Hello,

The shockwaves of the Taliban ascendancy in Afghanistan are reverberating across the world. The reality of the USA's “strategic defeat”, the stunning capitulation of the Afghan security forces, and the snapping up of Kabul by the Taliban, is still sinking in.

Nayanima Basu of ThePrint, perhaps the only staff reporter from an Indian news organisation in Afghanistan, chronicled events in Kabul, the morning after the Taliban takeover – the atmosphere of terror and uncertainty, Taliban raiding hotels and offices, establishing checkpoints throughout the city and sealing off the Green Zone, the VIP area, where the foreign embassies are situated.

Mojo Story and The Citizen discuss the implications of this geopolitical revolution in Afghanistan on India as it faces its “biggest foreign policy challenge” in years. They also discuss if strategic imperatives dictate that India chooses pragmatism over idealism and does the unthinkable of opening channels with the Taliban, at least as a tactical option.

Article 14 looks at the recent Jantar Mantar hate-speech incident against Muslims and traces a common thread between this event and other incendiary incidents in the recent past in the NCR and Haryana. It concludes that common ingredients in the events were – “common instigators”, police turning mere bystanders, and gatherings, otherwise banned under the pandemic, being allowed.

And, SC Observer examines the record of Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, who retired from the Supreme Court last week. He has been part of several significant cases, including privacy rights, right to life, freedom of speech and equality, amongst others.

For these stories and more from our grantees, please read on.

Warmly,

Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF

 
If you have been forwarded this email, please click here to subscribe
 
 

On the roads of Kabul, anxiety, fear, terror & gunshots a day after Taliban take control

ThePrint’s Nayanima Basu reports from Kabul on the situation in the Afghan capital, the morning after the Taliban captured the city, as fear and uncertainty hangs over its citizens.

Read Here

 
 

Kabul Falls to Taliban, Stone Age returns in Afghanistan | What should India do? | Barkha Dutt

Mojo Story looks at the options that India has, to deal with the rise of the Taliban in Kabul. It discusses what India could do to assist in the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, including giving refuge to a significant number of Afghan citizens in peril, particularly women.

Watch Here

 
 

Of Concern -The US Defeat in Afghanistan

The Citizen examines the Hobson’s choice for India in the Afghan imbroglio and discusses if India has any other option than to “openly, overtly” talk with the Taliban, if only to pass on the message that any “misadventures” on Indian soil, in Kashmir, for instance, will have its consequences.

Watch Here

 
 

Event Calling For Genocide Against Muslims In India’s Capital Latest In An Unhindered Spiral Of Hate Speech

The recent spate of hate-speech rallies against Muslims in Delhi, Haryana and the NCR have common characteristics. Article 14 looks at the seemingly disparate events and analyses the ingredients that string them together.

Read Here

 
 

Nariman J Retires: 14 Judgments in Which He Shaped the Law

Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman retired from the Supreme Court last week after a seven-year tenure. He is one of eight Supreme Court judges who have been elevated directly from the Bar and has been part of several significant cases. SC Observer profiles his record.

Read Here

 
 
 
 
 
More from the grantees
 
Why isn't beneficiary list of PM Ujwala Yojna being made public in Jammu and Kashmir?
Under the Ujjwala Yojna, the Indian government announced that it will provide free LPG connections to 1 crore needy people in 2021-22. But why isn't the beneficiary list of the scheme being made public in Jammu and Kashmir? Kashmir Observer investigates.
 
Gender bias, unemployment, and COVID-19
Women from low-income households have borne a disproportionate brunt of the negative effects of the Covid disruptions and lockdown. India Development Review examines the issues and comes up with recommendations for immediate policy interventions.
 
 
चित्रकूट: बाढ़ से घिरा मवईकलां गाँव | KhabarLahariya
Khabar Lahariya reports on the plight of residents of Mavaikala village in the Chitrakoot district of Madhya Pradesh that has been inundated by the floods. Despite commitments by the administration of providing them with new housing, they are yet to receive any assistance.
 
International Youth Day: अडचणींवर मात करणारा युवा पत्रकार
In an inspiring story to mark the International Youth Day on August 12, Max Maharashtra’s young reporter Gaurav Malak, who is blind since birth, and who reports on persons with disabilities and their issues, talks about his struggles, his challenges and how he has used his disability to look within and find strength for his journalism.
 
 
The story of how a Chennai zoo saved 13 lions that had COVID-19
The News Minute brings us the tale of how 13 Asiatic lions, which included 23-year-old Bhuvana and 19-year-old Kavitha, two of the oldest lions of the Vandalur zoo in Chennai, were saved after testing positive for the Coronavirus.
 
Why Access to Nutritious Food is A Right, Not Charity
The Bastion speaks to Dipa Sinha, Right to Food Campaign member and Faculty at Ambedkar University, to understand the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on nutrition, and the role of the PDS in intervening in the situation.
 
 
Raising Marriageable Age Of Girls: A Step That Requires Comprehensive Execution
Feminism in India looks at the recommendations submitted by a government task force for increasing the age of marriage for women in an attempt to combat malnutrition. It argues that while the move is welcome, it requires consultation and effective implementation, besides addressing financial and caste-based disparities.
 
Kochi Waste Management Issue | Waste disposal in Public Place | Kochi | Asiaville Quest
Asiaville reports on the issue of waste management in Kochi and speaks to locals to understand the menace of garbage dumping on the roadside and the need for the Kochi Corporation to intervene urgently.
 
 
 

This email was sent to

UNSUBSCRIBE HERE
 
 
 
Independent & Public-Spirited Media Foundation
4/6-1, 1st Floor Millers Road High Grounds Bangalore560052 Landmark :- Opp Vikram Hospital