Four years after IIT Kharagpur student Faizan Ahmed's death, no arrests have been reported despite a court-ordered SIT investigation. Two autopsies changed the course of the case, but his mother, Rehana Ahmed, continues to fight for justice and accountability.
At a civil rights convention in Kolkata, Prashant Bhushan, Justice Abhay Mahadev Thipsay and Apoorvanand raised concerns over voter exclusion, restrictions on peaceful protest and threats to civil liberties. APCR also launched a legal-aid helpline and a voter name-restoration initiative in West Bengal.
Months after Abdul Rahim was allegedly detained in Uttar Dinajpur, his family heard his voice from Bangladesh. Two phone calls brought relief that he was alive, but also raised a frightening question: how did a man taken into custody in Bengal cross the border?
Two men were killed and three critically injured after a mob allegedly attacked five travellers in Siliguri over suspected cattle theft. Police arrested the three survivors and seven others in connection with the violence, while questions remain over what triggered the attack.
A Murshidabad family says four members, including a 16-year-old, were detained as alleged Bangladeshis despite two reportedly voting in 2026 and Dablu Saikh’s name surviving SIR. MASUM has questioned the nationality verification process and sought an independent probe into their alleged pushback.
At a Kolkata event, Prof. Apoorvanand warned that weekends have become dangerous for civil rights activists in India. Citing the arrest of Prof. Ali Khan and police actions in Bastar, he said the state uses “process as punishment” to silence dissent, especially against Muslims and marginalized voices.
At a Jadavpur University lecture, U.S. historian Elisabeth Armstrong traced Trump-era authoritarianism to Cold War repression and corporate power. She emphasized how fear politics and economic precarity threaten American democracy, and called for renewed grassroots organizing, solidarity, and street-level resistance to confront today’s crises and reclaim democratic spaces.
MP and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Aazad, speaking in Kolkata, accused BJP and Godi Media of spreading hate and using Dalits in engineered riots. He questioned the Tiranga Yatra’s purpose, emphasized unity among oppressed communities, and announced plans to contest Bengal elections with the Azad Samaj Party.
Dozens of Bengali Muslim families in Kolkata’s Rajabazar were evicted without notice, leaving them homeless. Despite decades of residence and valid documents, police demolished their huts. With no response from local leaders or rehabilitation offered, the families have appealed to the State Minorities Commission for urgent humanitarian intervention.
Ahmed Wali Faisal Rahmani warns that the Waqf Act 2025 threatens centuries-old Muslim endowments that served all communities. While global institutions like Harvard thrive on endowments, India is dismantling its own. The Act could severely impact Dalits, the poor, and lakhs of non-Muslims relying on Waqf-supported services.