By Abhay Kumar* While covering the encounter of the gangster Vikas Dubey by Uttar Pradesh (UP) police, the mainstream Indian media – particularly Hindi newspapers – appears to have condoned the extra-judicial killing. They have again failed to act as a defender of civil rights. The diseased, Dubey’s, criminal life spanned 30 years. He has … Continue reading Vikash Dubey encounter: Portrayed as instant justice, vernacular media stoops to a new low
Category: Rule of Law
Background note on facts and timeline of the Bhima Koregaon case amidst reports that one of the accused, Varavara Rao, 80, is very sick in Taloja Jail, and yet he is not letting him out because of pressure from the National Investigation Agency, which is against all jurisprudence: Bhima Koregaon, a small village with historical … Continue reading Bhima Koregaon case: Under the pretext of creating communal disharmony and inciting violence
Representation by advocate NM Kapadia to the Gujarat chief minister, the agriculture and animal husbandry secretary, Vadodara police commissioner Vadodara district collector, animal husbandry director, for not sanctioning the culling of poultry birds in Vadodara following the application of the Boiler Farmers for culling 15,00,000 poultry birds in Vadodara: Under the instructions of my client … Continue reading Application by broiler farmers: Do not sanction culling of poultry birds in Vadodara
A Centre for Social Justice petition to State Governments: Thousands of labourers are currently stranded with no means of returning home and no access to shelter or food as a result of the COVID 19 lockdown. According to ground reports, migrant labourers have started embarking on dangerous journeys by foot to return home in the absence … Continue reading CSJ petition to state govts on activating District Legal Services Authorities: COVID 19 Response
By Mayank Aggarwal* The government of India is in the process of finalising its National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights to ensure that businesses are sustainable and responsible towards the rights of communities that are being impacted by them. Experts have identified land rights, extractive industries and rights of marginalised, vulnerable and poor … Continue reading Indian businesses to consider their human rights impact under proposed government plan
British civil rights organizations, Southall Black Sisters (SBS) and One Law for All, comment on the United Kingdom's Court of Appeal ruling that women who are unable to register their marriage in accordance with the law are not entitled to financial remedies on the break-up of their marriage: On the 13th and 14th November 2019, Southall Black … Continue reading A British Court of Appeal ruling that disregards the accounts of many minority women
Text of Prof. Upendra Baxi's Dr. Ashok Hirway Memorial Lecture titled "The Directive Principles of State Policy, Fundamental Duties of Citizens, and Human Rights: Fools Rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread", organized by the Centre for Development Alternatives in Ahmedabad on 23 December 2019: I am very grateful for this gracious invitation by Professor … Continue reading Notions of rational fools, foolish excellence in understanding constitutionalism, law, justice
