Nidhin Donald (നിധിൻ ഡൊണാൾഡ്) (Translated into Malayalam by Abhijith Baawa) ആമുഖം: സർവ്വകലാശാല എന്ന ‘ആശയ’വും ജനാധിപത്യം, ദേശ നിർമ്മാണം(nation building), വിജ്ഞാനോൽപ്പാദനം എന്നിവയുമായുള്ള അതിന്റെ ബന്ധവും സാമൂഹ്യശാസ്ത്രജ്ഞരും നയരൂപീകരണ വിദഗ്ധരും പലപ്പോഴും ആഴത്തിലുള്ളതും ചരിത്രപരവുമായ വിശകലനങ്ങൾക്കും സംവാദങ്ങൾക്കും വിധേയമാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.1 എന്നാൽ അത്തരം വിശകലനങ്ങൾ പലപ്പോഴും സർവകലാശാലകൾ സ്ഥാപിക്കുകയും രൂപവൽക്കരിക്കുകയും നിലനിർത്തുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നതിൽ അടങ്ങിയിരിക്കുന്ന സാമൂഹിക ഘടനകളുടെയും അതിന്റെ പ്രവർത്തനത്തിന്റെയും വ്യക്തവും (perceptive) ചരിത്രപരവുമായ പരിശോധനയായിരുന്നില്ല. മറ്റൊരു തരത്തിൽ പറഞ്ഞാൽ, യൂനിവേഴ്സിറ്റികൾ എന്ന ആശയം പലപ്പോഴും …
Reception Histories of Bahujan Narrative Identity: The Many Forms of Non-Brahmanism
Saket Moon Introduction The trope of the unity of the Non-upper caste, Non-Brahman as the vanguard of the socio-political revolution has one that has, at least since Phule, been an important part of the Maharashtrian discourse. So much so that on the eve of the formation of Maharashtra as a state of independent India, …
Brahminical Patriarchy and Social Media
Bhagyesha Kurane Social media has become an integral part of our lives these days. There are various notions prevalent about whether one should use social media, and if at all it is to be used, then how. Some people view social media only as a tool to pass their time and beyond a certain limit, …
In the name of the Nation: Historicizing Caste in Indian Universities
Nidhin Shobhana In the name of the Nation: Historicizing Caste in Indian Universities (with special reference to Jawaharlal Nehru University) Setting up the Stage The ‘idea’ of a university and its connections to democracy, nation-building and knowledge production have been historically discussed and debated by several social scientists and policy-makers in great depth1. Such discussions have …
Pandit Patwardhan’s Jai Bhim Comrade: A Case Study in Brahminism
Dhurwa R. Anand Patwardhan’s Jai Bhim Comrade is one of the best examples of how brahminical powerplay makes a farce out of the most hard fought battles put up by Dalits, and does that rather patronizingly. Before I even watched the film, the title itself (and the media hype with one of its first …
Oh God! One shot…so many birds!!
P V Vijay Kumar 3000 years back, one day a Brahmin said to himself, before he went to sleep “How do I protect my livelihood and retain all the luxuries I am enjoying today. I am scared…I don’t want to rule dynasties and run a risk of dying in a war for enjoying my …
‘It’s no alliance’
Zafar Agha Uttar Pradesh is the cradle of Brahminism: Kanshi Ram BSP supremo Kanshi Ram spoke to Special Correspondent Zafar Agha from his Escorts Heart Institute bed in Delhi. Excerpts: Q. When did your relations with Mulayam Singh Yadav reach a turning point?A. The panchayat elections were the turning point. There was rigging, booth-capturing, …
V.T. Rajshekar on Jati Identity
~ Understanding the significance of Jati identity in selected prose writings of V.T. Rajshekar ~ Grishma Manikrao Khobragade Abstract Dalit-Bahujan-Ambedkarite writers have come to the fore of literary studies and culture studies in the recent years. These writers reveal in their writings various factors that propel actions like caste hegemony, caste discrimination and caste …
V.T. Rajshekar on Cultural Identity and Caste Hegemony (Part 2)
(This is the second and final part of the paper ‘Interpretation of Cultural Identity and Caste Hegemony in Selected Prose Writing of V.T. Rajshekar‘. Please read the first part here.) Grishma Manikrao Khobragade Rajshekar indicates that once culture sanctifies the Brahmin as pure, the presence of the Brahmin is legitimized in all cultural institutions …