-The Economic Times For next census, proposal being debated on adding separate heads for sects/branches of 6 major faiths. NEW DELHI: Are you a Kabir Panthi or a Marthomite or a follower of the Hinayana sect or an Ahmadia or a Kuka? Confused? These are sub-faiths under the rubrics of, respectively, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Sikhism. Census 2021 may ask Indians to identify not just whether they belong to one of the...
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Sabarimala: Caste Redux -TK Arun
-The Economic Times To observers outside Kerala, Sabarimala is all about misogyny, a misguided mass construing one strand of anti-woman tradition as a pillar of faith. But to those in Kerala, it is increasingly clear that resurgence of caste marks the Sabarimala protests, gender injustice being one element subsumed in that assertion of caste. At the beginning of the 20th century, Kerala’s caste system practised unapproachability. Even proximity could pollute. The Nair...
More »Veterans: dissent not treason -Anita Joshua
-The Telegraph New Delhi: Several military veterans have told the Prime Minister and chief ministers in an open letter that "dissent is not treason; in fact, it is the essence of democracy". "We can no longer look away. We would be doing a disservice to our country if we do not stand up and speak for the liberal and secular values that our Constitution espouses. Our diversity is our greatest strength," says...
More »Supreme Court terming seeking votes based on religion illegal, a positive development: CPI
-PTI New Delhi: The CPI on Monday welcomed Supreme Court holding that appeal for vote on ground of religion amounts to "corrupt practice", but said the issue of caste and language needs to be addressed "carefully". The party also wondered if the order can be taken as negation of the apex court's earlier verdict that Hinduism is a "way of life". Monday's verdict also held that appeal for voting on the grounds of...
More »Politicians Can't Use Religion, Caste to Seek Votes, Rules Supreme Court
-TheWire.in New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that politicians cannot seek votes on the grounds of caste, creed or religion. The landmark judgment came while the court revisited a judgment from 1995 that equated Hindutva with Hinduism and called it a “way of life” and said a candidate was not necessarily violating the law if votes were sought on this plank. Several petitions filed over the years have challenged that verdict....
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