Monthly Archives: March 2022

Protesting Anganwadi workers, attempting to gherao the Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh, were pushed back by force by police forces on Sunday. The protestors had divided into various groups across the city and the group blocking the Jalauli toll plaza on the Panchkula-Yamunanagar highway saw a tussle break out between the workers and the police.

The states Anganwadi workers have been protesting against the state government for the past several months, demanding wage hikes, better working conditions, and facilities like insurance among other things. The workers had given a call for march to the Vidhan Sabha on March 3 under a pre-decided programme.

As per Vinod Kumar, Treasurer CITU Haryana, To stop the march of Anganwadi workers to the Legislative Assembly Thursday, the state government has come down with great oppression. Hundreds of our sisters coming from Rohtak, Rewari, Palwal, Gurugram, Mahendragarh, etc., who left for Panchkula with their own means at night, were taken into custody by the police and placed under house arrest. Workers who came from other districts at 4 am were treated similarly at several different places. The workers, enraged by police aggression, camped on the streets and raised slogans against the repressive tactics of the government. Yavanika Park of Panchkula, earmarked for the assembly march, was converted into a police camp. Police officers of surrounding districts were in the park and took into custody any protestors were reached there.

Vehicles carrying the Anganwadi workers were stopped by the police in Ambala, following which they walked kilometres to reach the Jaloli toll plaza. Protesters who were to assemble at Yavnika to begin the protest were not able to reach the site of protest. As per the police, mild force was used and they were detained before they were dropped off a kilometre away from the park. Several leaders of various unions were also taken into custody and later let off.

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Bid to gherao Haryana assembly: Cops use force to disperse Anganwadi workers on protest for months - The Indian Express

Sajithra works as an IT Product Delivery Manager in an international FMCG Company. She has published two books, The Innovation Imperative a book on Innovation co-authored with Ranga Shetty for Mid-level Technical Professionals and Trees from dirty seeds, an anthology of her poems. Sajithra has a Master's degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering. She is certified on SAFe Agile, DevOps, and ITIL. Her papers on Social media are referenced by Authors worldwide in papers, PhD thesis, and books.

You have different identities in multiple platforms Author, Performer, Start-up founder, Odissi dancer, Pageant winner, Political critic, an IT Delivery manager. What drives you?

I am purpose driven. My values surpass my survival instincts.

Freedom. Generosity. Equality. Innovation. Authenticity.

Breaking sacrosanct ideals is important to uphold these values.

If you were to look at my work, it has always been about Innovation. Change excites me. I have 16 years of experience leading IT Innovation from the perspective of People, Process, and Product. My book is a roadmap on identifying a predictable structure to innovating at work. The practice that I believe in is Agile that is about collaboration across different worlds, adding voice where there was none, and keeping your teams flat. This gives power to the ones closest to the data, not on top of it. Its servant leadership. I loathe peacocking at work. When people only use the tools and do not understand that the heart of it is equality and intrinsic motivation, the practice becomes shallow. One would end up force fitting it to the traditional practices and retain hierarchy. Nothing smothers Innovation like hierarchies can. Theres a lot of unlearning to happen. Else, it will be tokenism and it compromises the outcomes.

At home, its about not adhering to gender norms. My children have a surname thats an amalgamation of our first names. I dont believe that the woman is the natural caretaker of home. I dont believe in the format of the mans home being the primary one. Its inane and sounds like a property exchange between men. My art reflects these values as well. I am working on a movie that is all about breaking the sacrosanct ideals of gender with the core theme on the rights of subalterns.

Socially, my focus is on reducing suffering. I grew up in a Panchayat town and since my world has expanded, its an obligation to do my part. When I first started working, I set aside 10% to support people who are less fortunate. Its breaching 15% now. Over the years, I have seen marriages organised, medical bills paid, education funded with it. Thats the only reason I need work. I had my own start up but then I went back to work because I needed a constant stream of income. I should have enough so that I could give enough. I am working on building better passive income streams so that I am not constrained by this. Else, it has to be a NGO. Perhaps, that's something for 2023.

My political philosophy is about resisting oppression in all forms. I believe that we all are political. When people say that they are neutral, that comes from a place of privilege. That's invariably standing with the oppressor. There's no neutral stand in a world rife with injustice. I have the courage to be open about my political stand.

Words are important to me. I try to not engage in even white lies. It's not really about innocence though. Maybe I am like those witches you see on TV. I can hide the truth but I will not use words that are untrue. I will take the short term costs and suffer for it because I value my words more. Perhaps, I should explore that practice of becoming an Aes Sedai haha. Jokes apart, I enjoy writing because I believe in the power of words. It's ideas that change the world. Words can give life. Words can kill too.

I dont believe in an anthropomorphic god ideal and I am not a sycophant who believes in brown nosing to get ahead. So, the only thing within my control is doing good with the belief that the universe will balance itself. Periyar said that he is against oppression in all forms. Everything I think, speak, and do resonates with that. I believe all this comes from a place of love.

Who is your mentor?

I dont have a circle of people who I am constantly in touch with for mentorship. There are people I inform of my choices and take advice occasionally. Iam fortunate to have a strong network of people who are shaping the world Industrialists, People from the Government, Writers, Artists not taking names. Its very sporadic though. Periyar famously said that people should not follow something he says if that goes against reason. He didnt want followers. The ideology is to follow the thoughts of a person that make sense to you and encourage you to think more, not to be a follower of the person. I am an introvert. I only connect if I feel the need to, but I am always available to friends if I am needed. I resist all forms of control and I dont expect anyone to defer to me either. People who know me understand that.

What are you working on right now?

I am working on a book for Manushyaputhirans Uyirmai publications, a movie with a dream team, and I am partnering to invest in a bicycle company that professes green living. These are all connected to the purpose in life I most identify with being a catalyst of change and it resonates with my values. I look forward to seeing the fruition of this. I dont want to limit myself to one platform. I want to be a catalyst and hence I should be agnostic of formats to make a difference.

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Sajithra K Wins The Mrs. India Earth Stylish Diva 2021 Title In The World Finals - Outlook India

On March 2, the mayor of Kherson, Ukraine, announced that it is the first major city to be taken by Russian forces since their invasion began last Thursday (February 24). Several other Ukrainian cities have endured heavy shelling in the days since the invasion began, while a million people are said to have fled their home country. Ukraine reports that more than 2,000 civilians have died in the last week of conflict, and the death toll among soldiers and volunteers on both sides continues to rise.

In Russia, too, many citizens are feeling the indirect effects of a war waged by their president, Vladimir Putin, though many maintain that they are appalled, embarrassed and hurt by the aggressive actions of their government. Thousands have queued at ATMs in a bid to withdraw cash in the face of severe economic sanctions, while thousands more have been arrested for bravely opposing the war in public protests.

The international community has also rallied in support of Ukraine, providing arms and aid, issuing official demands via the UN, cutting economic ties, and calling for peace on city streets. However, many have pointed out the double standards of the wests response, which has been particularly obvious in the racist angle of recent news coverage.

On February 27, as Russian forces closed in on Kyiv, an ITV journalist echoed international fears for the Ukrainian citizens trapped in the city. Now the unthinkable has happened to them, she said. And this is not a developing, Third World nation. This is Europe!

In the US, a February 26 CBS news segment saw a reporter declare: This isnt a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan, that has seen conflict raging for decades. This is a relatively civilised, relatively European [...] city, one where you wouldnt expect that, or hope that its going to happen.

On social media, these comments and many, many more have deservedly caused outrage, exhibiting the wests exceptionalist attitude toward the war in Europe, which has seen people with blue eyes and blonde hair lose their lives. Unfortunately, the wests biased response is also reflected in its material impact on those suffering the consequences of conflict in places such as Afghanistan or Yemen.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Britain could welcome more than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees after easing its visa requirements, yet in recent years its been named one of the worst places in western Europe for refugees from beyond the continents borders, with dismal approval rates for asylum seeker claims. Even people of colour who live in Ukraine have reported shocking racism experienced during their attempts to find safety across the border.

Of course, Ukraine is still in desperate need of aid amid the Russian invasion of its land, but this shouldnt come at the expense of those who western states have often regarded with a detached sense of apathy (or even complicity in their suffering). Below is an incomplete list of other major conflicts that you should be aware of while continuing to campaign for peace in Ukraine.

The south-east Asian country of Myanmar has been engulfed in internal conflicts of varying severities since 1948, the year that the country then named Burma gained independence from the UK. However, the country has seen an increase in fatal combat in the last year, according to data from Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (via the BBC).

This increase stems from the February 2021 coup that saw Myanmars military assume power, with security forces immediately cracking down on protesting civilians. Since then, civilians many of them young people have taken up arms in revolt, with rough figures suggesting that around 12,000 people have been killed as a result of the political violence.

As detailed in a January 2022 statement by the UK government, 49.4 million has been provided to those in need of humanitarian assistance, with sanctions brought against the military regime. However, UK ministers have previously been criticised for their hesitant response and insufficient sanctions, which have allowed Myanmar firms that bankroll the military to remain in operation.

Beginning in 2011, in the wake of an uprising that ousted the countrys authoritarian president, the Yemeni crisis is one of the most deadly armed conflicts currently taking place around the world. According to a UN projection from November 2021, the overall death toll reached 377,000 by the start of this year, while the civil war that started in 2014 continues to contribute to acute poverty and food insecurity in one of Asias poorest countries.

Last year, however, the UK announced a significant reduction in the aid it sends to Yemen, down to at least 87 million in 2021/22 (or around 54 per cent of the 160 million it announced for 2020/21). Even worse, as explained by Owen Jones in January this year, the UK government is directly complicit with these atrocities, supplying bombs and allyship to the Saudi-led coalition that is responsible for airstrikes that have killed dozens of civilians this year alone.

Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in April 2021, with the UK following suit later that year, ending a 20-year military involvement in the country. This doesnt mean peace for the region, however, as the Taliban rapidly seized territory over the course of 2021 and took control of the capital, Kabul, by August.

The country is now back to square one being ruled by a terrorist group who have proven to deny basic human rights and necessities to the people of Afghanistan, the Afghan Youth Associations Shokryah Mohammadi told Dazed in the wake of the Talibans takeover.

Many watching the Islamist group fear for the rights of women and girls living in Afghanistan, as well as increasing internal stability, continued violence and oppression, and economic collapse an ongoing crisis that has historically been exacerbated, rather than improved, by opportunist states such as the US and the UK. According to the Council on Foreign Relations Global Conflict Tracker, this crisis is only worsening.

Combat between forces from the Tigray region of Ethiopia, and the countrys authorities including the Ethiopian National Defence Force, federal police, and forces from neighbouring Eritrea broke out on November 4, 2020, after months of opposition between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and leaders of Tigrays main political party, which opposed reforms to the countrys system of government.

In the intervening years, as many as 100,000 people have been killed (according to rough estimates reported by the Guardian in November 2021). Ethiopia is also accused of a variety of human rights violations amid the war, including mass killings, sexual violence and military targeting of civilians.

In April 2021, a parliamentary select committee published a report that stated: The international community has a narrowing window of opportunity to stop this suffering and manage the risk of conflict spreading or becoming protracted. So far, this hasnt happened, and the conflict continues to contribute to desperate shortages of food, fuel, and medical supplies.

The ongoing violence against and oppression of the Palestinian people by the state of Israel is well-documented. In most European countries, ordinary people have gathered in cities to protest Israels bombardment of Gaza and dispossession of its residents, alongside high-profile artists and activist groups.Nevertheless, the UK and many other Western countries continue to provide diplomatic and military assistance to support the colonisation efforts, while profiting from a significant arms trade.

Besides the longstanding treatment of Palestinians as second-class citizens, the Israeli-Palestinian hostilities have caused tens of thousands of fatalities over the decades since they began. Most recently, they flared in May 2021, with freedom protests escalating into 11 days of airstrikes and bombings that reportedly claimed the lives of more than 250 Palestinians, and 13 people in Israel.

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The ongoing conflicts that expose the wests double standards - Dazed

SOUTH Belfast MP Claire Hanna has called on UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to lift visa requirements for Ukranian citizens fleeing the Russian invasion of their country similar to those made by the Irish government.The SDLP woman said that the UK Government has been hard on rhetoric but soft on support for refugees.At the Irish Echo 40 Under 40 awards in New York at the weekend the Consul General of Ireland Helena Nolan told those gathered that Ireland had opened free access for all Ukrainian citizens who wish to come to Ireland.

Claire Hanna has tabled a written question to the British Home Secretary seeking an assessment of a potential fast track scheme for refugees seeking shelter from the conflict in Ukraine.The invasion of Ukraine is a violation of a sovereign European democracy in the name of Putins aggressive imperialist agenda, said Ms Hanna. Millions of people are going to bed every night not knowing if they or their family will survive, not knowing if their town or city will be levelled by indiscriminate Russian airstrikes, not knowing when this oppression will finally end.The implementation of the most robust economic sanctions has been a clear example of how the international community can mobilise quickly and effectively to squeeze oppressors.Freezing the assets of oligarchs, however, will not bring the kind of immediate relief that frightened families in Kyiv and Kharkiv need. The humanitarian response to this crisis has, in comparison to the sanctions effort, been bitterly disappointing.

The Home Office approach to visas for refugees attempting to escape the conflict, in particular, has been utterly heartless. To see Ministers suggest that Ukrainian citizens desperate for their lives should apply to become seasonal fruit pickers on UK farms, for example, is ghoulish and galling. It stands in stark contrast to the Irish Government which has lifted visa requirements for Ukrainians seeking sanctuary.On Friday morning, I tabled questions to Priti Patel seeking the introduction of a fast-track process for people fleeing conflict in Ukraine and Russia. The action taken by the Home Office to date is deficient, it has left people in danger and it must be addressed immediately. This is a moment to demonstrate the real value of European solidarity beyond warm words.

Do you have something to say on this issue?If so, why not submit a letter to the editor via this link?

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Ukraine: Hanna calls on British government to follow Irish lead - Belfast Media

Today is Maha Shivaratri

Shiva, like many gods and goddesses across South Asia, is known by a staggering variety of names and forms.

Some of these names are popular: Ardhanarishwara (half-woman lord), Maheshwara (the great lord), Gangadhara (bearer of the Ganga).

Some names are unique to sacred sites: at Ujjain, he is Mahakaleshwar (great lord of time), at Varanasi he is Vishwanath (lord of the universe), in Tiruchirappalli, he is Thayumanavar (lord who came as a mother).

This Maha Shivaratri, Id like to draw attention to a few names and forms of Shiva which are perhaps less popular.

Rather than originating in elite texts or well-known pilgrimage centres, these names of Shiva were coined by individuals whom we can describe as coming from the margins of what we now call Hindu society: a 12th-century sex worker in Karnataka, the anti-caste activist and educator Savitribai Phule, and a community of Sindhi refugees in Gujarat.

At a time when Hindu deities and traditions are being weaponised by the intertwined forces of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) and caste oppression, I suggest these forms of Shiva offer us an alternative vision of peace and justice for all.

These names of Shiva were coined by individuals who we can describe as coming from the margins of what we now call Hindu society. Photo: romana klee/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Nirlajjeshwara, Lord Without Shame

For Sule Sankavva, a sex worker who lived in modern-day Karnataka around 900 years ago, Shiva was her beloved Nirlajjeshwara lord without shame.

Sankavva was a member of the Lingayat/Virashaiva tradition, founded in the 12th century CE by Basavanna and characterised by the monotheistic worship of Shiva and its rejection of caste practices and hierarchies. The vachana is a free verse poetic form in Kannada that was developed by poet-saints of this tradition, most famously Akka Mahadevi, Basavanna, Jedara Dasimayya, and others.

Today, we know of only one vachana attributed to Sule Sankavva. In it, she boldly names the violence she faces at the hands of menthreats of bodily mutilation and death. Centuries later, we know that sex workers like Sankavva continue to face deadly violence, not to mention deep-rooted social stigma and discrimination. A 2015 survey found that on average, around a fifth of female sex workers in India were attacked four times a month, and a 2013 report noted that 37% of female sex workers in India reported being physically abused by police.

Given the ostracisation and violence that Sule Sankavva must have faced during her life, it is striking that she addresses Shiva as Nirlajjeshwara, meaning lord without shame.

Based on her sole surviving vachana, it seems that she chose to take refuge in a deity who rejects the notion of shame, thus affirming her self-worth and dignity. In India and across the world, men in positions of power use ideas of shame and honour to police womens bodies and choices.

What would it look like for each of us, no matter our gender identity, to reject shame itself? To both reject internalised shame, but also challenge ourselves not to shame others?

A world in which people of all genders are able to enjoy autonomy and dignity may sound like a far-fetched dream today; but Shiva in the form of Sule Sankavves Nirlajjeshwara encourages us to aspire towards this reality.

Savitribai Phules Destroyer of Ignorance

Centuries after Sule Sankavve, in the neighbouring region of present-day Maharashtra, another remarkable woman invoked Shiva as the destroyer of ignorance. This was none other than Savitribai Phule (1831-1897 CE), remembered as a key figure for modern anti-caste movements and as Indias first woman teacher.

A portrait of Savitribai Phule. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Savitribai was born into the Mali caste, which is classified today as an Other Backward Caste (OBC) by the Indian government. Along with her husband Jyotirao Phule, she was a pioneering social reformer, committed to girls education, womens rights, and equal rights for Dalits and oppressed castes.

In 1848, when she was just 17 years old, Savitribai, Jyotirao, and her colleague Fatima Sheikh opened the first girls school in India.

In 1854, at the age of 23, Savitribai composed a collection of Marathi poems titled Kavya Phule. In one of these poems, Shiva Prarthana (a prayer to Shiva), she expresses a heartfelt devotion to Shiva.

In this poem, Savitribai includes common epithets of Shiva: Neelakantha, the blue-throated one, and Trilochan, the three-eyed one. However, she also addresses Shiva in a more unexpected way: as the destroyer of ignorance. Near the end of the poem, she declares that He bestows complete knowledge on the ignorant (ajns jn dee pra) and in the final line, she calls out to him: Bless us with the boon of annihilating our ignorance. This is Savitris prayer (ajn na kr, var sarva lbho / prrthan h svitrc).

Hindu theologian Anantanand Rambachan writes that It is easy and temptingto represent ignorance as an abstract, distant and ethereal phenomenon, disconnected from the concrete realities of human life.

Throughout her life, Savitribai Phule challenged ignorance in the forms of caste oppression and patriarchy. And the consequences she faced were anything but abstract: upper caste Hindus would pelt Savitribai and Fatima Sheikh with stones, mud, and cow dung as they would walk to school, to the point where they had to carry clean saris to change into once they reached the school premises.

Also read:The Annihilation of Caste Requires Dismantling Hinduisms Code of Ordinances

With this in mind, Savitribai Phules prayer to Shiva to annihilate our ignorance takes on a concrete dimension, serving as a call to action for each of us to do our part in pushing back against caste and patriarchy.

Shri Nirvasiteshwar, Lord of Refugees

Around 100 years after Savitribai wrote her poem to Shiva, a group of Sindhi refugees created their own vision of Shiva. Displaced from their homeland of Sindh due to the violence of Partition in 1947, a group of Hindu refugees settled in the Kutch district of Gujarat. In 1951, they constructed a temple to Shiva in the town of Adipur, where he is worshiped as Shri Nirvasiteshwar, Lord of Refugees.

These refugees found solace in the story of Shiva after the death of his first wife Sati, when he roamed the universe as a grief-stricken wanderer. Seeing parallels to their own situation, they decided that they would worship Shiva as the god of all displaced peoples.

To this day, there are plaques displayed outside the Shri Nirvasiteshwar temple in Hindi and Sindhi, which historian Uttara Shahani translates as saying: This is a special manifestation of Shiva who expresses the feelings of crores of uprooted people in these times who have no homes and have had to scatter themselves, hither and thither.

Women sift through ashes to find any of their valuables after fire broke out at Rohingya refugee camp in Haryanas Nuh.

According to United Nations estimates, there are over 80 million displaced people all over the world. India is one of the few countries that has not signed the UNs 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol, meaning that the Indian government sees no legal obligation to recognise or shelter refugees.

Despite this, India is home to nearly 200,000 refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tibet, and other locations. Sadly, even as some Indian communities have welcomed refugees, Hindu nationalist politicians and leaders have vilified Muslim refugees such as the Rohingya while also weaponising the plight of Hindu and Sikh refugees from neighbouring countries to further animosity towards Indian Muslims.

As India continues to see an influx of refugees from Myanmar, and the countries around the world prepare to welcome Ukrainian refugees, the example of Shiva as Lord of Refugees not just Hindu refugees, but all uprooted people feels more poignant than ever.

The hosts of the podcast Keeping it 101: A Killjoys Introduction to Religion argue that Religion is what people do. Concretely, this means that religion is, and always has been, political. Our gods and goddesses, prayers, customs, and festivals have been shaped by the unique social, economic, and political contexts in which they arose.

Devotees gather at Har Ki Pauri Ghat to offer prayers during Kumbh Mela 2021, in Haridwar, Sunday, April 11, 2021. Photo: PTI

Thus, it would be inaccurate to claim that the politicisation of Hindu traditions under the Modi government is a new phenomenon. And the long history of caste oppression within many Hindu religious traditions is undeniable. But, it is safe to say that over the last few years, Hindu identity and practices are being transformed into tools of majoritarian violence at an unprecedented rate. Add to this the shameful silence of most Hindu religious leaders when it comes to caste violence and religious hatred, and we arrive at a rather bleak picture.

What does this mean for ordinary Hindus today? What does it mean to celebrate Shivaratri when Narendra Modi campaigns from Shivas sacred city of Varanasi and broadcasts his worship of Kashi Vishwanath on national television?

For Hindus who are religious and believe in social justice and peace, we have a choice. Either we can give up on our traditions, leaving them in the hands of the BJP and RSS; or we can get creative. To me, this latter option means to follow in the footsteps of Sule Sankavve, Savitribai Phule, and the Sindhi refugees in Kutch, each of whom imaginatively infused their devotion with their progressive values and politics even if they may not have phrased it that way.

Lets continue to celebrate Shiva in his forms of Ardhanarishwara, Nataraja, and so many others. But starting this Maha Shivaratri, lets also take time to remember him as Lord Without Shame; as the Destroyer of Ignorance in all its forms, primarily caste and patriarchy; and as Lord of Refugees, lover of all displaced peoples.

Let these names and forms inspire us to fight for pluralism, justice, and peace for all beings.

Nikhil Mandalaparthy is the advocacy director at Hindus for Human Rights and a board member of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus. He is on Instagram @voicesofbhakti, where he showcases South Asian poetry on religion, caste, and gender, and his Twitter handle is @nikhiletc.

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What Shiva Meant to a Sex Worker, to Savitribai Phule, and to Partition's Refugees - The Wire