Suresh RV (SAVARI and Round Table India are doing a series to put together the Bahujan perspective on the Coronavirus pandemic) Anu Ramdas: Welcome Suresh. Thank you for taking the time to do this. Suresh Ravichandran: Thank you for this opportunity. Anu: The question that I have for you is, we find ourselves in …
Is there a space for North-Eastern identity among students’ politics in Indian Universities?
Thangminlal (Lalcha) Haokip My colleagues have often asked me why University students from the North East do not take an active part in students’ politics in mainland Indian Universities. Often times, I would find myself unable to answer this inquiry. Perhaps, a convenient straitjacket reply could be that since a majority of these students …
Caste and Maududian antagonism: Thinking Muslim theo-politics
Muhammed Shah (Shan) If one reads Usthad Abul A’ala Maududi as an early new historicist of Islam, we can’t find enough reasons to dismiss his arguments. Perhaps the new historicist elements which to some extent are inherent to the Maududian understanding of Islamic historical moments, have created an aura of mysterious controversy around the …
Popular Culture and Ideology: The Phenomenon of Gaddar
P Kesava Kumar (First published in February 2010) The cultural sphere has its own advantage over politics in terms of pulling people into its fold. Through his songs and cultural performances, Gummadi Vittal Rao, popularly known as “Gaddar”, the Telugu poet singer, maintains the historical continuity of people’s lives and their struggles. He brings politics into everyday life situations and …