THE BINARY OF THE HUMANITIES AND THE SCIENCES – HIRA

In a 2024 op-ed published in the Indian Express, Manish Sabharwal and Ashish Dhawan (the latter a philanthropist and a founder-trustee of Ashoka University) posed an important question: “Isn’t it impossible to decide which disciplines matter more: The sciences that lengthen our lives or the humanities that make those longer lives worth living?” The article … Continue reading THE BINARY OF THE HUMANITIES AND THE SCIENCES – HIRA →

MANIK BANDYOPADHYAY’S ‘A SPECIMEN’—TRANSLATED BY PRITHA BANERJEE

Manik Bandopadhyay (1908-1956) This short story by Manik Bandyopadhyay is set during the time of the 1943 famine in Bengal. It was a time of abject poverty, destitution, and breakdown of the moral economy of the society. The lack of rice and other staples compelled a father to sell off his daughter to an unknown … Continue reading MANIK BANDYOPADHYAY’S ‘A SPECIMEN’—TRANSLATED BY PRITHA BANERJEE →

Misdiagnosing Climate Change: Exploring the Interplay of Overpopulation and Overconsumption—Shashi Singh

A popular poster depicting a stark contrast between big and small families. A big family is mired in poverty and strife; a small family, on the other hand, is happy and content. It depicts the (natural and material) plentitude that comes with a small family. [Source: Pinterest] Last year, in the month of July, the … Continue reading Misdiagnosing Climate Change: Exploring the Interplay of Overpopulation and Overconsumption—Shashi Singh →

Syed Mustafa Siraj’s ‘Bharat Varsha’—Translated by Saukarya Samad

Syed Mustafa Siraj (1930-2012) One of the last sentinels from the golden era of Bengali literature, Syed Mustafa Siraj wrote effortlessly for both children and adults. His sheer versatility enabled him to craft riveting novels like ‘Neel Ghorer Nati’ and conjure the evergreen ornithologist-cum-investigator Colonel Niladri Sarkar. Renowned for his nuanced social commentary and vivid … Continue reading Syed Mustafa Siraj’s ‘Bharat Varsha’—Translated by Saukarya Samad →

Mahadevi Verma’s ‘War and Woman’—Translated by Avishi Gupta

Mahadevi Verma (1907-1987) Image courtesy: Pinterest [Translator’s note: This essay was first published in 1933, and later included in Verma’s 1941 volume called Shrinkhala ki Kadiyan (Links in the Chain). War and Woman is perhaps one of the earliest extant texts in the intellectual tradition which later came to be termed as ecofeminism. Ecofeminism, if … Continue reading Mahadevi Verma’s ‘War and Woman’—Translated by Avishi Gupta →

Economics and the Ethics of Inequality—Ritabrata Chakraborty

Image Courtesy: Getty Images "Can we turn our backs on equality? No government is legitimate that does not show equal concern for the fate of all those citizens over whom it claims dominion and from whom it claims allegiance. Equal concern is the sovereign virtue of political community-without it, government is only tyranny-and when a … Continue reading Economics and the Ethics of Inequality—Ritabrata Chakraborty →