'Gandhi had given the call 'Do or Die'. And with all the leaders arrested, you had to be your own leader.'
Police have detained social activist Sandeep Pandey and three others ahead of a foot march planned on Monday to express solidarity with Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped and seven of her family members murdered during the 2002 Gujarat riots, police said.
'This is leading to anarchy.'
The state government cancelled the exam on March 2, following reports that the paper was leaked.
'There are 7,000 guns which are in the hands of the armed militia of the Kuki and Meitei communities.'
'This award is funded by American money so I took this decision.'
The founder of the newly floated Raijor Dal -- arrested in December 2019 over sedition charges - bagged 57,219 votes as an Independent, garnering support from 46.06 per cent of the electorate.
A group of noted social activists, writers, filmmakers, journalists, advocates and retired army officials have come up with an online petition seeking support to endorse the name of retired Justice Rajinder Sachar for the post of President of India.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited foreign money and entities, including the Koodankulam plant, into India like no other PM and most of it is hurting the interests of local communities, says Sandeep Pandey
By writing a scathing letter to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on the breakdown in law and order in the state, is Governor R N Ravi creating the ground for consolidating his power and directly influence proceedings in the state, asks Sandeep Pandey.
'Education is disconnected from social reality and does not even attempt to solve the real problems of our country,' observe Peehu Pardeshi and Sandeep Pandey.
In India democracy is only notional. One can see the discriminatory nature of policies for different classes of citizens. The policies adopted have increased the gap between the rich and the poor. This is not just corruption, it is a big scam! says Sandeep Pandey.
Probably for the first time in the history of independent India, a struggle has been given respect due to a peaceful protest by the people, says Magsaysay Award winner Sandeep Pandey
Expressing concern over the situation in Afghanistan, a group of eminent persons, including former ministers K Natwar Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Mani Shankar Aiyar, on Wednesday urged the government to continue engaging with the Taliban and not allow any political party to use the developments in that country to communally polarise Indian society for electoral gains.
This time it is more of a non-political movement which aims at systemic reform. It does not aim to change the government. It wants to change the system. If Hazare succeeds in this he will make a far deeper impact on the system than JP or VP did.
'Jairam Ramesh is almost single handedly bringing about a paradigm shift within the government.'
Magsaysay Award winner Sandeep Pandey reports on the first peace caravan from Asia to make it to Gaza.
A peace caravan to Gaza travels through the middle-east to a rousing reception. The caravan is part of an effort to lift the two-year blockade of Gaza by Israel.
'Shah Mehmood Qureshi also happens to be the Sajjada Nashin (family custodian) of the dargah of the Sufi saint Bahauddin Zakaria in Multan. In 2005, when a Delhi-Multan peace march on the initiative of civil societies of both countries reached the mazar for the culmination of the march, he said something which people in Pakistan would normally avoid saying.'
A peace caravan to Gaza travels through Iran to a rousing reception. The caravan is part of an effort to lift the two-year-old blockade of Gaza by Israel.
'If the Sangh Parivar is actually interested in constructing a Ram temple in Ayodhya why doesn't it do so on the land owned by the VHP?'
The challenge before India is to make the process of development inclusive so that the gap between the rich and the poor decreases, says Sandeep Pandey.
'The poor must be allowed to self select themselves. A poor family must be given a ration card on demand and the government must accept responsibility for providing subsidised food grain.'
Irom Sharmila with Magsaysay Award winner Sandeep Pandey.
Magsaysay Award winner and social activist Sandeep Pandey on Wednesday rued continued imposition of 'draconian' Armed Forces Special Powers Act and other 'black laws' in conflict-ridden north-east India and Jammu and Kashmir.
All the deaths, he said, could have been avoided had the IIT provided better living conditions for the labourers on the campus
'NSCN-IM leader Muivah warns that the NSCN-IM has come very close to an honourable solution to the peace process with the Government of India, but if it does not materialise, then the Nagas will go away so far that it would be difficult to bring them back to the negotiating table easily,' note Sandeep Pandey and Meera Sanghamitra.
India's 71st Republic day celebrations in the United States on Sunday were marred by protests and marches, albeit peaceful ones, against recent changes in the citizenship law by large number of Indian Americans in various cities of the country.
'If the NSCN-IM is cold shoulderd, the chances are that it will slip back into insurgency,' caution Sandeep Pandey, Meera Sanghamitra and Babloo Loitongbam.
Sandeep Pandey salutes women who have contributed to social transformation in India after 1980.
'If I am not there, the RSS would do that job. They are obviously in power, they can do anything.'
'The judge said that anybody who does not believe in the RSS ideology is not acceptable to you. You have terminated his contract because he thought differently.' 'The Modi government has no accomplishment to show. Therefore, they are using the tool of nationalism to divert the country's attention from very serious things like farmers suicides and the water crisis.' 'You cannot simply dismiss anyone because they are not willing to raise a slogan and not think like you.'
The four leg canine 'soldiers' play a crucial role in saving lives of troops and civilians, reports Mayank Singh.
Partyless democracy is an idea whose time has come, says Sandeep Pandey
In dramatic scenes, Umar Khalid, the Jawaharlal Nehru University student who had been untraceable after being accused of sedition, returned to the campus late on Sunday evening. Khalid turned up at JNU's administration block, where hundreds of students began to gather, and gave a rousing speech just shy of 14 minutes, insisting that he would stand his ground and asked that all students unite against the attacks on our country. This is what he had to say.
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