Tag: History

The Hindu caretaker and his mosque: symbol of harmony amid India’s religious discord

Bechan Baba has dedicated his life to Varanasi’s Anarwali mosque, where Hindus and Muslims come to pray – despite the historical disputes raging outside Jyoti Thakur and Hanan Zaffar in Varanasi In the heart of Varanasi, where the sacred Ganges meanders by and incense smoke mingles with the faint echoes of prayers from a myriad… Read More The Hindu caretaker and his mosque: symbol of harmony amid India’s religious discord

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The Chris Hedges Report: Hamas: How Israel Created Its Own Nemesis

By shutting the door to any peaceful resolution and leaving no other option for Palestinians, Israel created its own nemesis in Hamas. GAZA casualties live statistics Hamas, like all resistance groups, from the African National Congress to The Irish Republic Army, are as demonized as they are misunderstood. Hamas is a religious, nationalist political movement.… Read More The Chris Hedges Report: Hamas: How Israel Created Its Own Nemesis

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The Indian astronomer whose innovative work on black holes was mocked at Cambridge

In the early 1930s, the Indian-born physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1910-95), who was then studying at the University of Cambridge in the UK, proposed that not all stars become white dwarves at the end of their lifecycle. Instead, the brilliant young scientist argued, when stars were of a certain mass, they would form something denser than… Read More The Indian astronomer whose innovative work on black holes was mocked at Cambridge

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Dear Leader Dreams of Sushi: What life was like serving Kim Jong-il and his heir

First posted June 05, 2013 By Adam Johnson. Photography by Jungyeon Roh North Korea is a mythically strange land, an Absurdistan, where almost nothing is known about the people or, more important, their missile-launching leaders. There is, however, one man—a humble sushi chef from Japan—who infiltrated the inner sanctum, becoming the Dear Leader’s cook, confidant,… Read More Dear Leader Dreams of Sushi: What life was like serving Kim Jong-il and his heir

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Jogendranath Mandal hoped for Dalit-Muslim unity in Pakistan. He’s remembered as a ‘villain’

NB: Those of us who see the events of the late 1940’s in black and white terms ought to study the complexity of historical events as well as of the views of the actors in those events. Some may be surprised to read B. R. Ambedkar’s views on the transfer of population on a communal… Read More Jogendranath Mandal hoped for Dalit-Muslim unity in Pakistan. He’s remembered as a ‘villain’

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Comrade Satyapal Dang: Lessons of Punjab have relevance for Kashmir

First posted June 02, 2017 NB: Comrade Satyapal Dang (1920-2013), a stalwart communist, was one of the tallest figures of modern India. At the height of the Khalistani movement he and his wife comrade Vimla stood fast in the CPI’s trade union office in Ekta Bhavan, Amritsar, despite the threats to their lives. They upheld secular values and… Read More Comrade Satyapal Dang: Lessons of Punjab have relevance for Kashmir

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The Cultural Revolution: A People’s History with Frank Dikötter

Premiered on 10 Nov 2022 In anticipation of the opening of our upcoming exhibition, (De)constructing Ideology: The Cultural Revolution and Beyond, Frank Dikötter will present a brief history of the Cultural Revolution. Dr. Dikötter, Chair Professor at the University of Hong Kong and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, is the author of People’s Trilogy,… Read More The Cultural Revolution: A People’s History with Frank Dikötter

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On fascization

Rather than debating whether today’s far right is fascist, we need to think about fascization. Focusing on language and desire enables us to understand the process of becoming fascist, even within ourselves, and thus to resist it. Pierre Zaoui If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face… Read More On fascization

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