History

Vande Mataram and the 2026 Amendment: From voluntary honour to penal coercion

While the slogan Vande Mataram galvanised millions during India’s struggle for liberation from the clutches of colonial rule, this essay demonstrates that the 2026 Amendment –that the BJP has orchestrated--does not represent historical continuity, but rather a contemporary majoritarian redefinition of a complex national symbol.

An Inglorious End: The Summary Execution of Benito Mussolini

78 years ago, on this day, Benito Mussolini of Italy met with an inglorious end. In 2016 Sabrangindia had posted this story. Towards an understanding of history, we are re-posting it today--Editors

Did the RSS want Partition? An interview with Dr DR Goyal for Communalism Combat, October 1994

In this interview for Communalism Combat, 29 years ago, Dr DR Goyal, a member of the organization in his youth explains why he left and how poisonous RSS propaganda accelerated the movement for Pakistan

Eid Mubarak: Mussalmans & a United Nation- India

First published on: 11 Nov 2016The Musalmans and a United...

To Ahilya Rangnekar, an intrepid revolutionary, April 19, on her death anniversary

Today April 19, is the death anniversary of Comrade Ahilya Rangnekar. Her birth centenary year began on July 6, 2022 and will end on July 8, 2023. This article was first published in 'People's Democracy' and 'Loklahar', and in the CPI-M Marathi weekly 'Jeewanmarg' last year in July 2022.

Mughals Won’t Disappear From History Just Because Sangh Wishes so: Irfan Habib

In a special conversation with NewsClick, historian, Irfan Habib said that after the changes, the image of India will be tarnished in front of the world.

Hate Watch: BJP MLA demands demolition of Taj Mahal and Qutub Minar, willing to donate one year’s salary to have temples built on those...

This comes just after the NCERT removed chapters on the Mughal Empire from class 12 history books

Maliana acquittals 36 years after 72 Muslims massacred in cold blood, abysmal failure of justice, substantive & procedural

The acquittals took place despite directions by the High Court being seized of the matter since 2021 where the issue raised is of crucial documents including the FIR and other evidence had “gone missing”, of strict and fair procedures that need to be followed; this 2021 legal intervention by a journalist Qurban Ali, who covered the cold blooded massacre in 1987 and Vibhuti Narain Rai, an IPS officer who, as SP Ghaziabad had filed the FIR in the Hashimpura carnage the day before, in the High Court  will now be heard with the judgement of acquittal being passed without completion of trial procedure

Remembering Bhagat Singh, Reclaiming the Right to be A Free Thinker

It is quite a striking experience when, in Europe – including in France which is the historical birthplace of secularism –, one gets automatically told, for example, "Oh, you are a Hindu!" if one says one is Indian, or "Oh, you are a Muslim! if one says one is Algerian.

Freedom from Communalism & Religious Intolerance was Bhagat Singh’s Ideal, Never Hindu Rashtra

Hindu Communalists have forever sought to appropriate the young and fiery martyr in Goebbellsian ways perpetuating lies and falsehoods that include falsely promoting February 14 (Valentine’s Day) as his Death Anniversary rather than March 23, when he was actually hanged

Re-construction, federalism, anti-fascism & a free society: MN Roy on his 136th birth anniversary

Today is the 136th birth anniversary of M.N.Roy (1887-1954). I mention below a photograph in which M.N.Roy is standing in Centre at the top of steps with delegates at the 2nd Congress of the Communist International, 1920 alongwith Lenin and Gorky. On this occasion there are four quotes from his writings which are worth remembering at the present times.

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Sit Where We Stand: The segregated back rooms for sanitation staff in urban spaces

The absence of dignified break rooms for sanitation staff in urban spaces is a visible residue of caste-exclusionary practices that have become normalised. Women who work here—whether in universities or elsewhere—are often left with no option but to rest on bathroom floors.

After some dithering, Odisha government rejects premature release of Graham Staines murder convict Dara Singh

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Deaths, Denials and Delayed Action: The Balaghat crisis

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Why Swatantra Bhardwaj is a pawn in our politics

As a fellow Bihari and a native of Darbhanga, my heart goes out to the middle class parents who pawn jewellery and mortgage ancestral property to send their ladlas and ladlis to a big city…