Latest Stories from Haneen
KCLSU officers suspended for advocating against Gaza genocide
On November 27th, three officers of the King’s College London Students’ Union released a statement condemning the silence on Israeli military actions and advocating for solidarity with Gaza's victims. The officers were subsequently suspended, raising concerns about dissent suppression. ‘This temporary reprieve from Israeli military actions has led us to the unequivocal conclusion that silence is no longer acceptable, and students deserve an explanation for the deafening silence of their...
Exclusive – Meeting student welfare activist Nasir Khuehami
We spoke with student activist and National Convener of Jammu & Kashmir Students’ Association about his work towards ensuring the safety and security of Kashmiri students by coordinating evacuations, relief drives, and protests. ‘I am duty bound to try and help’, says Nasir Khuehami while echoing his motto as National Convener of the Jammu & Kashmir Students’ Association (JKSA) and advocate for the welfare of Kashmiri students across the...
Understanding the growing movement for paid housework
There is a growing demand for paid housework, and a call to recognise the economic impact of an often overlooked aspect of day-to-day life. 16.4 billion hours per day are spent performing unpaid care labour, as per data from the International Labour Organisation which is based on two-thirds of the world’s working age population. This statistic can be understood as 2 billion individuals working 8 hours every day without...
Opinion – Indo-Pak relationships should be celebrated
Many Indo-Pak lovers meet online and go to great lengths to be together, even crossing the border or uniting at the Kartarpur corridor, a visa-free territory. Those that are successful often settle down in safe havens such as Dubai. Social media has recently been busy with discussions of the Indian and Pakistani diplomats S Jaishankar and Bilawal Bhutto making snide comments about one another. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9NWsT-T1uog Given the longstanding rivalry between both...
Why have India’s top wrestlers taken to the streets in protest?
India’s Olympic-level wrestlers have recently been leading a demonstration in New Delhi as an act of protest. This movement, which started with MP Brij Bhushan being accused of sexual assault, is scheduled to end only after his arrest. With powerful stakeholders involved, the victims await justice and an acceptable probe. TW: This article contains mentions of sexual harassment. With the Paris Olympics soon approaching, we have seen athletes from across the...
Opinion – What I learned from the world’s most militarised zone
Recently, I visited Kashmir, a disputed territory sandwiched between South Asia, India, and Pakistan. From a heavy presence of the Indian armed forces to a city-wide shutdown, here’s what I saw whilst spending a week in one of the most militarised zones in the world. ‘So, michya ye pasand means “I like this” in Kashmiri, right?’ I asked my mother as our flight descended upon Srinagar’s Sheikh Ul Alam...
Understanding India’s Maoist insurgency
The Maoist insurgency began in the 1960s and is one of India’s biggest internal security issues. These rebels fight against the neglect of tribal people and the rural poor, aiming to eventually establish communist rule using force. Over the last couple of years, they have seized control over certain parts of the country, and the armed forces follow a strategy of severe crackdown in these areas. India’s Maoist movement began...
Understanding the history of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws
Pakistan is one of the very few countries in the world to offer the death penalty for blasphemy. Being a highly controversial issue, will the state be able to curb the misuse or amend the provisions of the law? You’d be forgiven for thinking blasphemy laws are archaic, forgotten technicalities of the past, but the reality is rather different in Pakistan. But what is more astonishing is the mob culture...
Sri Lankan protesters force President to flee during economic crisis
Sri Lanka is going through its worst ever economic crisis, which has led to spiralling prices and power cuts that last several hours. With President Rajapaksa refusing to step down, protestors stormed his residence, causing him to flee and later announce his plans to resign. In the past week, Sri Lanka has witnessed the following: thousands of protestors storming President Rajapaksa’s house as well as PM Wikremesinghe’s office, the President...
Is India’s Uniform Civil Code a fair system?
In India, different religious communities are governed by their own laws on marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, etc. Yet, the ruling party has promised to bring into force a uniform civil code, whereby all these communities would be governed by a single law. Article 44 of the Indian Constitution says: ‘The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India’. Since the ruling...
