Kavita Janbandhu The concept of beauty is a social construct. It is founded on societally accepted ideas that have become ingrained in our systems and psyches and are accepted as the norm. These ideals of beauty gradually become imprinted in our minds on a micro level, influencing how we act. There is a two-way link …
Life of Bahujans in Brahminical Schools
Pranav Jeevan P Schools are one of the primary places where the functioning of caste is passed on to the next generation. Savarna kids are indoctrinated of their superiority and Bahujan kids are shown their place in the varna system here. The trauma they suffer at a very young age from school they carry …
Beauty, Femininity and the Politics of ‘Desire’
Noel Mariam George The recent crowning of a biracial black woman as Miss World made news as it made full circle with four other wins by biracial black and black women in the biggest beauty pageant. Not many understand beauty pageants as political; however what can be more political than a contest in which nations …
Black Brahmins, Black Muslims: Matriliny and Psychology of race in India
Umar Nizar In the wake of the election of Narendra Modi, the sociologist Shiv Vishwanathan made the startling claim that Modi’s OBC credentials were obliterated by the fact of his fair skin, which for working class Indians heralded upper class antecedents. (Shiv Vishwanathan himself was caught in a rather strange double bind, having supported …
A dissent note on the ‘Dark is Beautiful’ campaign
Sruthi Herbert “She is so fair that to look at her, you wouldn’t say she is an SC girl”. The ‘Dark is Beautiful’ campaign got a big fillip with its endorsement by Nandita Das, who no doubt, has experienced the bias that the movie industry has against dark-skinned people. One kept having nagging doubts …
Why I don’t support the ‘Dark is Beautiful’ campaign
Anjali Rajoria Nandita Das, the talented Indian actress was recently involved in the campaign “Dark is Beautiful”. The idea has been endorsed by many celebrities across the nation. Despite being a vehement critic of the social standards of ‘Beauty’, I do not extend my support to this campaign. My logic is simple. Let me …
Caste in cinema and music: the Kerala experience
~ Caste in cinema and music: the Kerala experience ~ A S Ajith Kumar talks to Dalit Camera Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes This is the first part of an interview with A S Ajith Kumar, writer, musician and filmmaker based in Trivandrum. The interview was conducted by Radhika Pai and Gopika Nangia after the …