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Showing posts from October, 2021

Not so subtle racism in New Zealand universities

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Mukesh Devrari I came across four Indian students living together in a student accommodation provided by the University of Canterbury (UC). All four were living in one flat. It was extraordinary as thousands of students came to Christchurch to study at the University of Canterbury. And hundreds of them lived in the UC provided accommodation. How come four Indian students were put together in one flat. It is intriguing, not a big puzzle. Everyone who has lived in New Zealand and tried their hands in few odd jobs to make a living perfectly understands it. Still, I posed this question to one of the students living in the university accommodation with fellow Indian students. Why do you think you all ended together? “One can end up with anyone in the allotments. But then Caucasian students approach the student accommodation office and make a request for changing their flats. They use various excuses. Something as simple as the sunlight is not proper in the room or comes from the direction

Time for BJP to take a step back on farm laws

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  Mukesh Devrari Democracy means the opposition will be allowed to express dissent against the ruling regime. Unfortunately, during the tenure of the ruling BJP government, the space is constantly shrinking for opposition parties to launch a concerted movement to highlight the failures of the ruling regime, including police atrocities on farmer groups. First, BJP leaders need to understand now that the debate is not always about right and wrong. Having a majority in parliament does not mean the laws can be pushed down the throats of the masses. Secondly, the debate is also not about the merit of farm laws now. It is quite possible that the corporate world would welcome all economic reforms. Still, however appropriate they might appear, their argument cannot be the sole basis of creating the farm laws.   Prime Minister Modi’s tendency to push the laws despite widespread opposition by farmer groups shows his authoritarian tendencies. After killing eight farmers, it would be sensible