কলকাতায় অলিগলিতে গজিয়ে ওঠা সুসজ্জিত রেস্তোরাঁ, কফিশপ অনেকের কাছেই কাজ, নিজস্ব সময়, প্রিয়জনদের সঙ্গে সময় কাটানোর জায়গা। সুস্বাদু, ভালো মানের খাবার ও পানীয় বাড়তি আকর্ষণ। সেখানেই যদি এভাবে ধীরে ধীরে ব্রাহ্মণ্যবাদ, খাবারের রাজনীতি, জাতি-বর্ণের স্টিরিওটাইপ মাথাচাড়া দিয়ে ওঠে তাহলে তাকে প্রশ্ন করতে থাকা আজকের ভারতবর্ষে দাঁড়িয়ে সময়ের দাবি। সুদর্শনা চক্রবর্তীর প্রতিবেদন। খাস কলকাতায় এক […]
In the second part of his two-part essay, Zeeshan Husain looks at the position of women in India from AD 600-1750, focusing on historian Irfan Habib’s “Medieval India: The Study of a Civilisation” (2007), and AS Altekar’s, “The Position of Women in Hindu Civilization”. Habib divides this period into three parts — early medieval India […]
Last week, protests erupted across Maharashtra alleging police inaction and casteism by Government medical officers in an incident of gang-rape and subsequent death of a 19-year old Dalit woman. The alleged rape happened in the Chembur area of Mumbai, and a case has been filed against 4 accused at the Chunabhatti police station. After major […]
In a 2-part essay, Zeeshan Husain looks at the interplays of castes and gender from AD 600-1750, focusing on historian Irfan Habib’s Medieval India: The Study of a Civilisation (2007). Habib divides this period into three parts — early medieval India (AD 600–1200), India under the Sultanates (AD 1200–1500), and Mughal India (AD 1500–1750) — and […]
“Although there is no comparison between Article 15 and Pa Ranjith’s Kaala, but still, it is tempting to look into their ways of direction because these two are the only Bollywood films in recent times, having Bahujan issues as the main theme. Unlike Article 15, in Kaala, Dalits are not always dirty and helpless, waiting […]
In these times when the entire nation is reeling under severe attacks from the dominant classes, “I would like to remind the young generation of today including myself, that we have to remember the dream of our great Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar to create a society that is without caste and without ignorance. And to this […]
In order to decide the meaning of ‘Economic Backwardness’, Modi Government set up no Commission, or undertake any comprehensive study across the country, unlike what the apex court had stipulated in the Indra Sawhney case (1992). But the present arbitrariness of a blanket 8 lakh per annum slab for economic backwardness for the ‘forward classes’ […]
10th January marks the martyrdom of Bhagwat Jhadhav, the first martyr of the Dalit Panthers Movement, a militant anti-caste struggle that shook Maharashtra during the 70s. Like every year, several anti-caste, cultural organisations and political parties including the Kabir Kala Manch, Samta Kala Manch, Republican Panthers and the Republican Party of India organised meetings in […]
On the day when millions of workers across the country struck for Minimum Wage, the Parliament almost unanimously passed the 124th Constitution Amendment Bill, introducing reservation for the socially and educationally forward classes. Coming to be called the ‘Upper Caste Quota Bill’ in common parlance, this Bill is being seen as Modi Government’s last minute […]
An eight year old Madarsa student was killed in Delhi on October 25th, and his death has been variously narrated as a lynching, or as a scuffle between minor boys. Azram Rahman Khan traces a pre-history of hate that contributed towards this unfortunate incident. The tragic death of Mohammad Azeem, an 8 year-old student […]
In his book Karmayog, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks of manual scavenging as a ‘spiritual experience’. He gives this sermon even while manual scavenging is banned by law in India. At least one person dies every day while cleaning sewers and septic tanks. Besides risk to human health and life the occupation employing thousands of […]
A new choreography by a Chennai-based dancer speaks of caste-oppression and honour killing in Tamil Nadu, addressing the contemporary socio-political issue in a straightforward manner. How severe is the truth underlying the content of this work? Madhushree Teenda Teenda In travel advertisements, the image of Indian culture is often represented by a smiling Bharatanatyam dancer, […]
United Against Hate is a citizens’ initiative against the rising hate crimes and communal-casteist violence rampant in the country today. This platform was formed in Delhi in August 2017 and since have been running campaigns, meetings and protest demonstrations against various such cases of atrocities. GroundXero sits down for an interview with Nadeem Khan and […]
সম্প্রতি সুপ্রিম কোর্ট প্রিভেনশন অফ অ্যাট্রোসিটি অ্যাক্ট বিষয়ক এক মামলার রায় দিতে গিয়ে বলে, আপাতগ্রাহ্য সাক্ষ্যপ্রমাণ না থাকলে অভিযুক্তের আগাম জামিন মঞ্জুর হতে পারে। প্রধানত এই রায়ের বিরুদ্ধে এবং ২রা এপ্রিল গ্রেফতার হওয়া দলিত-আদিবাসী মুক্তির দাবিতে পয়লা মে পালিত হল ‘প্রতিরোধ দিবস’। গ্রাউন্ডজিরো: ‘জাতীয় প্রতিরোধ দিবস‘ পালিত হল। দলিত ও আদিবাসীদের বিরুদ্ধে অত্যাচার নিরোধক আইনটিকে […]
Abhishek Bhattacharyya Prof Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd, now Chairman of T-MASS, or ‘Telangana Mass and Social Organizations,’ appears to have put behind him the recent spike in threats to his life, and is very busy with travel and various meetings. I learn from him of a celebration organised here in Hyderabad by KVPS (Kula Vivaksha Vyatireka […]