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Jyoti Punwani

Jyoti Punwani writes on human rights issues. You can e-mail the author at jyoti.punwani@gmail.com

All stories by Jyoti Punwani

Be wary about the Muslim law board's stand on triple talaq

Be wary about the Muslim law board's stand on triple talaq

Rediff.com25 May 2017

When the Muslim Personal Law Board promises 'advisories' and nikahnamas to the Supreme Court, one has to remember not only its recent campaign against any change in Muslim personal law, but also its past record of inaction on the question of triple talaq, says Jyoti Punwani.

'Not my Hinduism' should be our slogan

'Not my Hinduism' should be our slogan

Rediff.com10 Apr 2017

'The cow is sacred to many of us, but these killings are definitely not part of the Hinduism we know and practise,' says Jyoti Punwani.

'Why are they so afraid of someone who is 90% disabled?'

'Why are they so afraid of someone who is 90% disabled?'

Rediff.com10 Mar 2017

'He has not done any harm to anyone. Yet you give him life imprisonment.' 'We were told to respect the Constitution. That is what Sai is doing; he is not doing anything beyond the Constitution.'

90% handicapped professor sentenced to life in prison

90% handicapped professor sentenced to life in prison

Rediff.com7 Mar 2017

'In the history of Maharashtra this is the first case in which all the persons chargesheeted were all convicted under all the sections they were charged with, and sentenced to life.'

'If Burhan Wani had lived in India he wouldn't have become a militant'

'If Burhan Wani had lived in India he wouldn't have become a militant'

Rediff.com9 Sep 2016

Six Kashmiri Muslim students belonging to Sarhad, an organisation which brings semi-orphans from strife-torn regions to live and study at their school and college in Pune, share their hopes for their state and their experiences outside it. Jyoti Punwani reports.

Why Sairat is such an important film

Why Sairat is such an important film

Rediff.com20 May 2016

Jyoti Punwani examines the relevance of the Sairat, the hit Marathi film everyone is talking about, in today's times.

'How can anyone not speak out against the genocide of Adivasis?'

'How can anyone not speak out against the genocide of Adivasis?'

Rediff.com11 Apr 2016

'How can we be silent when we see millions of Adivasis being displaced? Do we have a choice whether to speak or not?' 'My treatment this time was worse. Last time at least they didn't deny me medicines; those bought from outside were given to me. This time, even medicines bought at my expense were not given to me.'

The 27-year-old lawyer fighting for Adivasis

The 27-year-old lawyer fighting for Adivasis

Rediff.com2 Mar 2016

'In the districts of Jagdalpur and Dantewada, the only time the accused walked out of jail was when they were acquitted. There is no concept of bail.' 'The women were very clear -- they had to fight. Remaining silent any longer was not an option.'

Can't courts straighten out the errant lawyers?

Can't courts straighten out the errant lawyers?

Rediff.com22 Feb 2016

When an accused gets attacked on the way to court, and again within the court premises, with no intervention by a judicial officer, which space is safe, asks Jyoti Punwani.

So who gets to remember old wounds?

So who gets to remember old wounds?

Rediff.com5 Feb 2016

'Muslims and Dalits must erase the way they remember their past, or carry out their their performances in private,' says Jyoti Punwani, as Maharashtra's Censor Board denies permission to a play Jai Bhim, Jai Bharat.

'Torture is a daily routine'

'Torture is a daily routine'

Rediff.com24 Dec 2015

'People are beaten at the slightest provocation, paraded completely naked and then tortured. Did you know the number of prison deaths is the highest in Maharashtra? The one year I was in jail, 98 prisoners died.' 'The judges did warn the jail authorities, but they didn't care. They even violated the high court's order regarding my treatment. One judge asked my lawyer: "Can I go and implement my orders there?"' Professor G N Saibaba, who is 90 per cent handicapped, speaks of his ordeal in a Nagpur jail after being arrested for protesting against the Centre's anti-Naxal and anti-Adivasi campaign.

Patels and the politics of 'sensitive areas'

Patels and the politics of 'sensitive areas'

Rediff.com25 Nov 2015

'When you read that for the first time, areas in Gujarat dominated by Patidars/Patels have been declared 'sensitive' for the civic polls that were held this week, you sit up and take note,' says Jyoti Punwani.

We are Muslims and we are not terrorists

We are Muslims and we are not terrorists

Rediff.com23 Oct 2015

'One can understand this prejudice in the minds of policemen against Muslims, without accepting it. But what tilts the balance disproportionately is the police's blind eye to offences committed in the name of the majority.' says Jyoti Punwani.

Let us not give our Islamic neighbour a run for its money

Let us not give our Islamic neighbour a run for its money

Rediff.com7 Sep 2015

'In the 30 years since the Ayodhya movement began, the RSS has created a generation of Hindus who are the mirror image of those fanatic Muslims who take to the streets at the slightest, even imagined, 'insult to Islam,' argues Jyoti Punwani.

'The wrath of the State has become a hallmark of our democracy'

'The wrath of the State has become a hallmark of our democracy'

Rediff.com27 Jul 2015

'If a Delhi University professor's rights can be violated so easily, then think about what the rest of the population, with even lesser means, has to suffer under the State.'

Why it's wrong to hang Yakub Memon

Why it's wrong to hang Yakub Memon

Rediff.com20 Jul 2015

The curative petition and other legal remedies still available to Yakub Memon are part of his rights as a prisoner condemned to death. Does the Maharashtra government want to deprive him of these rights, asks Jyoti Punwani.

'BJP may get an upper hand as far as Dalit votes are concerned'

'BJP may get an upper hand as far as Dalit votes are concerned'

Rediff.com19 Jun 2015

'It is difficult to imagine the BJP becoming the legatee of Ambedkar. Whichever way one looks at it, Ambedkar's thought and Hindu nationalism are not easy to reconcile.'

'The BJP will pollute Ambedkar'

'The BJP will pollute Ambedkar'

Rediff.com19 Jun 2015

'The educated, employed, and self-sufficient Dalit is being attracted towards the BJP. The middle-class that has rapidly emerged among Dalits in the last two decades has deviated from its path. It has become a traitor to its own class. It cannot distinguish between a friend and an enemy.'

Court battle lays bare inner intrigues of Bohras' priestly family

Court battle lays bare inner intrigues of Bohras' priestly family

Rediff.com30 Apr 2015

The uncle versus nephew fight for the spiritual leadership of the Dawoodi Bohras enters the court-room, spilling family secrets and exposing the divide in the community. Jyoti Punwani reports.

Why BJP MPs get away with explosive speeches

Why BJP MPs get away with explosive speeches

Rediff.com15 Dec 2014

The BJP has 165 first-time MPs. Are we to expect such utterances from all 165 of them? Or only those from a rural background? Because that is the explanation given by the PM, says Jyoti Punwani.

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