Taking over farmers' lands without following due procedure akin to state-sponsored terrorism: judge The Supreme Court on Monday slammed the land acquisition policy of the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh and said any acquisition that deprived farmers of their land without following the due procedure was akin to “state-sponsored terrorism.” A Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly was hearing appeals filed by farmers challenging the Allahabad High Court order upholding...

The Supreme Court today held that any land acquisition depriving farmers of their “land, livelihood and way of life” without following due process was akin to “state-sponsored terrorism”. Slamming the Uttar Pradesh government’s land acquisition process, a two-judge bench headed by Justice G.S. Singhvi observed: “Throwing out villagers from their land and taking away their livelihood and way of life is state-sponsored terrorism.” The top court was hearing an appeal by some...

Next month, the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, one of the most powerful laws enacted in independent India, completes half a decade in the cause of transparent and accountable administration. It enables, on demand, access to information the State and Central governments have in their possession. It empowers Indian citizens to ask for and get specific information, subject to certain norms, from a Public Authority, “thus making its functionaries...

When we have policies trample on people's rights, and people go to courts seeking redress, what should the courts do, Prime Minister? Dear Prime Minister, I was delighted to learn that you said, while also “respectfully” ticking off the Supreme Court, that tackling food, rotting grain etc., — are all policy matters. You are absolutely right and it was time somebody said so. With that, you brought a whiff of honesty so...

Many in India have embraced Christianity to escape the age-old caste oppression of the Hindu social order, but Christianity itself in some places is finding it difficult to shrug off the worst of caste discrimination. In the town of Trichy, situated in the heart of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a wall built across the Catholic cemetery clearly illustrates how caste-based prejudice persists. Those who converted to Christianity from the...