SAJD-EFLU Electoral politics in university campuses is generally treated as a routine case of electing a student body to manage student affairs. Far from reflecting a technical problem of event-management, electoral politics is shaped by different groups, attitudes and ideologies that are operating within the student community and the various societal formations within Indian context. …
Maoist presence in Kerala – Beyond revolutionary folklorism
K K Baburaj Are Maoists, as pointed out by many, making it easier for the government to suppress people’s protests in Kerala? Or are they helping the government bury the struggle for existence of the marginalised? Can Maoist attacks sway the opinion of the people against the government? Does Maoist presence help re-establish the …
Political Economy of Ghar Wapsi: A perspective from below
Nikhil Walde After its electoral victory, BJP’s entire politics revolves around the Hindu religion which has brought about a dismal political scenario in India. The state seems to be departing from constitutional democracy- from the modern function of a state to the traditional monocratic form of state. All this is quite evident, for instance, …
Fight against Brahmanical ‘Food Untouchability’
EFLU Students (Satish Kumar, Diksha, Kanagaraj and Bhupati) Bans and appropriation have been prominent strategies of brahmanical forces to maintain caste hierarchy for thousands of years. They have sustained their hegemony by positing resistance cultures as illegitimate or immoral. This culture of banning is evident through the denial of access to Vedas for the Shudras …
Dalit Revolution and Hindutva Counter Revolution in Indian Politics
Dr. N. Sukumar [The author mailed this article to The Hindu newspaper in order to continue the dialogue on the Dalit Movement as the argument first appeared in this paper. Unfortunately, even after forty eight hours, there was no response from the paper. Obviously, only ‘certain’ ideas are entertained as ‘meritorious’ by our ‘progressive’ …
The Rise of BJP: Bitter Fruits of Fertile Brahminical Soil (Part II)
Nidhin Sowjanya Continued from here. The political and historical trajectory of the Brahminical Hindu domination that was traced in the last part is found to be deeply prevalent in almost all spheres of society. This part attempts to highlight how the Brahminical Hindu power is displayed, both brazenly and subtly, in our day-to-day lives. …
Raju Pulyala’s martyrdom: Ambedkar Students Association appeals to all students
[Via Prashant Kamla] Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), University of Hyderabad, appeals to all SC, ST, OBC and Minorities students and Dalit students organisations in various universities all over the India to condemn and show their resentment against this systemic killing of Scheduled Caste students in University of Hyderabad. Till what point of time they …
Legal Encounters by the Coward State
N. Sukumar and Shailaja Menon A sad day indeed when the news flashed that Afzal Guru who was convicted in the 2001 Parliament attack was executed. After a lot of dilly dallying when the powers that be accused each other of being soft on terror, Guru was legally encountered to silence the critics. However, the …
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” …