Courtesy: The Whiskey Farm's 'Songs of Resistance' Album As Rancière said, “everything in politics turns on the distribution of spaces... political action always acts upon the social as the litigious distribution of places and roles.” But re-figuring of space, particularly physical space, is difficult in many orientalist nations, like India and Japan. This can be … Continue reading Politics, Spaces, and Aesthetics: Some Thoughts on the Genre of Protest Music—Debayan Das
Changing Admissions Policies and the Destruction of Higher Education in India—Vighnesh Tekriwal
Image Courtesy: The Economic Times The past several years have seen a massive assault on higher education in India, which has taken various forms, including funds for research being cut, teachers and academics being denied permanent positions, gross violations of the reservation policy, the appointment of the ruling party’s loyalists as heads of institutions despite … Continue reading Changing Admissions Policies and the Destruction of Higher Education in India—Vighnesh Tekriwal
Politics of Sloganeering: The Case of ‘Jai Shri Ram’—Suchintan Das
Image Courtesy: Hindustan Times On the 11th of May, I was leaving for the nearest metro station through the college gate when I met a fruit seller who greeted me with ‘Ram Ram’. My instantaneous response was to greet him back by reiterating his greeting. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, we parted our ways, … Continue reading Politics of Sloganeering: The Case of ‘Jai Shri Ram’—Suchintan Das
Amidst the Squealers: The Media in the Democratic Circus—Riya Lohia
Courtesy: Alfredo Garzon, Cartoon Movement. The mass media, considered the fourth pillar of democracy, exists today amidst total frenzy. It has been hollowed by noise, insignificant debates, emotional appeals, and distorted facts and has abandoned its responsibilities as watchdog, social critic, navigator of information, and, most importantly, shaper of discernible public opinion. The media’s reliance … Continue reading Amidst the Squealers: The Media in the Democratic Circus—Riya Lohia
Where do our Priorities Lie?—Monjima Kar
Picture Courtesy: Danish Siddiqui, Reuters In this article, I’ll seek to question the readers and answer a few questions baffling me and those around us for quite some days now. In the face of constant upheaval of the politicians telling us through their forced propaganda what the public seeks, there is created a space of … Continue reading Where do our Priorities Lie?—Monjima Kar
The Continuing Evil of Manual Scavenging—Arnaaz Zaman
Manual Scavenging in India (Courtesy: The Hindu) On 10th September, 2018, five young individuals were killed due to toxic gas poisoning after they were coerced to illegally enter a sewer tank. This incident, which took place just a few months ago at the DLF apartment complex, was reported from the bustling city of New Delhi. … Continue reading The Continuing Evil of Manual Scavenging—Arnaaz Zaman
The Paradox of Police Action and Inaction on Campus — Nabila Ansari
Protest inside the Department of Mathematics, University of Delhi Three days ago, a peaceful hunger strike by the students of the Delhi University Mathematics Department and other students present in solidarity was disrupted by over 50 policemen and women who appeared on the scene and announced that the 'protest period' was over. The police detained … Continue reading The Paradox of Police Action and Inaction on Campus — Nabila Ansari
‘Shor’ in the City — Debayan Das
Dust and Smoke Amidst the bustling pace of privileged life in the National Capital Territory, we somehow ignore the whereabouts of a large number of those who are less fortunate. This is the story of a hundred families struggling to procure their basic means of survival under the Safdarjung Aerodrome Flyover. The place is just … Continue reading ‘Shor’ in the City — Debayan Das
Locating Rahul Sankrityayan and D.D. Kosambi: A Prolegomenon to the Study Circle — Vighnesh Tekriwal
The Sankrityayan Kosambi Study Circle owes its name and inspiration to two of the most remarkable individuals in the history of modern India, Rahul Sankrityayan and D.D. Kosambi. Any biography of either of them would run into the immediate obstacle of classifying their professions, for the scope of their lives’ work is truly interdisciplinary. The … Continue reading Locating Rahul Sankrityayan and D.D. Kosambi: A Prolegomenon to the Study Circle — Vighnesh Tekriwal
When the Farmers Came Marching and Students Sang: A Participant Observer’s Guide to the Kisan Mukti March — Suchintan Das
All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (Image Credit: My Nation) The Kisan Mukti March, which took place in New Delhi on the 29th and 30th of November was neither an isolated occurrence nor an end in itself. It raised some crucial questions, which are yet to be answered. It was a historic happening in the sense that it enabled … Continue reading When the Farmers Came Marching and Students Sang: A Participant Observer’s Guide to the Kisan Mukti March — Suchintan Das
Lokayata 