Finally sat down to read Indiaās recent telecommunication Billā this law ushers in an era of absolute authoritarian control of Internet in India, a kind of licence regime to the internet. It's broad and applies to all social media applications from WhatsApp to X to Instagram.
commentary and framing about this law uses ādecolonial languageāā it replaces colonial-era laws that gave the British absolute control over communications and surveillance of its colonial subjects.
Oct 3, 2023 ā¢ 9 tweets ā¢ 3 min read
Earlier today Delhi police raided the homes of several journalists associated with the news outlet #Newsclick and are interrogating them in matters ārelated to terror linksā under UAPA.
So far 17 people questioned
Some of them taken to police station.
Raids so far 30 locations
Journalist Urmilesh, Anindyo, Abhisar, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Subodh being interrogated by Delhi police special cell in FIR 224/23, dt
17/08/2023 U/S 13, 16, 17, 18, 22 C UAPA & 153 (A) & 120 (b) IPC
Sep 26, 2023 ā¢ 11 tweets ā¢ 4 min read
New thread alert #Uttrakhand #hatespeechIn an interview yesterday, Darshan Bharati (actual name Devendra Pawar), one of the 5 people inciting violence across #Uttrakhand, said that he does not believe in the Constitution. When asked, don't you think your speeches incite people?
"I don't believe in the Constitution", "I wish people actually got incited by my words, then so many Muslims would have had their hands and legs chopped off" - Uttarakhand extremist Darshan Bharati, in an interview on Sept 24 facebook.com/vijayrawat84/vā¦
Apr 4, 2023 ā¢ 15 tweets ā¢ 3 min read
In 9 States during Ram Navami & Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in April'22, there was widespread violence. During these processions, in 3 States: Gujarat,Ā Jharkhand, & MP, at least 100 persons from the minority community were injured, and two were killed. scribd.com/document/63361ā¦
"In April 2022, India witnessed violence breaking out in as many as nine states, along with incidents of provocation and low-grade violence in three others. "
Dec 26, 2022 ā¢ 4 tweets ā¢ 1 min read
"Keep weapons (knives) at home. Keep them sharp. If veggies can be cut well, so can the enemy's head," BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur follows the now-established patterns of calling for violence against Muslims in India. This is not the first time she has publicly invited violence.
Pragya was involved in the 2008 Malegaon bombings where 6 people were killed and 101 injured. She was arrested on terror charges under UAPA and currently under trial. She has been out on medical bail since 2017 after NIA dropped some of the charges against her.
Nov 17, 2022 ā¢ 4 tweets ā¢ 1 min read
Atwood, in Second Words narrates the incident when she asked a friend why men felt threatened by women. He replied, āThey are afraid women will laugh at them and undercut their worldview.ā She then asked her female students. They answered, āWeāre afraid of being killed.ā
I donāt think anyone can articulate the precarity women experience just going through life. Itās not her fault, and it doesnāt matter what she was wearing or if she had chosen to live with a man before she got married.
Sep 20, 2022 ā¢ 4 tweets ā¢ 2 min read
September 20, 2022: Ongoing update on India's Political Prisoners: 1. Yesterday, the hearing on bail #SiddiqueKappan's bail application in Lucknow Enforcement Directorate sought adjournment because Additional Solicitor General SV Raju will appear at the next hearing.
The next date of September 23 (via @ZafarAafaq )
Sep 19, 2022 ā¢ 15 tweets ā¢ 4 min read
Reupping this thread after the recent violence in #LeicesterCity after Hindu mobs chanting āJai Shree Ramā marched through Belgrave Road. This is not the first time #JaiShriRam has used as a rallying call to assert the idea of a muscular Hindu Rashtra.
This pattern is seen in several instances of violence against Muslims in India. The chant has long been used to nurture hate politics, starting with the violence in Ayodhya and the destruction of the Babri Masjid.
Jul 4, 2022 ā¢ 4 tweets ā¢ 1 min read
A year ago Justice SS Shinde at the Bombay High Court was forced to withdraw the statements he made praising #FatherStanSwamy after he died contracting COVID-19 awaiting trial. This came after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raised objections.
In an act of profound irony, the agency claimed that āthere is a negative perception being created against the NIA.ā The 84-year-old Jesuit priest was the oldest person to be arrested on terror charges.
Jul 4, 2022 ā¢ 14 tweets ā¢ 2 min read
With 13 mediapersons in custody in India, whither free speech? ā Free Speech Collective freespeechcollective.in/2022/07/01/witā¦
14 Feb 2022: Ā Ā Ā Fahad Shah, the editor-in-chief of the online news magazine, Ā Ā Ā āthekashmirwallaā, was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police on 14 February 2022. He remains behind bars.
Jul 3, 2022 ā¢ 4 tweets ā¢ 2 min read
Umar Khalidās case, Dr. Noam Chomsky said in his recorded statement, āis one of many that shed grim light on Indiaās system of justice during a period of repression, and often violence, that has been visibly undermining free institutions..ā
Prof. Rajmohan Gandhi highlighted Umar Khalidās scholarly contributions as a doctoral student at JNU, stating that āin [Khalid], India possesses one of its finest minds, reinforced by a sensitive conscience has now been silenced for 20 monthsā
Jun 24, 2022 ā¢ 11 tweets ā¢ 5 min read
Thread on Rep @Ilhan's resolution introduced in the US House of Representatives condemning India for the alleged human rights violations, specifically those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and āother religious and cultural minoritiesā.
The resolution, co-sponsored by Congresswomen @RepRashida and @JuanVargas4CA, urges the US Secretary of State to designate #India as a āCountry of Particular Concernā under the International Religious Freedom.
Modiās India Is āOne of the Most Dangerous Countries for Journalistsā. The police now routinely file criminal charges against journalists, including seditionā charges, for the ācrime of reportingā. @kiccovich and I write for @thenation thenation.com/article/world/ā¦
"Most recently, others have been harassed and threatened for reporting and documenting anti-Muslim violence in the Indian state of Tripura, where Hindu mobs attacked mosques and properties owned by Muslims."
Jun 14, 2021 ā¢ 13 tweets ā¢ 2 min read
I am not sharing the video of the elderly man that is being circulated online. His name is Abdul Samad, he was kidnapped by locals who took him to an isolated place, assaulted him, and forced him to chant āJai Shri Ramā and āVande Mataramā. This is majoritarian Hindu terror.
Lynching: A Primer
1. Lynching is not just punishment without due process; it is punishment where no crime exists.
Hany Babu, an undertrial prisoner in the #BhimaKoregaon case, who has been in custody since July 2020 without trial, has developed an acute eye infection in Taloja Jail.
āHe has little or no vision in his left eye due to the swelling, which has spread to the cheek, ear and forehead, compromising other vital organs as well, and posing a significant risk to his life if it spreads to the brain.ā
May 10, 2021 ā¢ 7 tweets ā¢ 3 min read
Midnight's Borders arrives in the US and UKĀ when India is in the middle of a devastating second wave.
The book will be released on May 25th in U.S and 27th in UK published by @melvillehouse
Ā
It is now available for pre-order.
Ā mhpbooks.com/books/midnightā¦
The news coming from India is dire as every day brings news of more death and devastation.
I hope to use the book and the conversations as a way to center on what's happening in India.
May 9, 2021 ā¢ 5 tweets ā¢ 2 min read
Less than a week left! Nathalie Etoke on #BlackLivesMatterĀ in the US, the murder of George Floyd, police brutality, the complex symbolism of Barack Obama and Kamala Harris, and attendant questions of violence, oppression, dispossession, inequalitiesššæ
Donation links for Kashmir #Kashmir is struggling in its fight against the Coronavirus pandemic due to its poor healthcare infrastructure. Kashmir has just 59 beds per 100K population. The only two tertiary care hospitals in Kashmir are located in the capital city of Srinagar.
Kashmir based non-profit Athrout is on the ground and responding to the crisis. It is acquiring Concentrators, therapeutics & oxygen cylinders while continuing its mission to get food & basic supplies to those in need.
So @Tejasvi_Surya say he read a list given to him, claims that he simply read out the names he was given.
Who gave you the list, and why read an unverified list ?
Your apology still doesnāt count for the humiliation or harassment you put them through. thenewsminute.com/article/i-justā¦
This was the smoke screen to divert attention from actual culprits ā MLA Satish Reddy from BJP who has reportedly been using his influence to get beds blocked by the Bommanahalli Zone War Room.Ā Ā Ā Ā timesnownews.com/bengaluru/artiā¦
May 6, 2021 ā¢ 12 tweets ā¢ 4 min read
As India reeled from the devastating covid-19 deaths, it censored critical content on social media. @project_polis's @watchthestate was temporarily restricted twice in one week. @kiccovich and I write about this censorship for the @washingtonpost washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/ā¦
Since March, as the Indian health infrastructure completely crumbled, social media platforms have become the de facto helplines where helpless citizens ask for help and offer mutual support.