Founding Editor: Daya Varma (1929-2015)
Editors: Vinod Mubayi (New York) and Raza Mir (New Jersey).
Editorial Board: Ram Puniyani and Irfan Engineer (Mumbai); Pervez Hoodbhoy (Islamabad); Dolores Chew (Montreal); Vamsi Vakulabharanam (Amherst); Ajay Bhardwaj (Vancouver).
Circulation/website: Feroz Mehdi (On behalf of Alternatives, Montreal).
INDIA: FASCISM ON THE HORIZON
Daya Varma, Feroz Mehdi and Vinod Mubayi
Though not commonly recognized, India is in the midst of a battle between democracy and fascism. The process started with Advani’s Rath Yatra leading to the demolition of Babri Masjid followed by massacre of Muslims and now Christians. Hindutva hordes dictate the civic life threatening full fledged fascism.
NATIONAL CONVENTION: COUNTERING FASCIST FORCES: DEFENDING THE IDEA OF INDIA
A timely two day Convention against fascism was held in New Delhi on October 25 and 26 with participation of a wide spectrum of representatives of the civil society from almost all parts of India. The political resolution passed at the Convention emphasizes the urgency to fight for democracy, secularism and justice and foil the attempts of Hindutva forces to establish fascism.
TATA LEAVES SINGUR, GOES TO GUJARAT; LEFT INTELLECTUALS CRY ‘FOUL’
Vinod Mubayi
Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress succeeded in harnessing the services of all kinds of allies, from leftists to do-gooder environmentalists, to oppose West Bengal’s attempt to facilitate the Indian industrialists Tata in setting up an auto factory in Singur near Kolkata. The protests led to Tata withdrawing from West Bengal and going to Gujarat of Narendra Modi. Are these leftists going to stop Tata’s Nano auto factory in Gujarat or are they only going to relish the defeat of the Communist Party of India-Marxist?
GLOBAL ECONOMIC MELTDOWN – PAKISTAN, AND ITS UNRAVELING ECONOMY
Kiran Omar
Because of the interdependence of different countries in the era of globalization, the current credit crisis in the US has affected every country but Pakistan has not been able to withstand the meltdown due to specific reasons of its own. An important factor for the Pakistani crisis has been the neglect of key sectors of economy by the outgoing Musharraf government.
INDIA: GROWING BUT HUNGRY
G.S. Mudur
Notwithstanding the generally acclaimed booming economy of India, the country is the home of the largest number of hungry people, worse than Sudan, Nigeria and Cameroon. Within India, Gujarat touted as the most prosperous state is only second to Chhattisgarh in hunger score.
ORISSA UPDATE ON ASSAULT AGAINST CHRISTIANS
John Dayal
There is as yet no end in sight for the terror launched by Hindutva hordes on 50,000 Christians in Kandhamal region of Orissa. Judged by what is happening in Orissa, all the stories about democracy and secularism in India seem utterly false.
JAMIA RESIDENTS FOIL “ENCOUNTER” ATTEMPT
Mumtaz Alam Falahi
Indiscriminate rounding of Muslim youths by the police and then framing the victims by attributing violent encounter, which started in Kashmir valley has now become a common occurrence in Muslim areas. One such episode was to occur in Jamia Nagar Police edict when local residents came to the rescue of Amir, who was by dragged into a car by plainclothes policemen.
PEACE MARCH FROM RED FORT TO OKHLA HEAD HELD
V.K. Tripathi
In one of the many attempts by the civil society to promote communal harmony, Sabdhav mission organized a 15 km long peace march via historic places in Delhi.
HOW SECULAR IS INDIA TODAY?
Asghar Ali Engineer
If India was as secular as its Constitution implores, it would be a wonderful place for religious minorities. The author, a renowned scholar and ardent activists for peace and harmony, presents loopholes – numerous enough to undermine the constitution. He analyzes the root cause of the erosion of secularism in India.
AZAMGARH MUSLIMS SHOULD TURN A NEW PAGE
Kaleem Kawaja
Azamgarh (a city and also the name of a district) in Eastern UP of India has a rich history and a substantial Muslim population. The author traces its history and accomplishments as well as the negligible role of its people in the uplift of Azamgarh as they left the district to homes in Pakistan, middle-east and elsewhere.
SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY MARCHES AGAINST WAR
N.S. Singh
Approximately 400 people on Oct. 11 attended a three-hour, peaceful, anti-war rally and march through West Rogers Park, a diverse, largely immigrant-based and working-class neighborhood in Chicago.
UNIQUE CIVIL INITIATIVE CONTRIBUTES TO CONSERVATIVES GETTING A MAJORITY IN CANADA: LESSONS FOR 2009 INDIAN ELECTIONS
Daya Varma
A campaign to elect any one who is most likely to defeat the candidates of Conservative Party in November 14 elections contributed to Harper’s failure to get a majority government. This tactics can have implications in Indian elections.
CRUNCH RESURRECTS MARX
Erik Kirschbaum
It is not surprising that the present economic crisis in the capitalist world was foreseen by Marx more than 150 years ago during his analysis of capital. Naturally his classic book Das Kapital is being studied with renewed interest.