In an interview with NewsClick, Dr. Satish Prakash and Gautam Navlakha discuss the future of the dalit movement in our country. They discuss the Bhima Koregaon incidence as well as the 2nd April's successful 'bharat band'. -~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Please watch: "The Kanwars : Infamous Shiv Bhakts of North India, Bharat Ek Mauj, Season 2 E1 " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01w0jBWPu3Q -~-~~-~~~-~~-~-

Although ceasefire violations in Kashmir is no shocking news, since September 2015, the Modi government has given a free hand to the forces deployed on the border, resulting also in uncontrolled firing along the LOC. Human Rights Activist Gautam Navlakha speaks to Newsclick about the decision to observe ceasefire in Kashmir in the month of Ramadan and the history of the ceasefire violations. He feels that once the matter is escalated – unless the other side capitulates, which is not happening in this case – the response will match the escalation. -~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Please watch: "The Kanwars : Infamous Shiv Bhakts of North India, Bharat Ek Mauj, Season 2 E1 " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01w0jBWPu3Q -~-~~-~~~-~~-~-

On a pleasant Wednesday evening, thousands of citizens came out on the streets of Delhi. It was for a protest against the brutal lynching of Hafiz Junaid. The 15 year old was on a Delhi-Mathura train with his brother, when he was stabbed to death by a mob; they called him “anti-national” and “beef-eater” before leaving the brothers, and two other companions, in a pool of blood. We spoke to Gautam Navlakha, human rights activist and journalist, who remarked the importance of such a protest. He said: “all the things which happen are beyond outreach now”. -~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Please watch: "The Kanwars : Infamous Shiv Bhakts of North India, Bharat Ek Mauj, Season 2 E1 " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01w0jBWPu3Q -~-~~-~~~-~~-~-

Newsclick interviewed Human Rights Activist Gautam Navlakha on lynching of Akhlaq over alleged consumption of beef in Dadri near Delhi. Gautam also discussed about the idea of beef ban, cow slaughter and its legality. He believes that the lynching by mob over a mere suspicion is nothing but an inhumane incident which is linked with the larger ideological aim of pushing agenda of Hindutva. He emphasized on the fact that a small call be a temple priest led to mobilization of more than 1000 people shows that it was a pre-planned incident. He also explained that it is result of multiple activities of RSS and its ally organizations which have been trying to vitiate society. Commenting on the legal sanctity, Gautam quoted from Article 48 of the Directives of the State Policy and explained about the provision of cow slaughter. Explaining the history of cow slaughter, Gautam explained that it has more to do with economic means of farmers and not religious angle as being propagated by BJP and its leadership.

Talk delivered by Gautam Navlakha at MIT, Cambridge, MA, on August 3rd, 2014. Gautam Navlakha is a human rights and civil liberties activist and is a secretary of the People's Union for Democratic Rights; he is also the Editorial Consultant for the Economic and Political Weekly and has written widely on Kashmir, the Northeast and Chhattisgarh.