Founding Editor: Daya Varma (1929-2015)
Editors: Vinod Mubayi (New York) and Raza Mir (New Jersey).
Editorial Board: Ram Puniyani and Irfan Engineer (Mumbai); Pervez Hoodbhoy (Islamabad); Dolores Chew (Montreal); Vamsi Vakulabharanam (Amherst); Ajay Bhardwaj (Vancouver).
Circulation/website: Feroz Mehdi (On behalf of Alternatives, Montreal).
EDITORIAL: THE FASCIST ASSAULT ON KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTIONS IN THE US INCLUDES GESTAPO-STYLE RAIDS
Vinod Mubayi
All fascist and proto-fascist regimes begin with an attack on knowledge and on the institutions whose raison d’etre is to develop, nurture, and advance knowledge. The Trump administration’s assault on leading US universities and, in particular, their students and faculty who happen to oppose US government policies and use the rights granted under the First Amendment to express their views falls squarely in this tradition. The U.S. government, both under Biden and more so under Trump, is the main supporter of Israel and the supplier of most of its bombs and other military hardware.
Read more…AMBIGUITY OF A LEGACY
Ranabir Samaddar
The problem of a legacy is that while it can be broken down to measurable parts and is usually broken down in that manner, to grasp the problematic of legacy it necessary to recompose these parts into an organic, systematic, and logical overview. The idea of legacy is of course proprietorial. We think of legacy papers, valuation, and finally and most importantly, the time.
Read more…SYMBOLIC VIOLENCE IN INDIA 2024: STEPS TOWARDS SAFFRON STATE
Irfan Engineer, Neha Dabhade, Mithila Raut
In 2024, symbolic violence in India was notably expressed through efforts to progressively cleanse India of its Islamic and Christian influences. They intend to assert the dominance of upper caste Hindu culture. India’s heritage and cultural legacy is rich and diverse, shaped by centuries of syncretism that has manifested in its monuments, architecture, rituals, festivals, music, art, and literature.
Read more…SAMYUKT KISAN MORCHA (SKM) PRESS RELEASE – 15TH MARCH 2025
SKM strongly condemns the dastardly act of up police in covering 189 mosques with tarpaulin on the occasion of holi celebrations
Read more…STRIVING TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY: VALUES OF CONSTITUTION
Ram Puniyani
The V Dem observations about India as reported in The Hindu points out “Noting that almost all components of democracy were getting worse in more countries than they were getting better, the report singled out freedom of expression, clean elections, and freedom of association/civil society as the three worst affected components in autocratising countries.”
Read more…THE US GOVERNMENT HAS SENT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY A RANSOM NOTE
Sheldon Pollock
Like a mob boss, the government threatens to cut off two of the university’s fingers: academic freedom and faculty governance
Read more…EMPURAAN: WHY A FILM THAT CRITIQUES POWER CHOSE TO CUT ITSELF SHORT
C.S. Venkiteswaran
The controversies surrounding the film L2: Empuraan have been raging for the past few weeks, polarising film lovers, Mohanlal fans, and political parties.
Read more…THE GAZA APOCALYPSE AND INDIA’S GUILT
Harsh Mander
Among the Narendra Modi regime’s gravest moral and political transgressions is its support of Israel’s genocidal war and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people in Gaza
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