Articles by Kavita Krishnan

The acquittal of the 26 people found guilty for the Laxmanpur-Bathe massacre of 1997 by the Patna High Court is a grave miscarriage of justice. This article traces the events of that time and the manner in which the ruling of the sessions court, finding these accused guilty, was overturned. It argues that Bihar does not witness a "caste war", rather it is a situation where mainstream political parties have supported and defended sustained violence against the dalits and lower castes, the landless and the powerless by the likes of the Ranveer Sena.

The punitive action taken against students fighting for genuine causes (against sexual harassment and for workers' rights) in institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University and Kashi Vidyapeeth highlights the high-handedness of the respective administrations. Far from implementing measures that have been raised as demands by the students, the administrations are bent upon punishing students for participating in protests.