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.

Unity not Hate: Commemorating the 168th anniversary of 1857 War of Independence

On the eve of the 168th anniversary of this heroic battle, let not the far right, Hindutva regime undermine the unique heritage of collective sacrifice

‘Phule’: A Revolution on Screen

No other couple in human history has shown such a spirit filled with revolutionary ambition for change. That too in a stagnant society like that of India.

2025 NCERT Textbooks: Mughals, Delhi Sultanate out; ‘sacred geography’, Maha Kumbh in

 ‘NCERT has dropped all portions on Mughals from Class 7 Books. Students will now get to read about how Rajputs fought against nobody and lost!’ So, sarcastically wrote an ‘X’ user, Joy even as one more cut and slash action of the Modi 3.0 government with Indian social science/ history texts came to light; for the NDA II government this is only the latest in a long series of ad hoc deletions

Composite Indian Nationalism or ‘Two Nation Theory’

One of the greatest tragedies of South Asia has...

106th Anniversary of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: Documents on Jallianwala Bagh massacre and people’s resistance buried at the National Archives

Revolutionary Udham Singh's choice of his alias, name of Mohammad Singh Azad was not a coincidence -- he chose it to underline the cardinal fact that India could be liberated only by a collective and united effort of all Indians

Bloodbath on Baisakhi: The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, April 13, 1919

Ninety Seven Years Ago, one of the bloodiest actions of British Rule was the calculated massacre of close to 2,000 innocent Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims at the Jallianwala Bagh. The firing was ordered by an officer of the British colonial power, General Dyer. While the official figure for lives lost was 1,526 the actual figure was reportedly much higher

Tamas and the Shadow Over Empuraan: A Nation Still Disturbed With Itself

Tamas encountered legal and political challenges in the late 1980s. The government attempted to prevent the series from airing. There was fear it would provoke unrest. Now, if Empuraan disturbed us, it should, for who we are: a culture that justifies and forgets.

Jyotiba Phule’s Trenchant Critique of Caste: Gulamgiri

First Published on: 11 Apr 2016On his 189th Birth...

Unique 98th Anniversary Mahad Satyagraha Observances: Samata Din with a Roja Iftar Party

In mirror memory to the Roja Iftar jointly celebrated by Hasrat Mohani and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in Delhi on October 13, 1949, for the second year running, the Muslim community has taken the lead along with Ambedkarite leaders to have collective observances at Mahad

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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

Majoriatrianisnm 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.

September 26 ECI Press Note: Does it not render SIR redundant?

The author de-constructs the September 26 press note, point by point, and evolves a list of Ten Demands for a People’s Movement for Accountability & Transparency in India’s Electoral Process