Shogun Gaikwad On 14th October 1956, Dr. Ambedkar accomplished what no one else could—perhaps the only comparable figure is the Buddha. He liberated those considered lesser than animals, stripped of their humanity and left destitute for 2,000 years. Exactly 68 years ago today, the world witnessed the largest mass conversion event in history, as millions …
The Khairlanji Massacre: Unveiling the Intersection of Caste, Gender, and Violence in Modern India
Ajinkya Sanjay Khandizod Introduction Dalits comprise 16.6% of India’s population, with 1000 males to 945 females (Census, 2011). The alarming situation is that every day, ten Dalit women are raped (Maniyar, 2024). The historical marginalization of Dalits is reflected in various forms. According to Shastras, Dalits were prohibited from owning wealth or land (Anowar & …
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 …
The Poona Pact: Looking Back and Ahead
Kuldip Chand Dobhetta The Poona Pact signed in Yerawada Central Jail of Poona, Maharashtra, on 24th September 1932 was a landmark event in Indian history. It was signed by Dr. B R Ambedkar on behalf of the depressed classes and by Madan Mohan Malviya on behalf of Hindus and leader of Congress, Gandhi. The background …
The Missing Social in the Judgment!
Manjiri Dhiraj Sakharkar In the case of the State of Punjab vs Davinder Singh. A seven-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court reserved the judgment. The 6:1 ruling bench, headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud permitted states to create sub classifications of scheduled caste and schedule tribes, by which only those who are actually in …
Skill-based training- The hidden way to revive the caste system!
Dr. Chetana Sawai On September 20, 1932, Mahatma Gandhi announced a fast unto death in protest against Dr.BabasahebAmbedkar’s demand for a separate electorate, which later turned into the Pune Pact. However, today, on September 20, 2024 at Wardha, the Shudra, an untouchable community of this country once again saw the killing of their rights, justice, …
Merit: A Savarna Tool to Reinforce Caste Hegemony
Vaibhav Kharat The recent notification by the UPSC, inviting applications for 45 lateral entry posts at the levels of Joint Secretary, Director, and Deputy Secretary across 24 Union government ministries, has reignited the toxic debate of meritocracy vs reservation. The government’s promotion of lateral entry as a tool to bring in fresh talent and expertise …
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 …
A Review of Thangalaan’s anti-caste philosophy
Mayur S. Hadke Thangalaan is a Tamil language movie directed by Pa Ranjith, known for his socially conscious movies that shed light on the lived realities of oppressed communities. Thangalaan is a movie that projected the struggle for dignity and self respect. The question of land and self respect was the central focus of the …