debates

Eminent political economist and public intellectual, Prof Prabhat Patnaik, delivered the 7th Democracy Dialogues Series lecture on ‘From Neo-Liberalism to Neo-Fascism’ organised by the New Socialist Initiative on January 24, 2021, 6 PM IST Facebook : facebook.com/newsocialistinitiative.nsi Abstract: FROM NEO-LIBERALISM TO NEO-FASCISM There has of late been a sudden and rapid growth of neo-fascism all … Continue reading From Neo-liberalism to Neo-fascism : Prof Prabhat Patnaik →

Over the past one year, I have been trying to make a college in Kerala – in a women’s college in Kerala– take some action against one of their faculty members who rained abuse on me publicly, including a public assertion about his possession of a penis, at a seminar in which I was an … Continue reading The gender between men’s legs and other learnings from a college in kerala →

A little bemused, I heard a writer addressing the farmers’ protests recently say in all solidarity and sincerity – “What we have been writing about for long, you have demonstrated at ground level.” On the contrary, I believe that this massive and electrifying protest against the farm laws is at the cutting edge of political … Continue reading A lesson in political theory from farmers’ unions →

Guest post by MOHAN RAO “And yet there must be deliverance for we are all otherwise convicted at birth.” I want to thank Srivats and Anveshi for inviting to be part of a discussion about the book, Caste as Merit, by Ajantha Subramaniam.* I am not a scholar on these issues and I must confess … Continue reading Invention of Merit and the ‘Millstone of Caste’: Mohan Rao →

It is a mischievous denigration of constitutional principles and values which declare every human equal and bar discrimination. “A Hindu is an automatic patriot and can never be an anti-national.” Remember the line? It is of Mohan Bhagwat, the Sangh supremo, who was at his best last week, at the launch of the book, Making of … Continue reading Mohan Bhagwat’s Divisive Mantra on Automatic Patriotism →

Guest Post by Ravi Sinha किसानों के इस आन्दोलन को उसके तात्कालिक उद्देश्यों और सम्भावनाओं मात्र के सन्दर्भ में देखें तो भी यह ऐतिहासिक है. अपनी अंतिम और सम्भावित सफलता से स्वतन्त्र इसकी उपलब्धियाँ अभी ही ऐतिहासिक महत्त्व की साबित हो चुकी हैं. लेकिन इस आन्दोलन के अर्थ और इसकी सम्भावनायें और भी बड़ी हैं.

Today is the last day of the dreadful year that 2020 was – not only because of the pandemic but it has been a year full of the most vicious attacks on dissent and protests. It has also seen wanton arrests of those who raised their voices against the myriad injustices of this regime. The … Continue reading Farming the Future, Farming As Future →

THIS GOVERNMENT HAS STIGMATISED THE VERY IDEA OF PROTEST, YET IT IS STRUGGLING TO MANAGE THE MASS UPSURGE AGAINST THE FARM LAWS. For nearly a month, lakhs of farmers have staged sit-ins on various points along the border shared by the national capital and neighbouring states. Their peaceful movement, which is drawing support from farmers … Continue reading Pandemic Lowers India’s Level of Democracy →

  Dr Jaya Mehta, economist and activist, has been associated with the Joshi-Adhikari Institute of Social Studies, author of many books who coordinated an all India study of the Agrarian Crisis delivered a special lecture on ‘Farm Laws, Farmer Protests and Agrarian Crisis’ on 27 th December 2020. Abstract of talk : The reforms in … Continue reading Farm Laws, Farmer Protests and Agrarian Crisis : Dr Jaya mehta →

The label ‘populism’ has acquired unprecedented currency lately and is used to indiscriminately describe such a wide range of poliical figures and political tendencies that it seems to have lost all conceptual meaning. In the best of times, it was always a slippery concept that has been linked to democracy at one end and fascism … Continue reading Mass Politics and ‘Populism’ in the World of Indian Languages →