Farmers' Bharat Bandh and PM Modi's Silence

Farmers' Bharat Bandh and PM Modi's Silence | Arfa Khanum Sherwani  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdWRZmLYPjI  Sep 27, 2021

Farmers’ organisations are holding a nationwide Bharat Bandh today (September 27) as part of their ongoing agitation against the Union government’s contentious farm laws.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmers’ organisations, said the day;s protest would last from 6 am to 4 pm.

Prime Time With Ravish Kumar: Bharat Bandh – Is The Government Ignoring Our Farmers? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm7U09oZ_ak Sep 27, 2021  During the course of a year, the farmers' movement has observed Bharat Bandh several times. Every time during the Bharat Bandh, the farmers took meassures to ensure that the public should suffer the least. But even after a year of protests and negotiations, mostly failed talks, the situation remains the same. The farmers who sought to stop India for a day seem to be cordoned off in their own India.

Farmers Bharat Bandh: Movement was neither weak, nor will it be, says Rakesh Tikait  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZik2wWbjTA Sep 27, 2021 

किसान और भारत बंद ||kisaan aur bharat band ||rajeev nigam  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCMXqG6AwJw Sep 27, 2021

confuse godi media ||कंफ्यूज गोदी मीडिया ||rajeev nigam ||  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7uA5k621JA Sep 28, 2021

Kamla Bhasin

Last Journey with women pallbearers ..

.. and singing "Tod Tod Ke Bandhanon Ko Dekho Behney Aati Hain"  live audio: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AiXYIRE1zsiakGBXXO_xLRSYnmJI?e=eGQ1za 

Kamla Bhasin's Pedagogy for Feminism Was Novel, Witty and Always Innovative https://m.thewire.in/article/women/kamla-bhasins-pedagogy-for-feminism-was-novel-and-never-boring/amp  By Aruna Roy 30th Sept. 2021

She had an extraordinary ability to distil the essence of what was often presented as a complicated political feminist debate, into simple rhyme, rhythm and song. The confidence, élan and immense abandon with which she communicated the concepts of feminism in multiple idioms to a very diverse group of people was exceptional. Charismatic and without self-consciousness, she used her ability to be uninhibited and frank to bring the unusual into conversation, and startle the mind to drop its defences, to open up to newer possibilities.

 Meet Kamla Bhasin, The 'Gully Girl' Who First Chanted the ‘Azaadi’ Song in India | Quint Neon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez7pFJqoSP8 
Feb 6, 2019 The #GullyBoy song #Azaadi was originally brought to India b Feminist activist Kamla Bhasin. She was in Pakistan in the 1980s when women were protesting against Gen Zia-Ul-Haq. The would sing the 'azaadi' song as a mark of protest.

Life and Thought - Kamla Bhasin  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM5n0o43KoU Dec 7, 2015 Kamla Bhasin was Co-President of Peace Women Across the Globe (PWAG). ..In the basis of her observation of her home village, she showed problematic role of girls at home and her gratefulness for her freedom in being outside and playing with other children, mostly boys... She commented how meaningless her university education in India was – there were numerous exams but no understanding and learning. 

Kamla Bhasin : Long Live Resistance, Long Live Hope  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCNrXKzK1PY  On 26 May 2021, at a PP21 meeting, Bhasin gave her full support for The People's Plan for the 21st Century (PP21). She stressed that it was very important to revive the spirit of PP21 in the era of capitalist globalization, as well as to embody the notion of radical love and compassion for revolutionary change.

Videos in Kamala's You tube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxsYuIYx-wN44RPlrCIjo2Q/videos 

You Tube on Kamala: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kamala+bhasin 

(photos and message sent by Kavita Srivastava)

Selected Tributes on Social Media

PUCL Statement: https://1drv.ms/b/s!AiXYIRE1zsiakF6QgeaUt1TS6uFj?e=DcI63k Her work of demystifying concepts like, gender, patriarchy, feminism, masculinity, Development adhering to peace and non-violence and bringing out in simple Hindi and English language for ordinary men and women is one of the most amazing legacies she has left behind. This is apart from the volumes of songs that she wrote. She wrote books for children.

Kamla had a special relationship with the PUCL. She always said that her feminist praxis is an
important part of the building a civil liberties and a human rights movement in the country. Whether it was
training on gender or anti – masculinity, violence against women or against the corporate culture, to
redefining public spaces for women, women’s property rights were all integral to the human rights movement of the country, she frequently said

Teesta:

An era
An icon
A leader
A companion
Bereft - Teesta

Henri Tiphagne: A feminist of great repute, knowledge and a remarkable trainer on women's rights who identified with all sections is what she will be remembered as for generations.

Ashim: She influenced so many of us men to become a bit more feminist.

Harsh Mander:  She was a massive influence on many generations, teaching us by word, action, song and storytelling the equality of genders

Sandeep: your deep insights into the issues of gender equality. What a triumphant woman and incredible legacy she leaves us.

Joe Athialy:  your deep insights into the issues of gender equality. What a triumphant woman and incredible legacy she leaves us.

Rajni B She was a feminist, peace activist, writer, artist, a great human being who made everyone her friend! Kamla was so zinda-dil....when ever we met it was a laugh fest....with Kamla's favourite refrain being "By God".

Aruna Roy: Fiesty Kamla Bhasin , has fought her last battle, singing and celebrating a life well lived. Her absence will be felt acutely, her gutsy presence, laughter and song, her wonderful strength are her legacy
We treasure her now as we did before. Always with us in spirit.

Stanley W : We are grateful to her for her contribution in decoding, reconstructing the dominant values in relation to male domination and liberation as well transformation of mind of oneself or as a community to understand how all need realise the gender justice, gender equity and the need for an united action for revolution. 

Jayapadma: Let us celebrate her life through our thoughts and deeds
Let us cherish all that she did to restore and create balance in the world
Let us strive to make real the world she dreamed of

Pradeep Esteve: One of the pioneers of the Women's movement, collectively built the South Asian Feminist movement. Somebody who celebrated life whatever the adversity, will be missed by all. 

Malla Reddy: She is singularly responsible for for setting gender agenda in NGOs since 70s! Perhaps the first gender activist in India.

Haritha:  She is iconic. I always remember her zest for life. She personified a fine mix of compassion and fighting spirit.

Siddhartha : what a beautiful, gutsy and fiesty woman who took so many men along in her fight for gender equality.She dealt with whatever life gave her. She made a family of all around her

Harsh Wardhan: She brought so much joy and clarity when she interacted with us during the Wisdom Weekend and made us ( Indian Multiversities Alliance) aware about gender discrimination and unequal power relationship that existed in society. Her energy and passion were inspiring. 

Kamla Bhasin, pioneering feminist icon, poet and author, dies at 75 
by Aranya Shankar September 25, 2021 https://indianexpress.com/article/india/feminist-icon-kamla-bhasin-passes-away-7533380/ Bhasin remained committed to the causes she fought for until the very end, participating in an online meeting from her ICU bed just hours before her death.

Bhasin was the founder of Sangat, a South Asian feminist network, and co-founder of Jagori, a women’s resource centre. She was also the South Asian coordinator of the One Billion Rising campaign, besides being associated with several other organisations.

Jagori said in a statement: “Through her songs and posters, she has reached out to millions of activists and energised protests… Using simple language to demystify concepts, she was able to reach out the ideas of feminism and patriarchy to the lay person without jargon.”

Writer and publisher Ritu Menon: “There was a quality to Kamla that was exceptional. To be touched by her love was to experience something unique. That warmth she radiated, it encompassed almost everything she came in contact with. Her legacy is in the songs she wrote, the slogans she raised, the connections she made, the hearts she touched, the issues and campaigns she fought. It’s the generosity, spontaneity, warmth and intelligence of her struggle. "

 Kamla Bhasin passes away - Here's all you need to know about the Women’s rights activist  https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/kamla-bhasin-passes-away-heres-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-womens-rights-activist  A social scientist by training, she was actively engaged with issues related to development, education, gender, media and several others for over 35 years. She began her work for the empowerment of the rural and urban poor in 1972, with a voluntary organization in Rajasthan, India. From 1976 to 2001, she worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN. She resigned from her job at the U.N. in 2002, to work with Sangat, of which she is a founder member and Adviser.

FREE/DEM

https://vimeo.com/507040890 

FREE/DEM stands for FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY. What began as an initiative to bring issues around active citizenship and an understanding of democratic values and practices to grassroots communities through community radio has now expanded to become a larger effort to teach media and information literacy to marginalized communities.

The initiative is now active with communities across *Delhi, Rajasthan, UP and Bihar* - and includes capacity building on *media skills *(making audio and video content); *digital literacy* (using mobile phones; accessing information over the internet), and *fact-checking and verification* (including skills to stop the spread of fake news and misinformation). Community members participate in a series of training workshops organized within the community (and supported by local screenings and events) over a period of several months, where they are trained in these skills, and encouraged to become media creators rather than be passive consumers of information created elsewhere.

The Delhi communities, based in migrant populations around Badarpur border, now runs its own *WhatsApp 'channel' *by creating audio and video content on information the community wants to share and ideas the community would like to discuss. They have successfully used this mechanism for advocacy with their local ward councillor, as well as their MLA, to address several issues around drainage, sanitation and access to entitlements.

You can see some of the content they create at www.freedem.in 

Modi’s Monetisation Worse than Demonetisation.

Modi’s Monetisation Mantra Is a Blow Worse... - Dipankar Bhattacharya https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=390254576028372&id=111747030545796&sfnsn=wiwspwa

With assets, the government will naturally also shed jobs. Less government jobs will mean loss of reservations for the socially deprived and loss of job and income security for all who will now have to look for jobs in private companies. There will be bigger blows to wider sections of people. Prices will go up with little regulation by the government and growing monopoly power of the big companies. Tariffs of all services are already going up, and the government has already amended the Essential Commodities Act to pave the way for an across the board rise in prices of all essential items.

While consumers will have to bear with increased prices, small traders, roadside vendors and livelihood earners will suffer a major jolt. Privatisation of roads will mean appearance of toll plazas and expensive eateries and disappearance of roadside dhabas, tea stalls and repair shops. Adani-Ambani railway stations will be more like airport lounges and shopping malls where food courts and expensive coffee shops will replace the fruit and tea vendors and providers of cheap meals who will lose their access to stations and trains.

NMP by its very nature will have much more enduring effect, with the public sector virtually being replaced by powerful private players and consumers and small producers being completely subjugated to the extortionist ways of big business.

Read more …

Muzaffarnagar Mahapanchayat 5th September 2021

महापंचायत में उमड़ा जनसैलाब, मिशन UP की शुरुआत | Muzaffarnagar | Mahapanchayat  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Lq2p-Qu-M 

Muzaffarnagar की KisanMahapanchayat में इस ऐलान के बाद सुनेगी सरकार ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmzAAuNb6eY  Sep 5, 2021  Ajit Anjum Soeaks to Rakesh Tikait, Yoginder Yadav, Medha Patkar. and other leader on the dais itself.  

Muzaffarnagar mega farmers rally vows to oust Yogi Adityanath regime https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/thousands-of-farmers-attend-kisan-mahapanchayat-in-muzaffarnagar/article36301798.ece Anuj KumarPriscilla Jebaraj MUZAFFARNAGAR, SEPTEMBER 05, 2021 Lakhs of farmers streamed into Muzaffarnagar on Sunday for the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s largest mahapanchayat so far to hear Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait declare his determination to oust the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh next year by tapping into rural anger and uniting farmers and workers across religion and caste.

The SKM is a platform for farm unions which, for the last ten months, has been protesting against three agricultural reform laws which could affect State-run markets, and also called for a legal guarantee for minimum support prices for all farm produce.

सबसे बड़ा सवाल: मुजफ्फरनगर से किसानों की हुंकार…कितनी तैयार सरकार ? Sandeep Chaudhary के साथ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk7aA1xjFQo 
Sep 5, 2021

 Farmers Hold Meet In Muzaffarnagar, Will Campaign Against BJP In UP Polls  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4OvrEEvN1w 
Sep 6, 2021

 Prime Time With Ravish Kumar: क्या किसान आंदोलन पश्चिमी Uttar Pradesh में दंगों के दाग मिटा पाएगा? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K40KIwaGZV8
Sep 6, 2021 : राकेश टिकैत (Rakesh Tikait) ने कहा कि पहले के किसान आंदोलन (Farmers' Protest) में एकता के लिए अल्लाहू अकबर और हर-हर महादेव का नारा लगता था. इस दौर में इसे दोहराना साहसिक है. धार्मिक नारों को राजनीतिक मुद्दों की लड़ाई से जितनी जल्दी विदा कर दिया जाए उतना ही अच्छा. हर दूसरा किसान नेता दंगों के खिलाफ भाषण दे रहा था.

Hathway without Prime Time with Ravish!

NDTV बंद करवाने पर मोदी को खुली चुनौती, रवीश कुमार का खास संदेश https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXPRFVfrr-Q   Sep 4, 2021

Hathway removes NDTV prime time of Ravish Kumar from the popular preselected channels. Ravish Kumar has asked his audience to call Hathway and askedfor this channel.

Prime Time You Tube Channel videos : https://www.youtube.com/user/ndtvindia/videos 

Response by Friends:

Esteves: Actually this is the case in most of North India. All public place/lodges/hotels etc only play Hindi GodiMedia. When I enquired at one of the places where I stayed they said that a certain party pays them a monthly amount to not tune any other channel, so even if you agree to pay them extra for let us say NDTV, they bluntly refuse!! I was desperate for news and Hindi is not my strong point!!
 Now Hathway seems to have gone a step further!!

Police Slammed Over Delhi Riots

Prime Time With Ravish Kumar: "Shoddy, Callous", Says Court, Slams Police Over Delhi Riots  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfC6goaRi-8 Sep 3, 2021 

Prime Time With Ravish Kumar - September 3, 2021: A furious Delhi court on Friday slammed police in the national capital over a "shoddy", "callous" and "indolent" investigation into the violence that rocked the city in February last year. The Karkardooma court's strong criticism of Delhi Police, which reports to the Union Home Ministry, came as it acquitted three people, including Shah Alam, who is AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain's brother, who had been charged with looting and vandalising a shop in Chand Bagh. (Audio in Hindi)

Damning Court Observations Raise Serious Questions on Delhi Police's Riots Probe https://thewire.in/communalism/delhi-riots-court-questions-police-probe 
A survey of several bail orders in Delhi riots cases reveals the police's terribly casual and flawed approach.

While granting bail to one Irshad Ahmed, who was alleged to have assisted Tahir Hussain in attacking the houses of Hindus, the Delhi high court made a damning observation that the eyewitnesses in the chargesheet “seemed to be planted”. The so-called eyewitnesses were police constables themselves. The high court noted that though the two police constables claimed that they were at the spot of the crime and identified the accused, they waited for three days to lodge the FIR.

“As per the statement of Constable Pawan and Constable Ankit (both are eye witnesses and were present at the spot), they had identified the petitioner and other co-accused. However, they have not made any complaint on the date of incident, i.e. 25.02.2020, whereas the FIR was lodged on 28.02.2020. Thus, the said witnesses seem to be planted one,” the high court observed.

In the case of Kasim as well, the high court refused to take into account the statements of police witnesses. In the case of Kasim as well, the high court refused to take into account the statements of police witnesses.

The police had arrested student leader Devangana Kalita alleging that she had instigated a mob to resort to violence in a case related to Delhi riots. However, the high court observed that there was no evidence of Kalita instigating violence and that materials produced by the investigating agency only showed that she was participating in peaceful agitations against the CAA.

Delhi riots: No investigation done, says court; gives Faisal Farooq bail https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/delhi-riots-no-investigation-done-says-court-gives-faisal-farooq-bail/story-297jXK1dqaDNmbF0UdVGBK.html 
Farooq, however, will continue to stay in jail in connection to another matter in which the Delhi high court had dismissed his bail plea.By Richa Banka, DEC 15, 2020

“It is, however, evident that till June 20, 2020, virtually no investigation had been done in the present matter and after the applicant (Farooq) was admitted to bail in the (first) case, that the statements were hurriedly recorded, the veracity whereof to be tested at the time of trial,” the court said in its order dated December 11. “I refrain from commenting upon the manner in which the case diaries in the matter have been maintained, lest it may prejudice the case of the prosecution,” the judge said in his order.

Delhi riots: Bail to school owner, court says no evidence of PFI link https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-riots-bail-school-owner-pfi-link-6470209/  June 22, 2020 
Faisal Farooq, owner of Rajdhani Public School, was among eight people arrested in a case of rioting outside the school in the Shiv Vihar area on February 24. 

a Delhi court has observed that the police “chargesheet is bereft of material showing the links of applicant with PFI, Pinjra Tod group and Muslim clerics”.

The court also said “it is prima facie not established that the applicant was present at the spot at the time of incident”.

Wastage Of Tax-Payers' Money & Judicial Time : Court Raps Delhi Police Over 'Shoddy' Riots Case Probe -10 Quotes
By - Sparsh UpadhyayUpdate: 2021-09-03  https://www.livelaw.in/amp/top-stories/court-raps-delhi-police-over-shoddy-investigation-in-riots-cases-180831

"When history will look back at the worst communal riots since partition in Delhi, it is the failure of investigating agency to conduct a proper investigation by using the latest scientific methods, will surely torment the sentinels of democracy," observed Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav as the Court discharged three accused including Former AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain's brother Shah Alam, Rashid Saifi and Shadab.

Delhi Court Discharges Tahir Hussain's Brother Shah Alam And Two Others In Delhi Riot Case Citing Failure Of Investigating Agency To Conduct Proper Investigation https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/breaking-delhi-court-discharges-former-aap-councillor-tahir-hussains-brother-shah-alam-and-two-others-in-delhi-riot-case-180793 

Delhi Police Chargesheet Reads Like Script Of 'Family Man' Series; Communal Narrative Given To CAA Protests: Umar Khalid In Bail Hearing https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/umar-khalid-bail-hearing-delhi-riots-delhi-police-180832 Nupur Thapliyal 3 Sept 2021

"reads like a 9 PM new script of one of those shouting news-channels" and are reflective of the "fertile imagination" of the investigating officer, the lawyer argued.  This is the kind of stuff which is read and peddled, the creation of public opinion in order to substitute the lack of evidence to carry out your objective of unfairly prosecute people when you have no material to do so."

Delhi Riots : 'Home Minister is part of conspiracy!' I DELHI VIOLENCE I PRASHANT BHUSHAN I ASHUTOSH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sjcZtBIlo0   Sept 3, 2021

Pledge

Mood of the Nation - India Today

https://www.indiatoday.in/mood-of-the-nation-survey-august-2021 

 Support for Modi as 'Best Choice for PM' Falls from 66% to 24% in a Year, India Today Poll 16/AUG/2021  Finds https://thewire.in/government/narendra-modi-prime-minister-adityanath-india-today-poll
The triggering factors for this were inflation and the Union government's handling of the COVID-19 second wave. 

The magazine’s cover indicates that inflation and unemployment are top concerns of an Indian at this point. Within only a span of six months – from 17% in January 2021 – the number of people who think that the economy will “get worse” has grown to 32%.

Midweek Matters 28 || Parakala Prabhakar​ https://youtube.com/embed/0RJ2EwIheR8?start=80&end=472 
In this Episode Dr Parakala looks at the contrasting findings of surveys conducted by india Today (Mood of The Nation) and Morning Consult, and shows how they could help us understand BJP's present reluctance to engagement in Bengal, especially with regard to Bhabanipur by-election.   

Morning consult say PM approval 70per cent.. Not really reliable as sample size to small and restricted to literate and interviewed on line.  Link to the portal of Morning Consult: https://morningconsult.com/