shattered the glass ceiling since then.

Why the Maldives local elections are SO important

Why the Maldives local elections are SO important

Rediff.com14 Apr 2017

In this exclusive conversation with Rediff.com contributor Rajeev Sharma, exiled opposition leader Ahmed Naseem explains why the world should care about democracy in Maldives.

Sheena Bora Trial: Where did Sheena's brain vanish?

Sheena Bora Trial: Where did Sheena's brain vanish?

Rediff.com27 Jun 2019

Shivade: "You didn't find any brain inside the brain cavity?" Dr Thakur nodded. The judge shocked: "Huh?!"

'How many lives can these outsiders have?'

'How many lives can these outsiders have?'

Rediff.com24 Sep 2015

'Outsiders are the ones who have to make the biggest journey to realise themselves, to come back to some sense of normality.' Director Jacques Audiard and actor Jesuthasan Antonythasan discuss the human landscape behind the award-winning film, Dheepan, with Aseem Chhabra/Rediff.com

In life and death, Vajpayee's influence looms large over BJP

In life and death, Vajpayee's influence looms large over BJP

Rediff.com16 Aug 2018

Only on Wednesday, in his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Modi said he wants to resolve the Kashmir issue through Vajpayee's doctrine of "Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat" - a testimony to the former PM's lasting legacy.

Why Bolton's appointment is dangerous for the world

Why Bolton's appointment is dangerous for the world

Rediff.com26 Mar 2018

'Unlike Trump, who has an isolationist approach, Bolton would like to roam around the world, trampling upon any sign of dissent,' says Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.