History

On India’s first PM’s 60th death anniversary today, amid a polarising election campaign, his utterances on upholding the Constitution and defeating communal forces resound.

How Hindutva Parivar's 'ideological ancestors' supported the British & Muslim League against Indians

Caste, big capital, entrenched political influence continues to determine access to to land. Violence is the means to quell  India’s Dalit communities as they struggle to reclaim land that is tilled by them.Punjab, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu have seen emergent movements around Dalit land rights but these are not reflected in manifestos of political formations, yet.

Our PM describes himself as ‘Hindu’ nationalist and member...

In India today, fiction is being peddled as history. What’s tragic is that most Indians are falling for such propaganda. There has been a spate of motivated films financed and promoted by the Sangh Parivar, starting with the ‘Kashmir Files’ to the latest ‘Swatantra Veer Savarkar’.

Usha Mehta, a fiery satyagrahi, mesmerised by Gandhi, is the protagonist of this timely film; she with her two young colleagues, conceived and ran the underground ‘Congress Radio’ from Mumbai to both inform and unite fellow Indians left leaderless after the British crackdown on the Congress leadership following the historic quit India Rally at Gowalia Tank on August 8, 1942; “Karo Ya Maro” (Do or Die) was the powerful cry from the Indian people that day and Congress Radio, epitomises this unique contribution to the freedom struggle; it re-ignited the ‘Quit India Movement’ that challenged the oppressive British regime

Films are a very powerful medium which create a social understanding...

Two internationally renowned public intellectuals, historian Romila Thapar and literary theorist Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak met in 2017 and conversed about The idea of India and how it has evolved historically. The conversation was published as a book, seven years later in 2024. Writer and academic Zahira Rahman reviews the book highlighting its insights and historical relevance.

How war-wearied Maratha soldiers embraced Duggarland and made it their home?

I normally do not write on films. But “Ae...