Milan Kundera: The Unbearable Lightness of Being author dies aged 94

The Czech novelist found himself silenced by the communist regime at home, but achieved international fame with playfully philosophical fiction Czech writer Milan Kundera, who explored being and betrayal over half a century in poems, plays, essays and novels including The Unbearable Lightness of Being, has died aged 94 after a prolonged illness, Anna Mrazova, spokesperson… Read More Milan Kundera: The Unbearable Lightness of Being author dies aged 94

The spirit of the university under threat

as India is fast moving towards some sort of electoral autocracy, we are witnessing a new kind of crisis emanating from the virus of ‘anti-intellectualism’. Don’t think critically. Don’t question the establishment. Accept the dominant discourse of development, nationalism and religion. Is it, therefore, surprising that even the slightest trace of dissent is criminalised? Avijit… Read More The spirit of the university under threat

Obituary: Blanche La Guma

Terry Bell Blanche La Guma who died on Thursday, aged 95, was one of the most unacknowledged veterans of the anti-apartheid struggle.  A nurse and midwife, principled, dedicated and intensely loyal, she gladly lived in the shadow of her writer husband Alex who died and was buried in Cuba in 1985.  One of her proudest… Read More Obituary: Blanche La Guma

From South Asian University Expulsion To Oxford Finally, I Can Tell My Story

NB: Congratulations, Bhimraj, for standing up to oppression and injustice. Human dignity can never be destroyed. Regradless of your admission to Oxford, you deserved just and fair treatment. Our university authorities need to understand that education is the awakening of the human spirit. Unfortunately they often behave as if they are aiming at the very… Read More From South Asian University Expulsion To Oxford Finally, I Can Tell My Story

UN condemns Israel’s use of excessive force in attack on Palestine

In a rare condemnation of Israel, the UN has denounced the country’s excessive use of force in its largest military operation in two decades targeting a refugee camp in the West Bank. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, clearly angered by the impact of the Israeli attack on the Jenin refugee camp, said it had left… Read More UN condemns Israel’s use of excessive force in attack on Palestine

Manipur Conflict: Echoes of History & Perils of False Narratives

In a revealing interview with The Wire, Meitei MLA Nishikant Singh Sapam, Chairman of the Committee on Privileges and Ethics in the Manipur Legislative Assembly, stated that the conflict primarily revolves around land. It becomes evident that labelling Kukis as ‘terrorists,’ ‘narco-terrorists,’ ‘illegal immigrants,’ or ‘foreigners’ serves no purpose other than undermining their legitimacy, subjecting… Read More Manipur Conflict: Echoes of History & Perils of False Narratives

‘Deep political changes are only a matter of time’

Correspondence with Vladimir Kara-Murza In April 2023 the Russian opposition politician and human rights activist Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in prison for speaking out against the war on Ukraine. He was found guilty of ‘running an ‘undesirable organization’, of ‘spreading falsehoods about the Russian army’ and of high treason – likely in connection with… Read More ‘Deep political changes are only a matter of time’

प्रवेश शुक्ला गिरफ़्तार, घर पर बुलडोज़र चला | Pravesh Shukla arrested

5 Jul 2023 #madhyapradesh #shivrajsinghchouhan #narottammishra आप कैसे दुनिया में सर उठाकर कह सकेंगे कि जात-पात का भेदभाव इस देश से मिट गया है। किसी के ऊपर पेशाब करने की यह सोच हवा से नहीं आई है बल्कि सैंकड़ों साल से चलते हुए प्रवेश शुक्ला में बनी हुई है इस जातिवादी सोच के लिए संघ… Read More प्रवेश शुक्ला गिरफ़्तार, घर पर बुलडोज़र चला | Pravesh Shukla arrested

86 Ex-Civil Servants Including Former Odisha Cadre IAS Officers Write To Amit Shah; Allege Harassment Of NGOs Under FCRA

Bhubaheswar: More than 80 retired civil servants, including at least four ex-IAS officers of Odisha cadre, have sought Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s intervention to put an end to alleged harassment of voluntary organisations under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). The group of 86 former civil servants of the All India and Central Services, which… Read More 86 Ex-Civil Servants Including Former Odisha Cadre IAS Officers Write To Amit Shah; Allege Harassment Of NGOs Under FCRA

Israeli Officials Now Promoting Impunity for Settler-Colonial Violence

RAMONA WADI ( Middle East Monitor ) – If Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, can find excuses for the hilltop youth’s colonial violence, how much more is the concept of settler-colonial presence as a form of violence normalised? During a meeting called by Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir described the hilltop youth as “sweet boys” forced into… Read More Israeli Officials Now Promoting Impunity for Settler-Colonial Violence