Kuldip Chand Dobhetta We are celebrating the 77th independence day. But the question remains whether we have been successful in ensuring independence to all or it is just an annual festival for few. I am writing my personal views about social change in India and how our Preamble is helpful to this process. In recent …
Academic Scopophilia and the alarming return of National Socialism in German Academia
Umar Nizar Orientalism as a discipline has been detrimental to the fortunes of eastern civilisations, particularly that of India. The translation of a corpus of Indic heritage by the likes of Max Meuller rendered India susceptible to military interference and onslaught by great powers in the age of steam-powered industrialisation. The inscrutability of China can …
Teacher’s Day and Upper Castes’ Glorification
Pramod Kumar India celebrates 5th September as Teacher’s Day, which marks the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishan. According to Caste Hindu society and Brahminized narratives, he is considered a champion and role model for teachers, someone who inspires students. However, this raises the question of which student community is inspired by such figures and …
Hindutva culture in higher education campuses
Sanjukta Bhowal What does religious tolerance and celebrating secularism in a college campus look like? In my college – Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, it looks like this – saffron insignia decorating the mess, special veg lunch for January 22, no non vegetarian food in the mess for the hindu month of shravan, seminars by iskcon, holidays …
`Rasa’ theory and Subversion of Muslim imaginaries in Malabar
Umar Nizar The culinary crafting of Bharata’s `rasa’ theory has been established so much so that it is even compared to the South Indian spice soup called `rasam’ which is a cocktail of spicy, sweet, tangy and sour flavours. `Rasa’ depends on the sue generic creation of emotion. `Vibhavaanubhavavyabhicharisamyogit rasa nischpatti’ is the famous rasa …
An Ode To Bukowski
Dhamma Darshan Nigam Long Live Bukowski Do not shy away to contradict contradictions are inevitable no one is ever free of contradictions it is an essential character to call a life – life lived enough like a necessary condition – like a basic need – like whiskey confronting men – eye to eye justifying its …
Thangalaan: A Cinematic Exploration of Social Struggle and Empowerment
Ibin Nayakam On August 15, I watched the Tamil movie Thangalaan, directed by Pa Ranjith, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a sense of relief in my ideological struggle against societal injustices. Beyond its social commentary, the film offers extravagant visuals and employs magical realism to communicate its story. This …
The ‘as though’ folks
The ‘as though’ folks In India, we have the oppressor caste folks Whose language is a bit hard to understand Let us configure this language In a way that makes sense. This is the language of the ‘As though’ Oppressor caste folks act as though they care As though they understand vulnerabilities very …
Thangalaan: A Cinematic Revolution in Dalit History and Identity
Sivaramakrishnan S In the annals of Indian cinema, few films have dared to challenge the dominant narratives of caste and colonialism as boldly as Pa. Ranjith’s upcoming magnum opus, “Thangalaan.” Set against the backdrop of the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), this film promises to be more than just a cinematic experience; it’s a potential watershed …