Rahila Gupta

The State is Watching

14 July 2020, New Humanist The inclusion of eco-activists in the Prevent counter-terrorism programme is only the tip of the iceberg. Prevent, the British government’s principal counter-terrorism programme, has come under sustained criticism ever since New Labour introduced it in response to 9/11. Critics have pointed to its disproportionate focus on Muslims and the stigmatisation … Continue reading

Why abolishing the police and turning to the community won’t protect women

The Independent, 21 June 2020 Women come to us when their family and elders have not only failed to remedy the situation but reinforced it. Furthermore, communities cannot be held accountable in the same way as the state The killing of Rayshard Brooks by police in America happened less than three weeks after that of George Floyd. With jaw-dropping … Continue reading

Women are leading the fight to protect India’s secular constitution

  New Humanist, 2nd March 2020 The Citizenship Amendment Act is only part of President Modi’s assault on the secular underpinnings of the Indian constitution. Walls – physical, digital, bureaucratic – are going up all over the world, dividing citizen from citizen. The very notion of citizenship is being questioned and restricted. India is no exception but the … Continue reading