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The issues related to our educational institutions-patriotism started coming up to the fore with this Government coming to power (May 2014). One after the other news of Government intervention in different institutions, more so the nationally well known ones started disturbing us. There was the case of IIT Madras where Periyar Ambedkar Study Circle was banned. Then IIT Bombay Director Prof

Today in India the gulf between religious communities is widening at a rapid pace. The ‘Hate other ideologies’ abound and are percolating down to the social levels at dangerous pace. As such India is a plural, multi-religious society, where diverse people have been living together for centuries. The Ganga Jamuna Tehjeeb, the mixed culture present in our society gets manifested in its food habits

The national scene is being dominated by the current debate ‘you must chant Barat Mata ki jai’ to prove your nationalism. This was preceded by the ‘Anti national' abuse being hurled on all those showing dissent with the present regime. These two major issues have been propped up in the recent times and these are trying to undermine the core issue of the state’s onslaught on University autonomy

In the current attack on Jawaharlal Nehru University one crucial aspect related to Indian mythology and its current interpretation came up to the fore. MHRD Minister Ms. Smriti Irani, while defending the actions of her government said that JNU is the den of anti National activities. Adding weight to her argument she stated that the Dalit OBC groups in JNU are celebrating Mahishasur Martyrdom day

On the back of the death of Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad Central University (HCU), one of the most prestigious University of the country Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been targeted by the ruling Modi Sarkar. The frightening things which happened in HCU were just the beginning of attack on autonomy of universities, on the free thinking in a democracy. Rohith was forced to kill himself by the

One is witnessing strange incidents where the women from Muslim and Hindu community are facing similar obstacles. This relates to the issue of entry into places of worship. While the women from Bhumata Brigade are struggling to get entry into Shani Shingnapur temple (Ahmadnagar Mahrashtra), the Muslim women are fighting a legal battle to restore their access to mazar of Haji Ali dargah in Mumbai

The death of Rohith Vemula has been projected as suicide by some and murder by others, depending on their political orientation. Rohith’s being dalit and his participation in Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) and active contribution to this politically vibrant dalit group is the major cause of his death. Apart from issues directly related to dalits, this association did raise the issues related

Communal violence has been the bane of our society. This violence is generally a part of far reaching communal politics. Communal politics in turn is not done just in the name of one religion, in South Asia; communal politics has been seen in the name of Buddhism (Myanmar, Sri Lanka) Islam (Pakistan, Bangla Desh) and Hinduism (India) in the main. To define communal violence is not that difficult

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, former party General Secretary Prakash Karat, Politburo member Biman Bose and other leaders at the valedictory session of ‘Kolkata Plenum’in Kolkata. After the first general elections in independent India the then Communist Party of India emerged as the biggest opposition party. That was the time when in US McCarthyism was targeting the communists. In

The release of Shahrukh Khan’s film Dilwale (December 2015) was accompanied by protests by Shiv Sena and other Hindutva groups. These protests were supposedly against his comment on the growing intolerance in India. Shahrukh Khan; on the occasion of his fiftieth birthday few and that being non secular is the worst crime for a patriot. In response to this the Hindutva cabal descended on him and he