Mainstream, August 10, 2024
DOCUMENTS: BOOKS: IMAGE & SOUND: Editor’s Picks: o o Books of Note:
Tag: critical theory
Our north stars
Trusting in the students to lead us to a brighter tomorrow Tanvir Haider Chaudhury Let’s get one thing straight: The only north star here is the students. They fought, suffered incarceration and torture, bled, and died to see this revolution happen. The only people I trust in this whole mess we find ourselves in are… Read More Our north stars
What explains the Bangladesh crisis?
It is necessary to exercise caution in arriving at Indo-centric conclusions without empirical evidence. We need to understand the true motivations so as to better be able to prepare for what may follow Deb Mukharji The precise sequence of events leading to Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as prime minister of Bangladesh and departure for India on… Read More What explains the Bangladesh crisis?
Grey silence (2023)
The deference of India’s cricketing gods to authority Mukul Kesavan There have been several public protests in Delhi against the State during Narendra Modi’s prime ministership. The Shaheen Bagh sit-in and the long farmers’ protest are the obvious examples. Compared to these mobilisations, the dharna at Jantar Mantar led by Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Sangeeta Phogat and… Read More Grey silence (2023)
Policing language: Why the West created a new dictionary for Israel and Palestine
Seeking ideological uniformity on the issue, western officials and their media accomplices have long recognised the centrality of language to their political indoctrination project Joseph Massad n the official West and its mainstream regime media, there exists a specialised dictionary and thesaurus to translate to the western public all matters Israeli and Palestinian. Officials and journalists… Read More Policing language: Why the West created a new dictionary for Israel and Palestine
Partha Banerjee: An insider’s book on the RSS
As a young man, Partha Banerjee was on course to become a senior member of the RSS, the organisation that has pushed Indian politics towards extreme religious nationalism. Then, after 40 years within its ranks, he quit. Why?…. He thought of the writer Aldous Huxley’s description of an ideal totalitarian state, a condition he thought… Read More Partha Banerjee: An insider’s book on the RSS
Academic research on Rushdie’s literary work sabotaged by Deoband Ulema / Resist the Climate of Intimidation in Academics
First posted April 25, 2012 NB: Over the past four months, the Deoband Ulema has contributed to the climate of intolerance and religious bigotry in India. First by opposing Rushdie’s presence at the Jaipur Literature Festival, and now by sabotaging a perfectly legitimate subject for research. In the first instance they succeeded by riding on the… Read More Academic research on Rushdie’s literary work sabotaged by Deoband Ulema / Resist the Climate of Intimidation in Academics
Hannah Arendt’s ghosts: Reflections on the disputable path from Windhoek to Auschwitz
Historians on both sides of the Atlantic are currently engaged in a controversy about the allegedly genocidal nature of western colonialism and its connections with the mass violence unleashed by Nazi Germany between 1939 and 1945. The debate touches upon some of the most “sensitive” issues of twentieth-century history: the violent “dark side” of modern… Read More Hannah Arendt’s ghosts: Reflections on the disputable path from Windhoek to Auschwitz
Sankarshan Thakur: An idea aflame
As Jammu and Kashmir drifts towards a promised assembly election, it cannot be that many more, especially in the Valley, wouldn’t be tempted to embrace the Rashid example A spectre is haunting Jammu and Kashmir. That is not unusual for our most distressed geography. But it is not the spectre of violent death renewing its… Read More Sankarshan Thakur: An idea aflame
Jaag Musafir: Pagdandi Collective
Hello, we are pleased to invite you to join us for a conversation with Dilip Simeon in Chandigarh on Saturday, August 3; 2024. More details here: https://pagdandi.substack.com/p/jaag-musafir Kindly RSVP if you plan to come: https://forms.gle/P7vAeWmWHWic7pgi6 My regards and gratitude to Pagdandi Collective for organising this conversation. What follows below is my personal addition to the matter above,… Read More Jaag Musafir: Pagdandi Collective
After the truth-shower 