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.

Nationalism is a cruel epidemic of evil that is sweeping over the human world of the present age: Rabindranath Tagore

Revisiting the idea of 'nationalism' through Tagore's words on his birth anniversary

Reading Dr. Ambedkar’s Who Were The Shudras

The Spirit of History, The Spirit of Justice, The Spirit of Generosity

Defend freedom of expression and respect individuals to build Fraternity

Image Courtesy: countercurrents.orgToday India proudly celebrates the 129th birth anniversary...

101 years since Jallianwala Bagh: Hard earned Democracy

As we pay tribute to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh, it is important to remember the series of events that culminated in this tragedy, and the chain reaction that was set off as a result afterwards, leading India steadily on the path of freedom and democracy.

Remembering Jyotiba Phule, on His 189th Birth Anniversary, April 11

First Published on: January 13, 2016 Remembering Jyotiba Phule, on...

Baba Deep Singh Ji, Golden Temple, and COVID-19

Sikh History reveres the martyrdom of Baba Deep Singh Ji who fought to avenge the desecration of Golden Temple, Amritsar, in 1757. Legend says he fought while supporting his severed head and refused to die until he reached Golden Temple.

Khan Saheb in Kashi

Ustad Bismillah Khan, 1916–2006. In the Ustad’s shehnai lies the note of reason

History repeats itself, first time as evil, second time as evil: UP, Nazi Germany

Is there some similarity between what is happening in Uttar Pradesh (UP) 2020 and what unfolded, under Hitler, in Nazi Germany?

How did we get here?

A brief journey through modern India's history to understand the evolution of Hindu-Muslim relations in the country

Witness the human consequences of forced migration through the Chakmas

How the fault lines of partition and nationhood in South Asia accompanied by the callous and apathetic attitudes of the ‘modern’ nation-states have proved unbridgeable, leading to the unending saga of despair and dejection among the displaced populace.

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Police detain Adivasi students for second day, force them out of Mumbai

Students who marched from Nashik are denied Azad Maidan protest, prevented from leaving Tilak Bhavan and forcefully transported out of the city

Scrap SIR, Restore Electoral Integrity: A national call to defend the right to vote

Public assembly demands the scrapping of SIR, accountability of the Election Commission and urgent safeguards against wrongful exclusion from electoral rolls

Why Majoritarianism today is the single most acute threat to democracy

Majoritarianism that plagues India and many other democracies is the perversion of Dr. Ambedkar’s idea of democracy. While Dr. Ambedkar’s definition of democracy lays stress on effective and proportionate representation and safeguarding minority rights, majoritarianism is the dominance of a particular religious community, caste group, or racial group over the rest of the population.

From Nashik to Mumbai: Adivasi students’ protest meets police detentions

Weeks of agitation over tribal hostels and schools culminate in alleged detention of protesters ahead of planned Azad Maidan march

‘Free the Temple’, ‘Protect the Faith’, ‘Take Up Weapons’: How September’s festivals became stages for anti-Muslim hate

From contested places of worship to demographic fearmongering, a series of speeches used Hindu religious identity to construct Muslims as an existential threat and recast exclusion as religious defence

Karnataka: SIR Interrogated

A report, The SIR Investigation Report—A Narrative of Betrayal and Tears was released by the Anti-SIR Alliance and the Citizens’ Vote Protection Committee today; the report documents the (mal) implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka

‘Solidarity Is Not a Crime’: Mumbai activists protest alleged police harassment over Palestine event

Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine members gather at Azad Maidan after police search activist Harshada’s home in connection with a kite-flying programme for Palestinian children

The West as Enigma: Why Muslims Must Understand the Occident on Its Own Terms

The ideas of Shariati, Mawdudi, Qutb, and Nadwi provide important critiques of Western materialism, imperialism, and secularism, but remain largely reactive in their approach.