Arundhati Roy Wins PEN Pinter Prize 2024 for a 'Writer of Courage' https://thewire.in/books/arundhati-roy-wins-pen-pinter-prize-2024-for-a-writer-of-courage

Chair of English PEN Ruth Borthwick, who was on the jury, said that “Roy tells urgent stories of injustice with wit and beauty. While India remains an important focus, she is truly an internationalist thinker, and her powerful voice is not to be silenced.”

Another judge, actor and activist Khalid Abdalla, said, “Arundhati Roy is a luminous voice of freedom and justice whose words have come with fierce clarity and determination for almost thirty years now.

https://www.theindiacable.com/p/us-state-department-report-directly 

The US state department’s annual report on religious freedom around the world documents instances of concern from India, and secretary of state Antony Blinken noted his government’s concern while releasing the report [ ] in Washington, DC: “In India we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities,” the department presser quotes him as saying...

 https://www.theindiacable.com/p/us-state-department-report-directlyUS State Department Report Directly Criticises India's Record on Violence Against Minorities; Heist of Education System in the Land of Nalanda
Inequality report says 88% of wealth in the hands of upper castes, Ayodhya temple trust says water leak in sanctum sanctorum not from ceiling but from pipe, Big jump in Telugu population of US JUN 27, 2024

Secretary Antony J. Blinken 2023 International Religious Freedom Report JUNE 26, https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-2023-international-religious-freedom-report-rollout/  2024Extraordnary Ambassador Hussain, Extraordnary In India, for example, Christian communities reported that local police aided mobs that disrupted worship services over accusations of conversion activities or stood by while mobs attacked them and then arrested the victims on conversion charges.

Biased, Selective Facts: MEA Rejects US' Report On Treatment Of Religious Minorities In India https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dogASvtbg5Y HW News English 
Jun 29, 2024
The United States’ 2023 International Religious Freedom Report has sparked a significant diplomatic row, with the Indian government branding the document as ""deeply biased"" and lacking an understanding of India's intricate social fabric. The report, released by the US State Department, highlights concerns over the repression of religious communities in India, and violence against Indian minorities prompting a strong rebuttal from New Delhi.

The three new criminal laws betray a narrow spirit of nationalism  https://theleaflet.in/the-three-new-criminal-laws-betray-a-narrow-spirit-of-nationalism/ Dec 23, 2023

Union home minister Amit Shah, , “Under the leadership of Modiji, I have brought Bills that lay emphasis on Indianness, the Indian Constitution and the well-being of the people. The laws are being changed in the spirit of the Constitution.”

It is common knowledge that the Indian Constitution is in spirit an Anglo-Saxon one, with its emphasis on freedom, the rights of the people and democratic governance, which Indians never had in their 5,000-year-old history, despite Modi’s excessive claim that India is the mother of democracy. the spirit behind the colonial laws— was that justice means not punishing the innocent, accepting that a person is innocent until proven otherwise and letting a hundred criminals go free rather than punish a single innocent person.

 "Drums for Peace"  https://www.polecreatifliegeois.be/tambours/tambours-2025  "Drums for Peace 2025" project, an initiative to promote harmony and solidarity through poetry and rhythm. This project was supported in 2024 by Belgian Education Minister Caroline DESIR. For 2025  this initiative represents a unique opportunity to highlight the values of peace, unity and diversity that our community holds dear. We would be honoured to count on your presence to broadcast this event, cover it and share its positive message with the public.

मंदिर में घुसा पानी, इनकी आंखों का पानी मर गया https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiYD8xpVWL8 । Navin Kumar Article19 India Jun 26, 2024 

अयोध्यावासियों को गद्दार बोलने वालों चुल्लूभर पानी।में डूब मरो। रामराज के नाम पर भी लूटकर खा गए। राम की अयोध्या को ठगने वाले कौन? https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/state/uttar-pradesh/ayodhya/ayodhya-ram-mandir-construction-committee-head-nripendra-mishra-said-no-technical-fault-in-ramlala-temple/articleshow/111273005.cms

The BNS, BNSS and the BSA: Turning a De Facto Police Regime to a De Jure Police State

A careful scrutiny of the 3 new laws passed in December, 2023 – the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) – reveals a concerted attempt to:

(a) Weaponise the law by criminalising ordinary acts of democratic and peaceful means of expressing dissent and opposition to state policies

Read more …

वर्सोवा गांव में मैंग्रोव में मलबा डालने पर नहीं है अधिकारियों का ध्यान https://hindi.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/authorities-are-not-paying-attention-to-dumping-of-debris-in-mangroves-in-versova-village-in-mumbai-4727 

Studies show that 65% of Kerala’s coastline is undergoing erosion, the second highest rate in the country after West Bengal’s 70%.  https://thewire.in/environment/caught-between-land-and-sea-keralas-coastal-communities-weigh-climate-stress-against-livelihood 

Residents consistently express a deep attachment to the region and consider life in coastal areas to be the best, except for the threat of the encroaching sea. This is evident in their responses to extreme events: unless their house becomes uninhabitable, people prefer to go back, repair, rebuild and resettle. This cycle often continues for years before they start considering migration as a viable option. By then, they are financially exhausted and, in many cases, in debt. 

Relocation housing is provided for a limited number of coastal residents. However, often, the sociocultural and livelihood aspects are overlooked, leading to issues post-relocation. For instance, high-rise buildings recently provided for relocated households may be economically efficient but differ greatly from traditional housing, reducing their acceptability. Relocating fisherfolk to areas without access to harbours can lead to negative outcomes and increase financial vulnerability.

Aysha Jennath

24/06/2024

74% Indians support taxing super-rich to address global inequality, climate change: Survey https://www.deccanherald.com/india/74-indians-support-taxing-super-rich-to-address-global-inequality-climate-change-survey-3077994 

Eighty one per cent of those Indians surveyed support a shift to “wellbeing economies” which have a stronger focus on health and environment than a narrow focus on economic growth, according to a report by Earth4All and Global Commons Alliance.