Line of actual control

'The Dalits have always asserted themselves, but there has never been any gain for Dalits.' bandh successful.' bandh has become a success.' IMAGE: A scene from the January 3 bandh in Mumbai. Photograph: Sahil Salvi Prakash Yashwant Ambedkar , founder of the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh -- and, more importantly, Dr B R Ambedkar 's grandson -- minces no words as he takes on the Maharashtra government. Ambedkar tells Rediff.com 's Prasanna D Zore about the RSS concerns about the January 1 attack on Dalits in Bhima Koregaon and how he hopes to create a coalition of forces to offer an alternative to the BJP and Congress. What has the Dalit movement achieved from the Maharashtra bandh you called on January 3? This bandh was supported not just by the Dalits who were attacked during the January 1 celebrations at Bhima Koregaon. A large number of smaller OBCs ( other backward classes ) too joined in the bandh and that is the reason why it was so ... » Learn More about Why Maharashtra

Bigg Boss Tamil 4 winner Actor Aari Arjuna met fans for the first time on February 21 (Sunday). The fan meet was held at a mall in Chennai where fans thronged to catch a glimpse of their favourite BB contestant. Aari Arjuna, who was overwhelmed by their love and discipline, took to his social networking handle to share a few pictures with them and thank and apologize to them. Mentioning that February 21 was memorable in his life, Aari added that as a fan he wishes to salute and apologize to all those who waited in line to take pictures with him. மக்களுக்கு முதல் வணக்கம்21.2.21 என் வாழ்க்கையில் மறக்க முடியாத நாள்வந்திருந்த அனைவருடனும் புகைப்படம் எடுத்துக்கொ… https://t.co/AOYO95Nlxn — Aari Arjunan (@Aariarujunan) 1613933973000 Aari wrote, “மக்களுக்கு முதல் வணக்கம் 21.2.21 என் வாழ்க்கையில் மறக்க முடியாத நாள் வந்திருந்த அனைவருடனும் புகைப்படம் எடுத்துக்கொள்ள,காலமும் சூழலும்,மெரினா மாலில் ஒத்துழைக்காததிற்கு வருந்துகிறேன் புகைப்படம் எடுக்க வரிசையில் நின்ற ... » Learn More about Bigg Boss Tamil 4 winner actor Aari Arjuna apologizes to fans; here’s why

Himachal Pradesh Governor Bandaru Dattatraya was allegedly manhandled by some Congress members in the assembly complex on Friday, following which five MLAs were suspended for the remainder of the Budget session. IMAGE: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur addresses the Budget session of the Himachal Pradesh assembly, February 26, 2021. Photograph: ANI Photo. Speaker Vipin Parmar said the Congress MLAs, including Leader of the Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, were suspended on a motion moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj. The Opposition members tried to stop the governor in front of the speaker's chamber when he was going towards his cavalcade, accompanied by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and Parmar, after addressing the assembly on the opening day of the Budget Session. The speaker said the Congress members' action was against the rules. No Congress MLA was present in the House at the time of suspension of the five MLAs. The ... » Learn More about Congress MLAs assault HP governor Bandaru Dattatraya, 5 suspended

'Investigating agencies are not acting as independent authorities; they have stopped being neutral.' IMAGE: Protesters at Bhima Koregaon near Pune in Maharashtra. Photograph: PTI Photo Senior counsel and advocate of the Bombay high court and Supreme Court of India, Mihir Desai is advising lawyers representing the 13 accused in a case that has charged them with hatching a conspiracy to kill Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi The charge of hatching this conspiracy -- known infamously as the Bhima Koregaon case -- has been pressed by the National Investigation Agency, and the Pune police before the NIA in 2018, against Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Raut, Sudha Bharadwaj, Professor Shoma Sen, Surendra Gadling, Rona Jacob Wilson, Professor Varavara Rao, Gautam Navlakha, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sagar Tatyaram Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Raghoba Jagtap, Anand Teltumbde and Professor Hanybabu Tarayil is based on a piece of electronic evidence, a typed letter, ... » Learn More about ‘Democracy in India is being killed very fast’

'Today, Dalits can become IAS officers, doctors, IPS, MLAs, MPs and even the President due to the Constitution.' IMAGE: Bhim Army Sena members stop a train during the Bharat Bandh call given by Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act in Patna, April 2, 2018. Photograph: PTI Photo On Monday, April 2, north India witnessed violence during the Bharat Bandh protests which were called by Dalit organisations to protest against the dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Already under pressure, the Narendra D Modi government faced internal rebellion when one of its own, Savitri Bai Phule -- the Bharatiya Janata Party MP who represents Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich Lok Sabha constituency -- accused the BJP of not doing enough to defend the rights of Dalits in the country. "I am not opposing the Government of India. I am only saying give respect to Dalits," an anguished Phule tells Rediff.com 's Syed ... » Learn More about The BJP’s Dalit MP who wants Modi to walk the talk

'To selectively look at the operation of certain laws -- in a manner that ignores the realities of caste and gender injustice in India -- and conclude that they are being particularly misused, is plain wrong,' says Aakar Patel. IMAGE: Dalits block a highway in Mumbai during a bandh to protest the violence at an event to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon. Photograph: Rajesh Alva/ Rediff.com Our Supreme Court's campaign against the 'misuse' of special laws continues. A few days ago, a two-judge bench of Justices A K Goel and U U Lalit issued new directions to prevent what they say is the 'rampant misuse' of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. What these directions are actually likely to do is gut a law crucial to protecting Dalit and Adivasi rights. On the face of it, much of the judgment aims to uphold the fair trial rights of criminal suspects. The Court rightly observes that wrongful arrests and ... » Learn More about Supreme Court verdict is a blow to Dalit, Adivasi rights

'RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was on the Hindu extremists' hit-list. In June 2008, this information was made public. Prior to that, you should hear Bhagwat's speeches and listen to his 'liberal' statements.' 'After he was informed that he was on their hit-list, he became a hardliner. He was not like that before.' Maharashtra MLA Kapil Patil tells Neeta Kolhatkar about his fight against Hindu extremist groups whom he accuses of being behind the murders of activists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare. L ok Bharti Party legislator Kapil Patil made waves in the 1990s when he launched a Marathi tabloid Aaj Dinank in which he tackled issues boldly. Since entering politics, Patil, below, left , has focused on lending a voice to the 'Bahujan' community and the minorities and the issues that affect them. Through his network as a social activist, he keeps his ear to the ground. Patil recently accused extremist Hindu groups -- who he says subscribe to the 'Nathurami' (after ... » Learn More about When Mohan Bhagwat became a hardliner

There's something about music and tattoos Representational photograph: @Beckham/Facebook A new study has revealed that women rate photographs of male faces more attractive and are more likely to date the men pictured when they have previously heard music. Moreover, highly arousing music led to the largest effect on sexual attraction. 'There are currently few empirical findings that support Darwin's theory on the origin of music. We wanted to use a new experimental paradigm to investigate the role of music in choosing a mating partner,' said Manuela Marin, the leader of the study and former associate of the Institute for Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods at the University of Vienna. In the current study, Marin and her colleagues investigated the impact of musical exposure on the subjective evaluations of opposite-sex faces. 'Facial attractiveness is one of the most important physical characteristics that can influence the choice of a ... » Learn More about Not about looks: Here’s what makes men more attractive to women