Over the Last 75 Years, Struggles of India’s Tribal Communities Have Multiplied
Instead of being recognised for their conservation efforts and relationship with nature, tribal communities are paying the price for ‘development’.
Gandhis after Gandhi: Four and Counting
May 2000: There are four Gandhis who have survived Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s death. Fifty years after Gandhi’s (1861-1948) assassination, it may be useful to establish their identities.
Discrimination Against Women, Muslims and SCs-STs Rising – Two Articles
Discrimination Against Women, Muslims and SCs-STs Rising: Oxfam; India Enters ‘Amrit Kaal’ with Growing Atrocities Against Dalits.
The Importance of Anand Teltumbde’s Thoughts in a Republic of Caste
As an email circulates to support a campaign to name Professor Anand Teltumbde in the list of world’s top thinkers to be listed in ‘Prospect’ magazine, it is time to take note of his important work: ‘Republic of Caste’ (2018) and put it in perspective.
Dowry Was Banned 60 Years Ago. But Cases Are Rising, While Grieving Families Find Justice Harder Than Ever
More than 18 women die every day in India in violence related to demands for dowry, which was outlawed in 1961. The number of complaints against dowry demands and related violence rose 25% in 2021 over the previous year. The conviction rate has plunged, as many who complain eventually compromise.
The Narmada Sardar Sarovar Project: The Truth About the Dam(Ned) Delay
Recently, PM Modi put the blame for delay in implementation of the Sardar Sarovar Project on “urban naxals and anti-development elements”. This is not merely wrong and unfair, but reflects regrettable ignorance of ground realities.
Bank Privatization and the Never-finished Neoliberal Agenda
Successive governments with a neoliberal agenda have not been able to roll-back nationalization, even after thirty years. That fortuitous ‘failure’ shows that the criticism of public ownership of banking is misplaced, and that neoliberal policies have lost their legitimacy.
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay: A Woman of Several Hues
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was an actor, social reformer, feminist, freedom fighter, reviver of Indian handicrafts, and a global proselytizer of Satyagraha. She was a woman who was years ahead of her time and a romantic renegade.
‘Vishwa Guru’ India Needs to Learn from Southeast Asia’s Pluralist Ethos
Southeast Asia’s past and present reflect a civilisational maturity that is in stark contrast to those who speak of ancient India’s spiritual ‘legacy’ overseas while stoking an ugly communal divide at home.
Forget Your Rights and Do Your Duties: Modi’s ‘Kartavyapath’ is a Road Paved With Bad Intentions
In his August 15 speech, Prime Minister Modi sidestepped demands on the government to deliver on its promises and instead laid great emphasis on citizens fulfilling their duties. The Orwellian new name for Delhi’s Rajpath adds to this push.