Not All Violence Is Colonial: The Dangerous Drift of Post-Modern Solidarity – Yanis Iqbal

With the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza and renewed India-Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam attack, there is a growing temptation to apply the framework of colonial violence (so viscerally visible in Palestine) to diverse geopolitical contexts across the Global South. This impulse, while rooted in a genuine desire for global solidarity, has often led to … Continue reading Not All Violence Is Colonial: The Dangerous Drift of Post-Modern Solidarity – Yanis Iqbal →

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 →

The Critical Force of Student Absenteeism—Yanis Iqbal

Representative Image The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) administration’s decision to enforce the mandatory 75% attendance rule for students has sparked an outcry. On November 21, 2024, students protested in large numbers against the decision, also calling for the conduct of the students’ union elections (which have not been held since 2019). However, the administration's response … Continue reading The Critical Force of Student Absenteeism—Yanis Iqbal →

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 →

Documenting Dissent Through Art—Rayan Chakrabarti

“Painting is not made to decorate apartments; it is an offensive and defensive instrument of war against the enemy.” ---Pablo Picasso Art plays a pivotal role in shaping the nature of protests during any social upheaval. It allows the people to give a new direction to their political imagination and make powerful statements challenging authorities. … Continue reading Documenting Dissent Through Art—Rayan Chakrabarti →

Politics, Spaces, and Aesthetics: Some Thoughts on the Genre of Protest Music—Debayan Das

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 →