Archive for the ‘Resource listings’ Category
RSF statement… journo and two assistants arrested over book exposing violence against minorities in Orissa State
17 December 2008
INDIA
Journalist and two assistants arrested over book exposing violence against minorities in Orissa State
Reporters Without Borders today condemned the arrest of Lenin Kumar Roy, author and editor of the quarterly review Nishan, in Bhubaneswar, Orissa State over a book in which he accuses Hindu extremists of waging a campaign of violence against minorities in the Kandhamal district.
Two assistants, Ravi Jena and Dhananjay Lenka, working for Sovan Press, publishers of Dharma naanre Kandhamalre Raktara Nadi (Bloodbath in Kandhamal in the Name of Religion) Sovan Press, were also arrested.
Kumar Roy has been charged with violating Articles 153-A and 295-A of the Indian criminal code punishing “provocative literature likely to disturb peace and communal harmony”. Some sections of the book condemn certain Hindu groups for inciting violence against minorities, making Christians sing Hindu religious songs and forcing young non-Hindu women into prostitution.
“These arrests are arbitrary and violate the right of free expression which is guaranteed in India. Lenin Kumar Roy was arrested simply for condemning inter-communal violence while the local government has failed to protect the rights of minorities in Kandhamal district”, the worldwide press freedom organisation said, calling for his release and that of his two assistants.
At least 700 copies of the book, which police call “Maoist literature” were seized from the publishers. A bail application made by his lawyer on the day after Kumar Roy’s arrest on 8 December 2008 was rejected.
Activist journalists and writers demonstrated on 10 December outside the residence of the governor of Orissa State to protest against the arrests and brandished placards with slogans such as “Stop communalism”, “Release Lenin and the others” and “Thinking and writing are not crimes”.
Taking sharing to the classroom
The case for Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FOSS) in schools … this is a paper I put together for IOSN (International Open Source Network, South Asia) in Chennai.
It was a learning experience working on it. You can read or download the whole paper from here: http://www.divshare.com/download/3321637-94c
A quote:
In the text above, one is presented with more than just hints of the
varied and many possibilities that FOSS opens up for schools in South Asia.
There is clearly a profusion of tools available, which needs to be
adequately exploited. As of now, however, the lack of easy-to-access FOSS skills could cause a setback in the spread of Free/Libre and Open Source Software in South Asia. The lack of widespread awareness of these tools among educators, and importantly even those drafting the curricula, remains a matter for concern. Steps taken in this regard could go a long way in building a firm basis for the spread of FOSS, in schools and beyond.
