The Poetics Of Statues

The Poetics Of Statues Men construct huge structures, make endowments, inscribe their names on monuments, create memorials, demonstrate their authority with seals imprinted with their images, consecrate statues and there by long for permanence.  One such urge of the erstwhile kings, conquerors and military generals is reflected in the statues they themselves got erected or…

A Shocking And Disappointing Judgement

A Shocking And Disappointing Judgement The judgement of the Supreme Court dismissing our petition seeking an independent court monitored investigation into the Rafale deal is as shocking as it is disappointing. We had gone to court after making a detailed complaint to the CBI pointing out the following:   The Prime Minister signed an agreement…

Understanding Interfaith Dialogue: A Few Critical Questions

Understanding Interfaith Dialogue: A Few Critical Questions The issue of constructing a temple of Lord Ram on the disputed site where the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya once stood and was demolished in 1992 is once again hitting the headlines. The construction of the temple is being touted as an article of faith and the litmus…

Why Gandhi and Marx Are More Relevant Now Than Ever Before

Why Gandhi and Marx Are More Relevant Now Than Ever Before The 150th birth anniversary year of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and the 200th birth anniversary of Karl Marx went by this year. Such anniversaries can become occasions of tokenism—for instance, the Indian government has set up a committee with more than 100 members to coordinate…

Mexico: President AMLO’s Inaugural Speech Offers ‘New Hope’

Mexico: President AMLO’s Inaugural Speech Offers ‘New Hope’ After receiving the presidential sash in the Mexican National Congress on December 1, President Lopez Obrador gave a speech outlining an ambitious and encouraging government plan, based on bids to slash corruption, overturn neoliberalism and make important public investments.   AMLO started his speech by thanking outgoing…

The Yellow Vest Movement Strengthens in France

The Yellow Vest Movement Strengthens in France It is hard to count demonstrators spread out across thousands of mobilisations, but it seems that over half a million people were involved in “Act Four” of the Yellow Vest mobilisation in France on Saturday 8 December. In Bordeaux, a huge joint demonstration between university students and Yellow…

Why Extinction Rebellion Protesters Are Breaking the Law

Why Extinction Rebellion Protesters Are Breaking the Law “A 4°C future is incompatible with an organised global community,” climate and energy professor Kevin Anderson once told Grist. Even if we cut emissions by 3.5 percent a year after 2020, we’ll hit 4 degrees Celsius warming by the end of this century. Just let that sink…

The Ease of Killing a Policeman in Adityanath’s Uttar Pradesh

The Ease of Killing a Policeman in Adityanath’s Uttar Pradesh   A warning shot has been fired. The bullet that killed inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Bulandshahr carries a chilling message for every policeman and policewoman across the nation: don’t mess with the Hindutva warrior, he is armed with a gun. And this is New…