Jaspal Singh Sidhu Tragic happenings of the 1980s continue to perturb the Sikhs. Most of them want to know what actually took place behind the smokescreen erected by the power of the day. In this context, the new arrival ‘The Khalistan Conspiracy’-A Former R&AW Officer Unravels the Path to 1984” (2020) authored by GBS Sidhu, …
Religious Resistance and the Problem of Caste: Is Caste Secular?
Pritam Singh Tinna (A part of this paper was presented at annual Sociology conference held at Jamia Milia Islamia University and the rest was edited and written again for this publication) Oscar A Romero, a liberation theologian and the archbishop of El Salvador was killed in the year 1980 for intermixing “politics with religion”. …
Sarbat Khalsa: Historical context and contemporary framing
Prabhsharanbir Singh & Jasleen Singh Recently held Sarbat Khalsa has the potential to decisively shape the Sikh politics both in the Punjab and the diaspora. It is important that we analyze it in its complexity and from varying perspectives, than to rely on clichéd narratives prescribed by popular media. In order to do so, …
The ‘Deviant’ Sikh in the Time of Unclothed Fascism
Preetika Nanda It needs to be said at the outset that nefarious designs are unfolding in Punjab accompanied by appalling media blackout and silence from all quarters. After the sacrilege of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot district and the peaceful protests which were met by brutal force resulting in death of two …
Dr Ambedkar Remembers the Poona Pact in an Interview on the BBC
Transcribed by: Prakash Holayar, Chamarajanagar Dr Ambedkar was extensively interviewed by the BBC radio in New Delhi in 1955 on a range of topics including his memories of Gandhi, Round Table Conferences, Poona Pact and how political independence was obtained. A portion of the interview related to the famous Poona Pact, transcribed (as faithfully as …
Stop Forced Religious Conversions!
Dr. Udit Raj (First published in September 2006) The Sangh Parivar is not able to resolve the dangers looming large on the caste-based Hindu religion on its own. There is a saying that you should first try to resolve your differences on your own, and then consult your neighbours. But instead of taking recourse to …
Analyzing the ‘OBC-Minority’ Sub-Quota–Part III
Khalid Anis Ansari Continued from here. [III] 4.5% Sub-Quota for OBCs within Minorities: The ‘policy’ and ‘technical’ dimensions Let me state right at the outset that the recent 4.5% sub-quota was not a demand raised by the pasmanda movement but rather is informed by the second recommendation of the Ranganath Mishra Report which is as …
Analyzing the ‘OBC-Minority’ Sub-Quota–Part II
Khalid Anis Ansari Continued from here. [II] The Muslim Quota Debate The recent lower caste movements within the non-Hindu religions like Islam, Christianity and Sikhism have foregrounded the presence of caste-based differentiation and discrimination within these communities in the public sphere. As far as the Muslims are concerned the caste cleavages within them were duly …
Analyzing the ‘OBC-Minority’ Sub-Quota
Khalid Anis Ansari [I] The recent announcement of a 4.5% sub-quota for backward sections within minorities in the overall Central OBC quota by the UPA government on 22nd December, 2011 in the wake of elections in five states, including the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, has drawn in a number of reactions, some valid …