Citizens for Justice and Peace
Warp and weft of distress in Shantipur West Bengal’s weaving industry has suffered greatly due to the Covid-19 Lockdown
09-Jul-2021
The Covid-19 Lockdown may soon ease off in West Bengal, however there has been massive damage done already, as it virtually cut off livelihoods of weavers and workers associated with the textile industry. The lockdown is said to have affected over six lakh registered workers associated with the weaving industry. The worst affected districts, according…
West Bengal: Wild elephant attacks and the human dilemma Residents of Ghar Salbani say they are spending days in terror
08-Jul-2021
In the seventies, Rajesh Khanna starrer Haathi Mere Saathi had created a magical image for many Indians, especially children. The emotional relationship between a human and an elephant, living in the forest, was endearing. However, real life is far removed from the fantasy woven on celluloid. Forest dwelling elephants are wild creatures, as wild as the tiger,…
Murshidabad: Crisis pours when it rains! Paddy farmers fear unseasonal rain, hail and government apathy above all
24-Jun-2021
Governments and seasons, both, change regularly, what does not change, is the fate of the farmer. This is the feeling in rural Bengal, a resignation of sorts, expressed by those who have been losing their jobs, and are getting pushed further into poverty due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lack of policies that can help…
Almost, but not quite… Which states fared moderately well in controlling Covid-19 and why?
19-Jun-2021
The pandemic, while bringing on a sea of tragedies for Indians, has exposed the unpreparedness of callous governments which left people to the mercy of an over-burdened and structurally weak healthcare system. While the enormity of the second wave of Covid in India caught the central as well as state governments off guard. Some states,…
Covid-19 attacks the lungs, but we are worried about our empty stomachs: Migrant Workers Without employment or income, their lives seem to be in a permanent lockdown
18-Jun-2021
The lockdown may be easing in some cities, and extending in some, but nothing is the same anymore for those who can only eat one meal a day. In this little hamlet deep in West Bengal, the morning azaan from the mosque, and the sounds of the first train rushing on the tracks nearby, wakes up Surmara,…
Will the 125-year old Bolpur Poush Mela be held this year? Visva Bharati University first cancelled the fair, then retracted the cancellation
19-Dec-2020
CJP fellowship 2020 researcher Ripon Sheikh, tracks and documents the confusion, around the massive cultural celebration, and the anger that is simmering over its possible cancellation. Poush Mela is regarded as a living heritage of West Bengal, one that has put the culture and vivacity of Shantiniketan in Bolpur on the world map. It celebrates…
Stop VHP’s Ram Navami Yatras in Bengal CJP appeals for ban on the yatras during elections
12-Apr-2019
The VHP is organising 700 Ram Navami rallies in Bengal in the middle of the elections. Last year, these rallies had led to communal tensions across West Bengal. In light of this CJP appeals to the Election Commission to stop these political rallies. Related: VHP plans 700 Shobha Yatras during Elections: Shouldn’t EC ban…
VHP plans 700 Shobha Yatras during Elections: Shouldn’t EC ban them? Glaring violation of Election Model Code of Conduct
12-Apr-2019
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) plans to organise 700 shobha yatras to celebrate Ram Navami across South Bengal on April 14, just four days before the second phase of the general elections. Given that these yatras have a history of inflaming communal passions and leading to large scale violence, shouldn’t the Election Commission step in and put…
My Ancestors were Freedom Fighters, I will not let my Grief tear the Nation apart Son killed in Asansol riots, Imam Imdadul Rashidi appeals against violence and vengeance
11-Apr-2019
Asansol’s Imam Imdadul Rashidi’s young son was killed during the ram navami riots that swept through Asansol in 2018. At that moment of grief, the Imam not only appealed for peace but also ensured that there was no retaliation. He even refused to pursue police investigation into the death. This, like Gandhiji in Noakhali during…
Fear of violence not unfounded: SC on BJP’s Rath Yatra Apex court directs party to seek fresh approval from WB government
16-Jan-2019
In a major setback to the BJP, the Supreme Court of India has directed the party to seek fresh approval for a ‘rath yatra’ from the state government of West Bengal saying that the WB government’s concerns weren’t “unfounded”. The court, however asked the state government to allow BJP rallies and meetings in the state. BJP…