Beaten, not broken: Meet Shiv Kumar and Nodeep Kaur, young labour activists inspired by Bhagat Singh
Born to Dalit farm labourers, they grew up to be industrial workers. Even police torture hasn’t dented their resolve to fight for workers’ rights. Mar 15, 2021 · 06:30 am Nodeep Kaur and Shiv Kumar at a tent in Singhu border weeks after their release from jail. | Vijayta Lalwani
In 2016, Shiv Kumar was asked what he wanted to become when he attended a career counselling session at the Industry Training Institute, Haryana, where he was learning how to make and use precision tools.
“I told them I wanted to become a baaghi,” said Kumar. A rebel.
The new Biden administration’s centering of the climate crisis including through the cabinet appointment of Indigenous leader Deb Haaland, the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline and the creation of a nation-wide climate policy task force is a significant victory for the environmental movement.
At the same time, there are also aspects of Biden’s climate plan, his international agenda in particular, which are far from progressive. This has been reflected in the administration’s approach to India, the world’s third-largest greenhouse gas emitter.
The developing country, which is rapidly expanding its investment in coal, is expected to double its energy consumption by 2040 making it thus an essential partner in international climate change mitigation.
March 2, 2021
The white hatchback slowed down as it approached the toll plaza. At the wheels was a middle-aged Sikh man and in the passenger seat an old woman with flowing grey hair. Seated behind were three more women, one middle-aged and the other two much younger, who looked barely out of their teens.
Toll plazas in Punjab sites of permanent sit-ins by farmers protesting against the new farm laws have been closed for months, free for vehicles to pass through without paying any fee.
Yet, the man stopped and gestured at the protesting farmers camping on one side of the highway, trying to catch their attention. One of them came over to the passenger seat window. The old woman thrust a 500 rupees ($6.84) note in his hands and caressed his head affectionately. Barely any words were exchanged. The car zoomed past soon after.
Nodeep Kaur profile | Always at the forefront thehindu.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thehindu.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Punjab ground report: Six months on, farm protest remains strong – and united. Where is it headed?
Anger over Modi government’s farm laws is rooted in a deeper disquiet that cuts across community lines. Left unresolved, it could take a dark turn. Feb 25, 2021 · 09:00 am Farmers and agricultural workers arrive to attend a rally against farm laws, in Barnala, Punjab, onFebruary 21. | Reuters/Danish Siddiqui
The white hatchback slowed down as it approached the toll plaza. At the wheels was a middle-aged Sikh man and in the passenger seat an old woman with flowing grey hair. Seated behind were three more women, one middle aged and the other two much younger, who looked barely out of their teens.