Looking at Hindutva Through The Visual Medium of Memes—Supratik Sinha

Hindutva as an ideological force has gained prominence and visibility after 2014 with the election of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the Centre. Christophe Jaffrelot, in his book Hindu Nationalism: A Reader, comments that Hindu Nationalism emerged from the “superimposition of a religion, a culture, a language, and a sacred territory-the perfect recipe for … Continue reading Looking at Hindutva Through The Visual Medium of Memes—Supratik Sinha →

Of Gains and Divides: Stock Markets and Persisting Paradoxes—Ritabrata Chakraborty

Picture Courtesy: Mint If one has even casually followed the news stream over the last few years, a running theme concerning the economy has been consistent. It is the stock markets having a strong run (‘bullish’ in finance parlance), with abundant capital flowing in, while economies worldwide have been battling runaway inflation and tepid growth … Continue reading Of Gains and Divides: Stock Markets and Persisting Paradoxes—Ritabrata Chakraborty →

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 →

The Politics of Demolition and the Displaced People of the Tughlaqabad Village—Monjima Kar

Ruins of the Tughlaqabad Fort. The Tughlaqabad Fort, built around the 14th century, stands in ruins now, seven centuries later. What remains are the various settlements outside the fort enclosure. These settlements are equally old, built around the fort and inhabited by the working-class people ever since. While Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq might have found it difficult to … Continue reading The Politics of Demolition and the Displaced People of the Tughlaqabad Village—Monjima Kar →

Agyeya’s ‘The Writer And His Society’—Transcreated by Tushar Srivastava

Sachchidanand Hiranand Vatsyayan, ‘Agyeya’, at his home in Delhi [Image Courtesy: Vatsal Nidhi] Following is an attempt to ‘transcreate’[1] Agyeya’s essay titled ‘Lekhak Aur Uska Samaj’ which is excellently archived in the collections of ‘Vatsal Nidhi Prakashan Mala: Samvitti’ published by ‘Sasta Sahitya Mandal’ — to which I remain very thankful. All meanings of thought, conveyed … Continue reading Agyeya’s ‘The Writer And His Society’—Transcreated by Tushar Srivastava →

Corruption Conundrum: The Political Anatomy of a Pecuniary Problem—Ritabrata Chakraborty

Cartoon by R.K. Laxman (Image Source: Public Domain) Often, encountering stunning images makes a deeper impact on us than reading stark facts in text. After years of stalled recruitments, legal deadlocks and sustained protests by a section of the deprived candidates for the School Service Commission examination, the pictures of a massive stockpile of cash, … Continue reading Corruption Conundrum: The Political Anatomy of a Pecuniary Problem—Ritabrata Chakraborty →

Samar Sen’s ‘Sans Reverence’—Translated by Suchintan Das

Samar Sen (1916-1987) [Image: Public Domain] The question of livelihood does not arise while discussing the term ‘intellectual’. The Bangla term ‘Buddhijibi’—one who lives off one’s own intellect—is therefore not an accurate translation. Perhaps the remnant of our old Brahminical baggage[1] has lingered on in this rendering. Brahmins were the custodians of intellectual culture and they … Continue reading Samar Sen’s ‘Sans Reverence’—Translated by Suchintan Das →

D.D. Kosambi: Revisiting the Historian and his Legacy—Shashi Singh

D.D. Kosambi bathing his dog Chatya (Image courtesy Permanent Black) Aijaz Ahmad, the legendary Marxist theorist who passed away recently, was of the opinion that universities have been transmogrified into markets and malls selling enticing theories of postmodernism and postcolonialism to students. He was a fervent critic of these theories since he felt that their … Continue reading D.D. Kosambi: Revisiting the Historian and his Legacy—Shashi Singh →

Mask, Maker, and the Market: Dispatches on Chhau from Charida—Debayan Das

A Chhau mask depicting Goddess Durga Introduction Chhau is a unique tribal martial dance performed in the month of Chaitra across villages in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha, by mostly all-men troupes. Its practice in these three states gave rise to three different schools or styles of Chhau: Seraikela, Purulia and Mayurbhanj. … Continue reading Mask, Maker, and the Market: Dispatches on Chhau from Charida—Debayan Das →

Is Reproductive Choice a Myth for Women?—Krishna Priya

Image Courtesy: MSI Reproductive Choices The union cabinet has recently voted to raise the minimum age for girls to marry from 18 to 21, bringing them into line with boys. The new decision was made in response to the rising number of early pregnancies that endanger both mother and child's lives, as well as for … Continue reading Is Reproductive Choice a Myth for Women?—Krishna Priya →