‘Nehru and the Spirit Of India’: A timely study of a vision for a secular and tolerant India

The book is centrally focussed on Jawaharlal Nehru’s imagination of India as an inclusive political community.

https://scroll.in/article/1055510/nehru-and-the-spirit-of-india-a-timely-study-of-a-vision-for-a-secular-and-tolerant-india

#BookReview #ManashFiraqBhattacharjee #JawaharlalNehru #nehru #history #secularism #anticolonialism #culture #FreedomStruggle #IndianHistory #HinduNationalism #hindutva #communalism #books #bookstodon #histodon #india

Distribution of Bible not allurement for religious conversion, says Allahabad High Court

Granting bail to two accused who were booked for alluring persons for conversion to Christianity, the bench of Justice Shamim Ahmad said an unaffected person could not lodge an FIR under the Act.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/sep/07/distribution-of-bible-not-allurement-for-religious-conversion-says-allahabad-high-court-2612668.html

#UttarPradesh #AllahabadHC #christians #bible #conversion #ReligiousFreedom #law #BJP #hindutva #communalism #india

‘ASI survey not scientific, mosque may fall down’, Gyanvapi mosque committee to Varanasi court

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which manages the historic Gyanvapi mosque, has moved an application before the Varanasi district judge claiming that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is digging the premises which is against the court’s directions.

https://maktoobmedia.com/india/asi-survey-not-scientific-mosque-may-fall-down-gyanvapi-mosque-committee-to-varanasi-court/

#UttarPradesh #varanasi #GyanvapiMosque #ASI #SupremeCourt #AllahabadHC #mosques #hindutva #communalism #india

Dr Kafeel Khan releases Tamil version of his book, says won't remain a mute spectator

“I read a lot in jail. Until then I did not bother to know why Gauri Lankesh was killed, or why there is so much poison based on caste on religion. My whole life I had only studied medical books,” says Dr Kafeel Khan.

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/dr-kafeel-khan-releases-tamil-version-his-book-says-wont-remain-mute-spectator-181896

#TamilNadu #chennai #DrKafeelKhan #GorakhpurHospitalTragedy #gorakhpur #healthcare #activism #UttarPradesh #AjayBisht #YogiAdityanath #UPGovt #hindutva #NSA #communalism #muslims #BJP #india #books

‘Scared to Buy, Eat Meat’: Muslims in Mathura After Arrests on Suspicion of Cow Slaughter

After reviewing seven FIRs filed in 2022 across various police stations in Mathura, 'The Wire' found that these were mere copies of each other with names and dates changed.

https://thewire.in/rights/scared-to-buy-eat-meat-muslims-in-mathura-after-arrests-on-suspicion-of-cow-slaughter

#UttarPradesh #mathura #muslims #beef #CowSlaughter #communalism #UPPolice #hindutva #BJP #india

Karnataka teacher asks Muslim students to ‘go to Pakistan’, inquiry initiated

Block Education Officer B. Nagaraj, who conducted a probe into the incident, said the other students of class corroborated with the complaint.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/government-school-teacher-in-karnataka-transferred-and-facing-inquiry-for-telling-muslim-students-to-go-to-pakistan-101693681216584.html

#karnataka #shivamogga #HateSpeech #ManjulaDevi #communalism #muslims #islamophobia #HateSpeech #education #schools #hindutva #india

Courts Remain Silent Spectators As Minorities Remain In Fear Amidst Rise Of Illiberal, Communal Forces: Justice (Retired) AP Shah

Justice (Retired) AP Shah recently expressed concerns over the rise of ‘illiberal and communal’ forces in the country, fuelled by extremist ideologies, and the attendant culture of hate, polarisation, and vilification of minorities, particularly Muslims, taking root across the nation. He also raised apprehensions about the weakening of formal institutions like the courts in India as well as the erosion of public trust in them.

https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/justice-ap-shah-courts-silent-spectators-communal-forces-236776

#APShah #courts #communalism #muslims #minorities #islamophobia #HateSpeech #CAA #UAPA #india

Today in Labor History September 1, 1880: The utopian communistic Oneida Community ended after 32 years. The Community was founded by John Humphrey Noyes and his followers in 1848 near Oneida, New York. They believed that Jesus had already returned in AD 70, allowing them to bring about Jesus's millennial kingdom themselves. The Community practiced communalism (holding all property and possessions in common). They also practiced complex marriage, where 3 or more people could enter into the same marriage, and male sexual continence, where the male’s goal was to not ejaculate during sex. They were also one of the first groups in the U.S. to practice mutual criticism, to root out bad characteristics in people, something adopted by many later cults, and even by Cesar Chavez and the UFW under his leadership.

The Oneida Community has been portrayed in numerous works of fiction such as “Silken Strands,” by Rebecca May Hope (2019). “Assassination Vacation,” by Sarah Vowell (2005) and “Pagan House,” by David Flusfeder (2007).

#WorkingClass #LaborHistory #socialism #oneida #CesarChavez #cult #Communalism #books #author #writer #fiction #novel @bookstadon

Delhi Home of Independent Muslim Woman Journalist Set on Fire

Khushboo Akhtar told The Wire that she often receives threats over her work, which involves raising issues concerning Muslims and other oppressed communities.

https://thewire.in/communalism/home-of-muslim-woman-journalist-set-on-fire-in-delhi

#delhi #communalism #KhushbooAkhtar #journalism #muslims #dalits #islamophobia #HateSpeech #HateCrime #hindutva #youtube #PalPalNews #india

Those of us interested in the prospect of fediverse communalization within the FediPact context should convene a broader conversation, inclusive of admins, developers and engaged community members - particularly those from marginalized or targeted backgrounds. And considering that there will be many who will want to bail out of the megaservers before they are absorbed into the Zuckerverse, the sooner a clearly defined alternative presents itself, the better.

Also, the Free Fediverse wiki continues to be updated. Among the offerings are links to:

🐸 FediPact and alternative fediverse development info
🐸 News articles and essays on Threads and the Zuckerberg takeover gambit
🐸 A ballooning selection of stories on Meta's many crimes against humanity

Feel free to hop on over to https://freefediverse.org

20/20 /end

#FreeFediverse #FediPact #DefederateMeta #Meta #Facebook #Threads #Prefiguration #DualPower #Fedifam #Communalism

So too, gender-based harassment has not only endured in the fediverse, it has been perpetuated by some of its most privileged participants, as observed in a recent controversy involving a stream of abuse perpetuated by a very visible megaserver admin. Who moderates the moderators?

Building a Free Fediverse comprises an opportunity to chart a course away from the predominating influence of amoral techbros who have no capacity for understanding these problems, and see the fedi primarily as an opportunity for financial investment. This piece reframes the "gatekeeping" smear aimed at FediPact advocates through a lens of envisioning the online community as a ZAD - a Zone To Defend.

https://kolektiva.social/@ophiocephalic/110680030293653277

19/20

#FreeFediverse #FediPact #DefederateMeta #Meta #Facebook #Threads #Prefiguration #DualPower #Fedifam #Communalism #Horizontalism #ZAD

Finally, the Free Fediverse must prioritize centering the concerns and perspectives of those from marginalized and targeted communities. This need is more acute than ever, as we arrive at a moment in which the short-term prospects for the continuity of "democracy" in countries such as the "USA" and Germany are very much in question.

These essays by @jdp23 on the history of Mastodon development makes clear the paradoxical nature of a project innovated by a vibrant community of trans and queer folk as a refuge from the fascistic tendencies of the major capitalist networks, which eventually stratified into a hierarchical, growth-oriented Twitter me-too controlled by a single person.

https://privacy.thenexus.today/mastodon-a-partial-history/

https://privacy.thenexus.today/here-queer-and-federated-on-mastodon-and-the-fediverse/

This analysis makes clear that the abject failure of Mastodon to provide a welcoming alternative to Black Twitter, as identified by @shengokai , was in fact inevitable.

https://techpolicy.press/the-whiteness-of-mastodon

18/20

#FreeFediverse #FediPact #DefederateMeta #Meta #Facebook #Threads #Prefiguration #DualPower #Fedifam #Communalism

Tech adaptations would be necessary in any case, especially considering that well-informed observers believe switching from blocklist-based moderation to allow-list-based federation is the only way to definitively disconnect from Meta and its collaborator instances. The communal structure would make this viable. Fedifams could federate allow-lists amongst themselves, and trust-treaty caracoles could pave the way for new instances which spin up from within fams to federate in the greater network.

It could also change the nature of the instance itself. Fedifam support for internal spinups would make it easier for instances to become the initiatives of communities rather than individuals, who currently must re-invent the wheel and take on the technical and moderation burdens entirely of their own accord. Community-activated servers would be naturally inclined to a more democratic internal culture. The problems of admin burnout and micro-tyranny could be significantly lessened. And allow-list federation would slam the door shut on interlopers scheming to fabricate moral panics.

The horizontal redistribution of agency, across community members, admins, and developers, would change the game and fulfill the democratic promise of the fediverse.

17/20

#FreeFediverse #FediPact #DefederateMeta #Meta #Facebook #Threads #Prefiguration #DualPower #Fedifam #Communalism #DirectDemocracy

Enabling, sustaining and coordinating more creative and forward-thinking tech development would be a necessity for the Free Fediverse. The ActivityPub protocol itself is in the process of being enclosed by Zuckerberg and his assets right now.

Fortunately there are alternative possibilities, not least among them the next-generation Spritely Goblins protocol of another AP co-author, @cwebber . More on Spritely Goblins here:

https://spritely.institute/goblins/

Supporting this effort, and combining the efforts of the numerous Masto forks into a definitive Free Fedi microblogging replacement, could be the way to build our ark and render our resolve tangible.

16/20

#FreeFediverse #FediPact #DefederateMeta #Meta #Facebook #Threads #Prefiguration #DualPower #Fedifam #Communalism #SpritelyGoblins

Meanwhile, more creative technological approaches remain obstructed or ignored. This proposal from @supakaity offers the enticing and empowering prospect of granular control of all search and visibility parameters for each post: https://blahaj.zone/notes/9ev0kge0aj

The fedifam construct could be extended to developer alliances as well. This would enable a shared, stable source for crowdfunding, and the coordination of efforts toward complimentary and interoperable results.

The person at the top of the Mastodon development hierarchy actually refers to himself as a "benevolent dictator for life" - but there's no such thing as a benevolent dictator. Dictators, of any nature, do not facilitate democratic outcomes. We didn't let Vladimir Lenin get away with that "benevolent dictatorship" shit and we shouldn't let John Mastodon do so either!

15/20

#FreeFediverse #FediPact #DefederateMeta #Meta #Facebook #Threads #Prefiguration #DualPower #Fedifam #Communalism #DirectDemocracy

The need for self-governance and the democratization of fedi culture is clearly indicated by the current democracy deficit of the status quo. The controversies resulting from the upcoming Mastodon feature upgrades tell the tale.

The initial and unilateral introduction of the upcoming search capability - rumored to have been a demand of Meta - took the form of a single all-or-nothing toggle which would actually have removed existing functionality for users who opted out. The sensibilities and consent concerns of fedi-folk from smaller instances and marginalized communities were only considered after an outcry.

Though a more amenable alternative was provided, there are still serious concerns about the performance toll of these new functionalities on small and self-hosted servers. They are now mainly being beta-tested on megaservers, which means negative impacts both technical and cultural may only become apparent when it's too late to reverse course.

14/20

#FreeFediverse #FediPact #DefederateMeta #Meta #Facebook #Threads #Prefiguration #DualPower #Fedifam #Communalism #DirectDemocracy

When referencing the democratic potentials of the fediverse, it's important to note that inspiration is not to be found in the competitive, bureaucratic electoralism of liberal democracy, but rather the horizontal consensus-based process of radical direct democracy.

The fedifam structure would facilitate a go-to democratic framework for attaining consensus between communities on moderation conundrums. At the moment, these regular crises tend to sprawl out in random threads, with the directly affected and indirect stakeholders perhaps able to chance upon them or not.

And what about intra-instance democracy, to redistribute agency within the community itself? This post - the second part of a rather long essay on the fedifam idea - sketches out a speculative scenario of "democracy as a protocol", baked into the software.

https://kolektiva.social/@ophiocephalic/110707707012210965

13/20

#FreeFediverse #FediPact #DefederateMeta #Meta #Facebook #Threads #Prefiguration #DualPower #Fedifam #Communalism #DirectDemocracy

Critical to the understanding and acceptance of this model is the horizontal distribution of power. This is consistent with both the Zapatista and Rojava programs. Envision now a series of three concentric rings, with the individual instance as the smallest ring on the inside, the caracol the biggest on the outside.

The instance should have exactly as much agency as it does now (or perhaps in certain ways, even more). No capacity currently under the control of the instance is ceded to the outer rings of the fam and the caracol. Those rings are quite deliberately limited in their functionality, with the biggest being the most limited; their very purpose is to augment and devolve agency back in to the locality of the community.

This is the only chance for a construct of this nature to facilitate direct democracy and avoid hierarchical creep.

12/20

#FreeFediverse #FediPact #DefederateMeta #Meta #Facebook #Threads #Prefiguration #DualPower #Fedifam #Communalism #Zapatista #EZLN #Rojava #DirectDemocracy

In this diagram, three groups of instances - Pan-African/Black liberation communities, radical queer communities, and anarchist communities - collectivize into fedfams, which in the Zapatista model are the equivalent of "communes". The three fedifams, which recognize each other as sufficiently ideologically aligned, then loosely form into a single caracol.

The purpose of the caracol is to comprise a trust treaty or "web of trust", which will ease the acceptance of new instances, that develop from within existing fams, into a broader federation. This would be useful or even necessary with a switch from exclusive blocklist-based moderation to inclusive allow-list federation. More on this later.

And more on the fedifam as a radical survival strategy: https://kolektiva.social/@ophiocephalic/110707704222855712

11/20

#FreeFediverse #FediPact #DefederateMeta #Meta #Facebook #Threads #Prefiguration #DualPower #Fedifam #Communalism #Zapatista #EZLN

Others are taking on the possibility from similar angles. @zkat has suggested applying the organizational approach of the Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities. Their idea is laid out in this blog post.

https://runyourown.social/#beyond-local-and-public:-the-neighborhood

Further discussion on the concept occurs in this thread: https://toot.cat/@zkat/110810390507239555

The Commoner is running an essay series on the Zapatista system and stateless participatory democracy. The most recent entry provides a diagram of the Zapatista model. With this in mind, let's see if we can build on Kat's idea and envision it as a useful paradigm for the fediverse.

https://www.thecommoner.org.uk/zapatista-autonomy-and-stateless-participatory-democracy-part-two/

10/20

#FreeFediverse #FediPact #DefederateMeta #Meta #Facebook #Threads #Prefiguration #DualPower #Fedifam #Communalism #Zapatista #EZLN