Society

UP’s syncretic warrior cults facing Hindutva challenge

Be it the attack on the Gogamedi shrine in the Hanumangarh district of northern Rajasthan or the Neja Mela in the Sambhal district of western Uttar Pradesh, Hindutva’s systemic attack on India’s syncretic traditions, past and present, reveals its rigid and Brahmanical ideological orientation: imposition of a strictly hierarchical, exclusionary and structured notion of faith and practice

Alumni condemn violence and disruption at Lalit Kala Academy, stand in solidarity with students and faculty

Standing in solidarity with the Head of Dept (HOD), faculty of Lalit Kala Academy Pune, a group of alumni have condemned the disruption and violence by right-wing elements on campus that cause violence and trauma on February 2

YouTube strikes again, independent channel Media Swaraj, critical of regime shut down without notice, back on after outrage

In yet another instance of what amounts to unilateral censorship, Media Swaraj, a platform run by veteran journalist Ram Dutt Tripathi from Lucknow was shut down without notice or reasons; the mandatory appeal has been filed; by 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 8 the channel was back on, possibly because of the outrage

CJP sends complaint to Aaj Tak to remove contentious ‘Black and White Show’ on Hemant Soren from YouTube

Even after Sudhir Chaudhary rendered an apology for hurting sentiments of Adivasi people, the news show is yet to be removed from channel’s YouTube; clips of Chaudhary making derogatory statement on Adivasis still on ‘X’ (Twitter)

UP court awards land with Muslim shrine and graveyard to petitioners claiming it to be a Mahabharata site

A fifty year old dispute over a shrine of a Muslim saint and a Muslim graveyard was recently resolved after the court ruled that the land held Lakshagriha, a site that was featured in the Mahabharata. This comes even as the UP government is promoting a land some 20 kilometres away to be Lakshagriha.

The Reign of Unfreedom: IIT-Bombay & the cancellation of the Dr Ganesh Devy lecture

Rabindranath Tagore, the poet and philosopher, dreamed of a decolonised India to be a country where “the mind” would be “without fear” and “knowledge” would be “free”.

Muzaffar Ali and his English language autobiography, Zikr:  hope for a beleaguered India?

The author, a History professor at AMU, writes on the discussion that took place at the prestigious university last week, on January 25 and 6, 2024 with young students faced with the divisive politics of today

Who is afraid of the writings of Babasaheb Ambedkar?

First Published on: January 16, 2016Collected Works sell sans...

Sudhir Chaudhary’s castiest diatribe against Hemant Soren following his resignation causes uproar, complaint filed by Tribal body

In a 50 minute segment, Chaudhary repeatedly discusses the “lavish” lifestyle of the Tribal minister, states that the Soren family “does not have the Adivasi touch anymore”, questions whether this wealthy tribal family should be given reservation

Social media giants summoned at US Senate hearing for internet safety

CEOs of the social media sites like X, Facebook, and TikTok were called to the hearing to address accusations that they had not done enough to protect children on their websites

Ensure fair investigation, protection of dissent & safety of students on FTII campus: Film makers to Pune police

Several groups along with Pune filmmaker and FTII alumnus Umesh Kulkarni and others submitted a letter to the DCP–Special Branch on January 31 requesting unbiased proceedings.

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UP’s syncretic warrior cults facing Hindutva challenge

Be it the attack on the Gogamedi shrine in the Hanumangarh district of northern Rajasthan or the Neja Mela in the Sambhal district of western Uttar Pradesh, Hindutva’s systemic attack on India’s syncretic traditions, past and present, reveals its rigid and Brahmanical ideological orientation: imposition of a strictly hierarchical, exclusionary and structured notion of faith and practice

No Hearing, No Notice, Just Deletion: How Bengal’s SIR Erased a Decorated IAF Officer

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An Adivasi woman once in bonded labour now serves her village as a Sarpanch

As India marks 50 years of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, cases of bonded labour still surface in states like Telangana where many workers in sectors such as agriculture, brick kilns, fishing and construction remain trapped in debt and coercion; here the author reflects on a transformative journey of an Adivasi woman who serves as a Sarpanch.

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Bhagat Singh sent to gallows once again!

Repeated attempts by present day academics to whittle down the tradition followed and forged by young revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh are bound to fail; as history endures with the traditions laid by these very men