Courtesy: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP The piece examines and explains the legal aspects surrounding the abrogation of Article 370 and the simultaneous wholesale application of the Constitution of India vis a vis Jammu and Kashmir. It teases out the rationale put forth by the Supreme Court in upholding the Centre’s actions, the knotty issues about the President’s … Continue reading Article 370: Calculated Killing or Inevitable Demise?—Adrija Ghosh
Category: Study Circle
Other Futures are Always Possible: Tegart’s Long Shadow over Palestine—Suchintan Das
A Tegart Fort in Palestine (Image courtesy: http://quaderns.coac.net/en/2015/03/tegart-forts/) Imagine for a moment that you are not able to use future tense in speech. You will not be able to plan a vacation, consider your children’s education, or for that matter, think actively about retirement. Your life will be restricted to an immediate and unending present, where … Continue reading Other Futures are Always Possible: Tegart’s Long Shadow over Palestine—Suchintan Das
Neoliberalism and the Politics of Mental Health—Yanis Iqbal
Illustration courtesy: Olivia Newland In its neoliberal phase, capitalism no longer exists as a historical force with capabilities to play a progressive role. On the contrary, it keeps nakedly “asserting its power all the way to the historical limit of its viability”, as Istvan Meszaros puts it. Breaching these limits, neoliberalism, becomes a ‘counter-historical’ force. … Continue reading Neoliberalism and the Politics of Mental Health—Yanis Iqbal
From the Vaults of a Communist Party Newspaper Archive: Writing the Unwritten—Rajarshi Adhikary
Tattered copies of Swadhinota, the mouthpiece of the undivided Communist Party of India Since the first printed newspapers appeared in Germany in the early 17th century, brutal repressive regimes of state censorship were up in arms to suppress them. During the tumultuous decades of the English Revolution, the radical press thrived but was nonetheless undermined … Continue reading From the Vaults of a Communist Party Newspaper Archive: Writing the Unwritten—Rajarshi Adhikary
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
On the Lokayata Blog: A Round-Table
'At the Night Meeting'---Woodcut by Somnath Hore (1955) [Courtesy: MutualArt] On the 4th of June, the members of the Study Circle met to consider the possibility of doing something special to mark the milestone of having the 50th post up on the Lokayata blog, come July. It was unanimously agreed to obtain our own domain … Continue reading On the Lokayata Blog: A Round-Table
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
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
Revisiting Lokayata—Rajarshi Adhikary
Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya As a student of history, I have been fascinated by various heterodox sects from our past. The re-reading of such traditions in the light of contemporary times interests me even more. These traditions had been marginalized, ridiculed and slandered throughout the course of history because they dared to challenge the meta-narratives of their … Continue reading Revisiting Lokayata—Rajarshi Adhikary
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
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