Once again, the preparations for celebrating independence have begun and many martyrs are being remembered. Among those who have laid down their lives for freedom, many have been forgotten or not remembered very frequently. One such young person who fought the tyranny of colonialism was from Bengal – Khudiram Bose . According to historians, as many as 200 or more[Read More...]
Manimmai’s original name was Gandhimathi. Born around 1920, she was the daughter of Kanagasabai Mudaliyar, a member of the Justice Party, which was renamed the Dravidar Kazhagam in 1944. At a conference immediately after Periyar’s death in 1973, she described her childhood as a time when she refused to act like the demure girl she was expected to be. “She[Read More...]
Before writing anything about Shanta Gandhi, I want to honestly admit something. Up until about a couple of years back, I was completely unaware of the existence of anyone by this name. As luck would have it, I enrolled into an MA course in Education and as a part of my field research therein, I came across what is known[Read More...]
When the people of the country hoist flag and celebrate ‘ independence ‘ they rarely think about the woman who was responsible in designing the flag. The hindutva forces rarely acknowledge the contribution of Mohd Iqbal whose famous lyric ‘ saarey Jahan sey achcha hindostan hamaara ‘ rings in the ears on every Independence and republic day. Allama Iqbal is[Read More...]
This article is part of a series called “Heroes And Sheroes Of Plural India” under #AnHourForCommunalHramony campaign to celebrate the Heroes and Sheroes who struggled to shape modern India in all its plurality. Today we celebrate Akshay Brahmachari who worked for communal harmony in Ayodhya. All are welcome to contribute an hour of your day, in celebrating these Heroes and[Read More...]
This article is part of a series called “Heroes And Sheroes Of Plural India” under #AnHourForCommunalHramony campaign to celebrate the Heroes and Sheroes who struggled to shape modern India in all its plurality. Today we celebrate Savitribai Phule “The First Lady of Indian Women’s Education”. All are welcome to contribute an hour of your day, in celebrating these Heroes and Sheroes[Read More...]
Death of a freedom fighter normally evokes mixed emotions. For a section of people – whose number is diminishing fast – it is a moment of nostalgia when idealism was in air and sacrificing oneself for the cause of emancipation of humanity was looked at with respect, whereas for a larger section which is being intoxicated with glories of[Read More...]
This article is part of a series called “Heroes And Sheroes Of Plural India” under #AnHourForCommunalHramony campaign to celebrate the Heroes and Sheroes who struggled to shape modern India in all its plurality. Today we celebrate Nangeli, who challenged the caste system by refusing to pay the inhumane ‘breast tax’. All are welcome to contribute an hour of your[Read More...]
I am dedicating this piece to all the common people who, in their small but significant ways have stood up for peace and communal harmony that unequivocally underlines the cultural heritage of this nation. I would first like to share a news report that I came across while reading a newspaper back in 2014. The link to the news report,[Read More...]
He was the chief priest in the Ram janmabhoomi temple and he vehemently opposed the actions of hindutva forces responsible of demolition of Babri Masjid and the riots that followed it. Sitting in the heart of Ayodhya, he made sure that his views on communal harmony reach masses.
