Nidhin Donald E.A.H Blunt in his book The Caste System of Northern India spends an entire chapter on how castes governed themselves in everyday lives. Based on the U.P. Census Report of 1911, he describes the functions and forms of punishments instituted by jaati panchayats. Blunt points out that feeding the brahmin or paying …
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 …
Yesudas and I: Many Hues of a Prejudice
James Michael History of a prejudice Yesudas’s recent remark against women wearing jeans is not an exceptional phenomenon. My parents and aunts are similarly prejudiced against jeans as much as some of your aunts and parents are. But that does not quite make my father or mother or scores of my other relatives misogynist. Neither …
Polluted Minds and ‘God’s Own Country’
N Sukumar and Shailaja Menon One of Kerala’s enlightened souls, Sree Narayana Guru, had proclaimed, “One Caste, One Religion and One God” for mankind, thus ushering in a radical transformation of society. The state also witnessed momentous struggles to liberate society from the shackles of caste and untouchability. The Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924-25, a historic …
Mahatma Ayyankali’s Birth Anniversary
At 6: 15 p.m., on 28th August, 2013, Old Conference Hall, Main Campus, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Talk on ‘Reclaiming the Legacy of Mahatma Ayyankali‘ Speaker: Mohammed Irshad 28th August marks the 151st Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Ayyankali one of the anti-caste superstars of India. He walked fearlessly on the streets of Travancore …
Ayyankali: A Pioneer. A Revolutionary. A Hero.
(First published in INSIGHT blog) He was born on 28 August 1863 in Travancore, Kerala. He was one of the seven children of Ayyan of Pulaya caste (agricultural labour). Ayyankali grew up to be a tall, well built and handsome young man. He was known for his physical prowess and proficiency in the martial …