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Dec 5, 2024 | 
indianexpress.com | Ria Chakrabarty
On December 2, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called on Delhi to send UN peacekeepers to maintain communal harmony in Bangladesh. Hers was the latest Indian statement expressing alarm about the state of Bangladeshi Hindus. Banerjee’s speech was particularly striking given that she, like the Indian Bengali media, has been relatively even-handed in analysing the situation in Bangladesh.
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Aug 30, 2024 | 
indianexpress.com | Ria Chakrabarty
In response, Bangladeshis organically began defending Hindu temples, Christian churches, and other minority community institutions. Led by the student protesters, Bangladeshis, just as they did in 1971, stood shoulder to shoulder to protect all communities and the idea of Bangladesh. The student protest leaders and their chosen interim government leader Mohammad Yunus have insisted that the next government must be a secular democracy that respects the rights of all, including minorities.
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Jun 30, 2024 | 
southasianvoices.org | Ashraf Nehal |Mohd Tahir |Raju Rajagopal |Ria Chakrabarty
The diminished return to power of Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) through its strategic partnerships with regional parties like the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) was certainly the headline of the Indian election. However, equally significant is the emergence of a united opposition front, comprising diverse parties from across the ideological spectrum, which has introduced a new dynamic in Indian politics after a decade.
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Jun 14, 2024 | 
southasianvoices.org | Rohan Venkat |Raju Rajagopal |Ria Chakrabarty |Mohd Tahir
Narendra Modi was sworn in on June 8 as the Prime Minister of India for a third consecutive term, a milestone previously achieved only by Jawaharlal Nehru. But the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had aimed for 400 seats and later revised its target to 370, fell way short of expectations. Although it surpassed the 272 seats needed to form the government, it secured only 294 seats.
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Jun 14, 2024 | 
southasianvoices.org | Raju Rajagopal |Ria Chakrabarty |Mohd Tahir |Rohan Venkat
Narendra Modi was sworn in on June 8 as the Prime Minister of India for a third consecutive term, a feat matched only by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru of the Congress Party. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had insisted that it would win 400 seats in the lower house of the parliament (which would have empowered it to amend the Indian Constitution), but it actually lost 63 seats as well as its majority status, foiling its ability to form a new government on its own.
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Jun 14, 2024 | 
southasianvoices.org | Rohan Venkat |Mohd Tahir |Raju Rajagopal |Ria Chakrabarty |Rohan Venkataramakrishnan
In 2004, the Bharatiya Janata Party entered Indian elections on a high, expecting to be brought back to power on the back of its first-ever five-year term in charge. Its campaign slogan was ‘India Shining.’ Opinion polls forecasted a comfortable victory. The party exuded confidence, but the results were a massive shock as the BJP was voted out and would spend the next decade on the Opposition benches of the Indian Parliament.
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Jun 14, 2024 | 
southasianvoices.org | Rohan Venkat |Mohd Tahir |Raju Rajagopal |Ria Chakrabarty |Rohan Venkataramakrishnan
In 2004, the Bharatiya Janata Party entered Indian elections on a high, expecting to be brought back to power on the back of its first-ever five-year term in charge. Its campaign slogan was ‘India Shining.’ Opinion polls forecasted a comfortable victory. The party exuded confidence, but the results were a massive shock as the BJP was voted out and would spend the next decade on the Opposition benches of the Indian Parliament.
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Jun 4, 2024 | 
thehindu.com | Ria Chakrabarty
As India wrapped up the second phase of its gargantuan Lok Sabha elections, flash drives with many videos of graphic sexual violence began to appear across Karnataka. The Member of Parliament (MP) from Hassan, Prajwal Revanna, fled the country after these videos emerged and he was credibly accused of harassing and assaulting multiple women.
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Jan 16, 2024 | 
justsecurity.org | Ria Chakrabarty
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing for national elections in India by mid-year, and central to its message is a wild range of conspiracy theories making the rounds on social media and even in traditional news outlets. The Washington Post released a stunning exposé last month about what appears to be a propaganda operation started and run by an Indian intelligence officer that fuels those theories.
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Nov 18, 2023 | 
americankahani.com | Ria Chakrabarty
This Diwali, Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) has been wrestling with the question of how we observe the festival of light at a time of such darkness. On November 15, HfHR held our second annual Multi-Faith Diwali event on Capitol Hill. The event gathered about 50 diverse guests, mostly members of the HfHR community and staffers of progressive lawmakers. The event aimed to foster solidarity and community amid profound global unrest.
