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By now everyone knows what the Sanghis, probably not just outside Kerala, but also inside, have been up to when others were battling the deluge, saving lives, working round the clock to organize relief: making Lord Ayappan look like a stupid brat (or, actually, painting him in their likeness), spreading idiotic claims that only the … Continue reading A List of Little-Knowledge Theories about Kerala in the Wake of this Disaster

This is a GUEST POST by TANNISTHA SAMANTA Although the Indian Hindi film industry has been known to be considerably less gerontophobic than the western popular culture (Hollywood, in particular), our aging Naanas and Naanis have been often represented as either able keepers of family “sanskars” or hyper-ritualized subjects (with added effect if in some … Continue reading Bollywood’s re-imagination of growing old: Tannistha Samanta

The recent murder of an SFI activist, Abhimanyu, at the Maharajah’s College, Ernakulam, allegedly by activists of another student organization, the Campus Front, has once again triggered a series of intense campaigns against the Popular Front of India (PFI), which is accused of having terror links, even with the ISIS. This last claim has become … Continue reading Who feeds whom? Reflections on the Left responses to the Abhimanyu murder case

സത്യം പറഞ്ഞാൽ അഭിമന്യു എന്ന വിദ്യാർത്ഥിയുടെ ഞെട്ടിക്കുന്ന കൊലപാതകത്തിനു ശേഷം ആ ചെറുപ്പക്കാരൻറെ മാതാവിൻറെ വിലാപം മാത്രമാണ് ഇപ്പോഴും മുഴങ്ങിക്കേൾക്കുന്നത്. ആ ശബ്ദം മനസ്സിൽ നിന്ന് മായുന്നതേയില്ല. അതുകൊണ്ട് ഹാദിയാകേസ് നടന്ന കാലത്ത് സിപിഎമ്മിൻറെ സൈബർ ബുദ്ധിജീവി-ഗുണ്ടകൾ ഉണ്ടാക്കിയെടുത്ത ആയുധങ്ങൾ അവർ ഫേസ്ബുക്കിലും പുറത്തും പ്രയോഗിക്കുന്നതു കണ്ടിട്ടും പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ഒന്നും തോന്നിയില്ല.

After the Modi government came to power, citizens of this country have seen gate after gate of Hell — the Narakas — open relentlessly to suck them in mercilessly or condemn them to be helpless spectators to unspeakable acts of injustice and violence. We have by now crossed the Arbudanaraka and the Nirarbudanaraka many times; … Continue reading Against the Yawning Jaws of Hell: Protest Against Hate on 23 April

This is a guest post by TANNISTHA SAMAMTHA and MUKTA GUNDI   With the success of “PadMan”, Akshay Kumar has established himself to be a bleeding-heart ‘feminist’. News channels are pouring praises for a film that introduces a ‘bold’ topic while regurgitating the crucial link between safe menstrual practices and women’s health. While the message is … Continue reading PadMan, Patriarchy and the Poor Man’s Innovation: Tannistha Samantha and Mukta Gundi

Guest post by PRASANTA CHAKRAVARTY Stephen Greenblatt has struck upon a sheer and stupendous idea: to retell the tale of the first couple of the Christian world, Adam and Eve. The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve is a sweeping work with a remarkably ranging scholarship, galloping through centuries in minutes. The tone and … Continue reading Adam, Eve, Art – Neither Belief Nor Unbelief: Prasanta Chakravarty

Guest post by VAIBHAV SINGH पूरे हिंदी क्षेत्र में और विशेषकर उत्तरप्रदेश में ऐसे बडे, छोटे और मंझोले किस्म के नेताओं की बड़ी फौज पैदा हो गई है जिसकी नेतागिरी केवल सांप्रदायिक नारे लगाने और समाज में सांप्रदायिकता फैलाने पर टिकी है। सार्वजनिक जीवन पर इन संकीर्ण सोच वाले हिंदुत्व नेताओं की निरंतर मजबूत होती … Continue reading कासगंज हिंसा- तिरंगे को हड़प जाएग

Guest Post by Umar Khalid I went to Maharashtra as I along with other activists and intellectuals were invited to come there. I along with others was a guest there. And I would remember fondly the love and support that I received in Pune and Mumbai.

[ This post is based on updates posted by me on my Facebook wall ] A great kerfuffle has ensued ever since the recently elected independent MLA from Vadgam, Gujarat and Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch activist Jignesh Mevani gave an interview in which he had some choice things to say about the Prime Minister and … Continue reading Jignesh Mevani, The Meltdown of Modi-Men and Dadhichi’s Bones