JNU: End of the Romance
Joining Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was like crossing the road. Literally. The year was 1999. I was Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) at IIT, Delhi (IIT-D)….
Makarand R Paranjape
The author is a poet, and Professor of English, JNU
Hindutva before Savarkar: Chandranath Basu’s contribution
“Hindutva,” as both term and concept, is usually identified with VD Savarkar (1883-1966). His 1923 essay, originally titled, “Essentials of Hindutva” and retitled, “Hindutva: Who is a Hindu” in its…
The Pondy Lit Fest and the True Face of Intolerance
Organising a festival of letters, arts and ideas, which I am doing for the first time as the co-curator of ‘Bharat Shakti: The Pondy Lit Fest’ (PLF), August 17-19, 2018,…
The Holi affair: Hooliganism or assault on Hindu festivals?
We all know, going by the growth rate of our population, how horny and fertile Indians are. But a question that has been intriguing me is how do you fill…
Why Partha Chatterjee comparing the human shield incident to Jallianwala Bagh is sick and uncalled for
“There are times,” says Partha Chatterjee, Professor of Anthropology & Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies at Columbia University, “when one looks in the mirror and is shocked to…
Soft Power: Differing Meanings of Religion in our Time
When Muslim and Christian invaders encountered people of non-Abrahamic dharmic dispositions in Bharat they were, to say the least, sorely perplexed. Those who came as traders put up with their…
All religions are not equal
Out of the blue, an acquaintance suddenly asked, “Tell me, is there a heaven and hell?” Taken aback, I counter-questioned, “Do you mean, are they real places, like Delhi or…
Using ‘Sanghi’, ‘Bhakt’ and ‘Saffron’ as Terms of Abuse is Bound to Backfire
It’s happened! At last someone has branded me ‘Sanghi’ in twitterspace. This, of course, is not entirely unprecedented. Ever since I stood up against the anti-democratic Left at JNU, I’ve…
Hindu Economics
Much ink, thankfully little blood, has been spent on the travails of demonetization. No doubt some of the shock, especially suffered by daily-wage earners and those without bank accounts or…