DARK SHADES

Bhimrao Ambedkar was born into poverty, yet he became a lawyer, an author, an educator, and an advocate. He was a dalit (who were then called "untouchables"), yet he rose about the humiliation and discrimination of Indian culture to study the law in England and become a respected attorney. He focused his life on defending the untouchables in India, fighting for their legal rights and trying to put an end to the caste system. He wrote a number of essays and books about social inequality, and he actively promoted the idea that the poor needed better educational opportunities as well as greater respect.  Despite his record of scholarship, his legal colleagues and others in the upper-class of Hindu society refused to treat him as an equal, so he eventually converted to Buddhism, but he never stopped fighting to improve the lives of the poor and the outcasts in India; even though he died in 1956, he is still remembered for his tireless advocacy.

It may surprise many to know that Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, celebrated as the "Father of Indian Constitution," found economics closest to his heart and got his doctorate for a thesis on "The Problem of the Rupee". He was a Professor of Economics in Mumbai’s Sydenham College in the early 1930s. Ambedkar strongly believed that the fundamental cause of India’s backward economy was the delay in changing the land system. The remedy was democratic collectivism that entailed economic efficiency, productivity and overhauling the village economy, he wrote. This, he said, would wipe out elements of economic exploitation and social injustice. He did not want landlords, tenants, or landless labour. His idea of economic realism sought both freedom and welfare. The essential feature of his approach to economic problems was the condemnation of such extreme views as laissez-faire and scientific socialism. Mixed economy was the cornerstone of his economic ideas. He advocated an ...

he slow peeling of the onion around the involvement of Hindu militants  in the Malegaon and Modasa bomb blasts  last month in the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat in September has shown a murky network of religious radicals that may have both implications for India’s politics as well as its anti-terrorist policies. For years,  bombs in India have mostly been blamed on Islamist militants.  Even attacks on mosques were often blamed on Islamists seeking to spark communal tensions between India’s majority Hindus and minority Muslims. Both national and international press  have focused on the growing Indian-born Islamist militants who are trying to attack the Indian state. A widespread crackdown on suspected Islamist militants following the bomb attacks this year that killed scores of people in several Indian cities led Muslim leaders  to accuse authorities of conducting a witch hunt  and reinforcing stereotypes about their c...

In the Courts of the Conqueror: The 10 Worst Indian Law Cases Ever Decided By Walter R. Echo-Hawk 560 pages, hardcover: $35. Fulcrum Publishing, 2010. In a new book, attorney and author Walter Echo-Hawk explores the contradictions embedded in U.S. Indian law. The nation's justice system was originally created by a colonial power intent on possessing -- and exploiting -- the rich lands of the Americas. During a lecture at Phoenix's Heard Museum in September, Echo-Hawk, a Pawnee and cousin of Larry Echo-Hawk (the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs) and John Echo-Hawk (director of the Native American Rights Fund), talked about  In the Courts of the Conqueror: The 10 Worst Indian Law Cases Ever Decided . He also voiced his hopes for future jurisprudence in America's highest court. Echo-Hawk noted that "there are underlying forces at work in the legal system, the ‘dark side' of law." Most Americans view the courtroom as a place where justice is dealt fairly to...

New Delhi: One is facing a murder charge, another has been arrested for abduction, while a third is fighting a robbery case. Welcome to India's general election, where nearly a fifth of the 5,500 candidates face criminal charges. The Indian Constitution allows politicians facing criminal cases to contest polls, and critics say mafia dons and corrupt regional bosses are using their money and power to garner votes. Fear and reverence for politicians facing criminal charges play heavily in the minds of voters in India. These candidates sometimes control large areas where state facilities are lacking. In some places, they play the role of "Robin Hood", fixing low charges for services such as doctors' fees. Experts say it reflects how corruption and politics have co-existed in India for decades. The dark side of the world's biggest democracy Reuters Published: May 01, 2009, 22:51 "Criminals see this as a business opportunity to make money and gain a foothold in po...