‘Free Speech Is the Most Important Right Eroded Over the Past Seven Years’
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‘Free Speech Is the Most Important Right Eroded Over the Past Seven Years’

Roy talks about building and sustaining participatory movements, the role of sangharsh (struggle) in driving change and the power of the collective voice. She explains why the right to freedom of expression is critical for India, why civil society must fight to sustain it, and her dreams for the future.

Modi’s Portrayal of Netaji as a Hindu Militarist Does the Secular, Socialist Bose a Disservice
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Modi’s Portrayal of Netaji as a Hindu Militarist Does the Secular, Socialist Bose a Disservice

By highlighting the military aspect of Bose’s personality and his Hindu credentials, the Hindu right-wing is projecting him as a person close to prime minister’s parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its aggressive Hindu nationalist rhetoric.

“My Father, Do Not Rest”: Broadcast on All India Radio, February 1, 1948
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“My Father, Do Not Rest”: Broadcast on All India Radio, February 1, 1948

On 1 February 1948, two days after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination by Hindutva fanatics, Sarojini Naidu gave an impassioned speech on All India Radio, calling on the nation to remember the Mahatma’s death as a pledge to right action. Her address.

Modi’s India Has Now Entered Genocidalism, the Most Advanced Stage of Nationalism
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Modi’s India Has Now Entered Genocidalism, the Most Advanced Stage of Nationalism

The silence of Modi and Shah about the unprecedented calls for full-scale armed war against Muslims can be read in one of two ways: as signs of their sense of impunity and confidence, or as signs of their sense of precarity and insecurity. The latter appears to be more probable.

The Farmers’ Protest Exposed the Limitations of Class Analysis
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The Farmers’ Protest Exposed the Limitations of Class Analysis

The farmers’ historic struggle and victory has upset not merely political arrogance but conventional wisdom in more than one way. It has shown the limitations of class analysis, and has thrown up new ideas for organizing peaceful protests in a democracy.

Explained: ‘Trads’ vs ‘Raitas’ and the Inner Workings of India’s Alt-Right
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Explained: ‘Trads’ vs ‘Raitas’ and the Inner Workings of India’s Alt-Right

In the past few years, a significant number of young men and women in India have been attracted to a dangerous alt-right digital ecosystem called ‘trad-wing’, in which they serve as self-styled civilisational warriors.

Fluid Marriage Rites
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Fluid Marriage Rites

When people refer to Indian “tradition” they assume it was fixed for thousands of years. But that is not true. Hindu wedding rituals contain ideas from Harappan and Vedic times, to practices that came with the Greeks, Sakas, Kushan, Huns, Turks, Afghans, Persians, Arabs, even Europeans. Over time, the concept of marriage changed as did the rituals.