THERE has been a manifold increase in the number of reported cases of sexual assaults against girls and women with disabilities. Considered as soft targets, disabled girls and women are more vulnerable to sexual assaults. While specific provisions are contained in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act as well as the amendments to the criminal laws post Verma Committee with regard to disabled girls and women, it is a matter of grave concern that provisions contained therein are not implemented at all or are not implemented in full.

HE is an icon of humanity not an Ezhava idol.It is rather unfortunate that we are living in an age when the lights kindled by the renaissance movements are sought to be extinguished by the revivalist forces of various hues all over the country.

AN 'invisible' government is ruling the coastal Karnataka. The 'visible' government is at their beck and call.  The flag-bearers of this 'invisible' government or Hindutva vanguard decide with whom a girl from their community may or may not associate. They have absolute authority to punish any Muslim boy seen in public with a Hindu girl. In such cases, the Muslim boy is assaulted and humiliated in any way they please. The Hindu girl, too, is insulted, manhandled and threatened, all in order to protect her ‘honour’.

THE Malekudiyas, a tribal community inhabiting the Western Ghats in Karnataka, were never so angry. Their anger this time has surpassed the anger they felt when they were prevented from collecting forest produce, when they lost land in the name of a national park, even when police branded them as Naxalites and shot their youth. Belthangady town in Dakshina Kannada district trembled as a militant and angry demonstration of the Malekudiyas in hundreds, along with democratic-minded people marched to the taluk office. The demonstration was organised by the CPI(M) and some mass organisations.

IN the early hours of July 10, the dead body of Dodda Veeresh Gudisali was found by the side of a railway track at the outskirts of Koppala, Karnataka. He was a dalit from Marakumbi village of Gangavathi taluk. He was an important witness in the case pertaining to the incident of atrocity on dalits that occurred at Marakumbi, a year ago. He was about 45. He has left behind him his wife and two sons. A death note is said to have been recovered which suggests that he committed suicide.