The long dark tea time of the soul

More than 60000 people (mostly tribals) attended a rally in Dantewada today. The rally was called by CPI (Communist Part of India) to protest against illegal land acquisition by essar steel in two villages of Dantewada district, namely Dhurli and Bhansi. The people also protested against Salwa Judum. The rally was entirely peaceful and people [...]

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The naxalites are a confused lot these days. The last one year has been quiet eventful for them. On the one hand, they got the best compliment of their lives when the prime minister acknowledged that “naxalism is single biggest internal security challenge” ever faced by our country. They have made significant gains post [...]

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Today is Shankar Guha Niyogi’s 15th death anniversary, Shahadat Divas. My friends who are not from Chhattisgarh will ask Niyogi who? To classify Niyogi as just a ‘trade union leader‘ would be an understatement of his achievements in the short life that he led. But that is where we can begin. Shankar Guha Niyogi was [...]

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I don’t know Nagesh Anna. I have never met him or seen him, I have never seen his photograph, nor heard his voice. I don’t know his real name, nor am I sure whether he is a real person or not. For all it matters, Nagesh anna might not exist at all, he might be [...]

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I first read about Sunil in Harsh Mander’s Unheard Voices. He is in the very first chapter, “After Bhopal”. Sunil was one of the survivors of Bhopal Gas Tragedy and was largely active fighting for justice for the victims. Barely eleven years old when the gas leak occurred in december 1984, Sunil lost his parents [...]

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