Gail Omvedt (From her blog ‘seeking begumpura‘) An article by Anand Telbumbde, “Not Red versus Blue” has been recently arousing controversy. Dalits have attacked it. In attempting to “mediate” between Ambedkarites and Leftists, Teltumbe according to many has fallen into the trap of turning Ambedkar into a semi-Marxist. In fact, Teltumbe does distort Ambedkar in …
Cartoons, Caste and Epistemic Violence (Part 2)
Nilesh Kumar [This is the second part of his article on caste and epistemic violence. The first part explored how the Ambedkar cartoon in the NCERT text book was a metaphor for epistemic violence. Here, he tries to explain how the cartoon is just one more illustration of how entrenched violence is in academia; one …
It’s Not Red Vs Blue
Anand Teltumbde Ambedkar was more about class than caste, but the Left won’t see it that way India is a land of paradoxes. But no paradox may be as consequential as the divergent histories of the Dalit and the Communist movements. Both were born around the same time, spoke for or against the same issues, …
More of the Same in the Global India
Braj Ranjan Mani The tyranny of capitalism in India cannot be grasped, let alone resisted, in isolation from its wider social context. Capitalism is far more dangerous in India than in the Euro-America because of the culture and economics of caste. Today, India (after China and the US) has the world’s third largest middle class …
Dr. Paul Chirakkarodu Memorial Meeting
[Via Shibi Peter] Dr. Paul Chirakkarodu Memorial Meeting Saturday 10:00am until 5:00pm S.E.D.S Centre, Pakkil, Kottayam 10 am: Seminar
Don’t Give Me Red!
Ajith Kumar A S Going straight into the matter, let me confirm that this note is my response to Anand Teltumbde’s article “It’s Not Red Vs Blue” published in Outlook ( Aug 20, 2012). I am sure that it is not a comprehensive critique of the article. But rather I will be sharing some questions …
Will Sikh Leaders install Hindu Gods in the Golden Temple?
Pardeep Attri The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory. Destroy its books, its culture, its history, Then have somebody write new books, manufacture a new culture, invent a new history. Before long the nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was. The world around it will …
Questions of name
Gail Omvedt “Dalit”, “Scheduled Caste”, “Ex-Untouchable” and “Harijan”. These are only some of the many words used to refer to the most oppressed sections of Indian society, “untouchable” in the traditional caste order, performers of the most degrading task, and still today caught in the throes of poverty, discrimination and the remnants of untouchability. “Dalit” …
Greatest Indian Debate: Gandhi versus Ambedkar
Harish S. Wankhede Greatness is a loaded and complex term, especially in a country like ours, it has sheer subjective meaning. Recently a heated debate has gripped the social networking sites over the CNN-IBN and History Channel initiated hunt for ‘the Greatest Indian after Gandhi’. Some of the Dalit groups are agitated over the fact …