Raj Kumar A harrowing monologue is in vogue in the popular media and academic forums apropos a cartoon of Dr. Ambedkar in a Political Science textbook prepared by NCERT for its Class XI students. Apparently, in the cartoon, Ambedkar is depicted being whipped by Jawaharlal Nehru for delaying the framing of the constitution. The …
Amartya Sen’s Imagined India
Braj Ranjan Mani Intellectual compromise of the best gives rise to the worst. Amartya Sen’s sanitised, caste-blind perspective on social unfairness, Hinduism and Indian culture, despite the show of reason, eclecticism and inclusive sensibility, is a gross distortion of historical reality, and a classic example of the limitation—and danger—of elitist liberalism. Amartya Sen is India’s …
NCERT book blanks out Ambedkar’s role as the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee
Chandra Bhan Prasad Are Dalits turning intolerant? Are they emotional and scornful to reason? These are some of the questions the mainstream media asked, following the controversy over publication of an Ambedkar cartoon in an NCERT book. In the process, a new stereotype on Dalits may have been created. The authors of the NCERT book, …
Ambedkar Cartoon, Dalit Objections and Indian Left Liberals – II
Continued from here. This is the second, concluding part of the transcript of the interview Ravi Chandran, of the video news journal ‘Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes‘, conducted with Dr K. Satyanarayana, Associate Professor, Department of Cultural Studies, English and Foreign Languages University (EFL-U) on the recent Ambedkar cartoon controversy. Dr K. Satyanarayana: …
Ranvir Sena Massacres and State Complicity
[An excerpt from the chapter ‘The Pattern of Abuse: Rural Violence in Bihar and the State’s Response’ from the report ‘Broken People: Caste Violence Against India’s Untouchables’ published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in 1999.] The extent of political patronage extended to the Ranvir Sena can be gauged by the fact that while a large …
Ambedkar Cartoon, Dalit Objections and Indian Left Liberals – I
Ravi Chandran, of the video news journal ‘Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes‘, interviewed Dr K. Satyanarayana, Associate Professor, Department of Cultural Studies, English and Foreign Languages University (EFL-U) on the recent Ambedkar cartoon controversy. Here’s the first part of the transcript of the interview: Ravi Chandran: Sir, how do you see the division …
Thol.Thirumaavalavan writes to Kapil Sibal and Sukhadeo Thorat
Memoranda submitted by Thol. Thirumaavalavan of the Viduthalai Ciruthaikal Katchi (VCK) to Prof S.K.Thorat, Chairman, NCERT Review Committee and Mr Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Govt.of India, on 29.05.2012 and 30.05.2012 respectively, in New Delhi. ~~~ To Mr Kapil Sibal Honourable Minister of Human Resources Development Government of India New …
Dalit rights activists enraged at the failure of Indian delegations
Dalit rights activists enraged at the failure of Indian delegations to address questions raised at the UN today – NCDHR Geneva, May 24, 2012 – Dalit rights activists gathered in Geneva are disappointed at the Indian delegation’s immediate response to the real challenges that Dalits face, when India was reviewed at the UN Universal Periodic Review of India …
Not about intolerance
Chandra Bhan Prasad Wrong history real issue, not cartoon A couple of weeks back, almost all television channels and newspaper carried the controversy that arose over a National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) book that had a caricature of Dr BR Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru. The newspapers, news channels and columnists were aggrieved …