On Independence Day, Read These Books That Question The Very Nature Of Freedom

When things seem the bleakest, turning to fiction can often be instructive. As we question the very nature of freedom, here is a short reading list of novels from around the world that vividly tell the stories of ordinary lives turned upside down by conflict and war created by those who wield power. And sometimes, these lives even emerge on the other side, if not entirely free, at least clutching at a humanity that is still intact.

FULL LIST HERE

As India Celebrates Independence Day, Kashmir Shaken By Arbitrary Arrests

Ten days into an extraordinary suspension of civil rights and liberties in Kashmir, Indian authorities have refused to put a precise figure to the number of opposition politicians, trade unionists, lawyers, rights activists and civilians arrested, detained, or placed under house arrest, in the aftermath of the government’s decision to revoke the state’s special status and bifurcate it into two union territories.

Instead, spokespersons for Governor Satya Pal Malik, the state police and the Union Home Ministry have responded with obfuscation and evasion, even as senior police officers admitted that some of the detainees have been rendered out of Kashmir and are being held in the Indian mainland.

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