New Delhi’s strategic concerns threaten to suck up all the oxygen in this borderland while pushing its people outside the frame.

In this issue

22-09-202334 STORIES

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‘A dumb buffalo speaks’: A Telugu story in translation

Translated from the Telugu by K. Purushotham.

Yendluri Sudhakar

‘The Dystopian Times’ by Appupen

Why India’s response to the China challenge in Ladakh is so lopsided

If New Delhi seems to be floundering without a clear policy, it is because it lacks a history of hard-nosed China policy formulation.

Rising student suicides shock Kota, India’s coaching capital

Nearly two dozen students have taken their lives in Kota in the past eight months. What’s killing them?

Ashutosh Sharma

Gadar 2: Regressive on morals, insured on mass culture

Unlike films like The Kerala Story, where the ideology is embedded in the drama, in Gadar 2, the ideology floats one layer above, focussed on adrenali

Prathyush Parasuraman

Why India is unable to curb inflation

The “business friendly” government appears unwilling to come down heavily on footloose speculators garnering quick gains.

C.P. Chandrasekhar

For Saudi Arabia, sport is the new oil

Turning the country into a global sporting hub, Mohammed bin Salman aims to diversify its economy and divert attention from its human rights record.

‘Photography is a reciprocal event’: Shahidul Alam

For the Bangladeshi photojournalist and activist, photography is a means to an end, and the end is to achieve social justice.

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The enduring relevance of Ladakh’s Goba tradition

There’s a growing call to recognise and adapt this age-old governance system for contemporary challenges.

Shrishtee Bajpai,Ashish Kothari

When democracy fails: Review of ‘Maoists and Government Welfare’ by Suparna Banerjee

In its sixth decade now, the Maoist insurgency has aspects that are perhaps more complicated than what the author proposes in this book.

Ashutosh Bhardwaj

GADGIL

The people’s conservationist: Review of ‘A Walk Up the Hill’ by Madhav Gadgil

The memoir comes at a time when a series of disasters in the Western Ghats are pointing insistently to the wisdom of the 2011 Gadgil committee report.

Ambedkar in the here and now

Two new biographies show how pragmatism and courage shaped Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.

Suryapratim Roy

A marred collection: Review of ‘Ecosophies of Freedom’

Neither the editors nor the contributors in this otherwise valuable collection seem to be aware of the rich legacy of “ecosophy”.

Lawrence Surendra

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Shadow pictures: Review of ‘The Secret of More’ by Tejaswini Apte-Rahm

With business and cinema at its core, this is a welcome addition to the small list of historical novels set in colonial Bombay but stops short.

Janhavi Acharekar

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‘I escape back to control and home’: Review of ‘Borderlines’ by Manohar Shetty

The subtle inflections of voice in Manohar Shetty’s latest anthology tease readers and leave them craving for more.

How Alia Bhatt’s modern woman reflects the time we live in

Bhatt has consistently found success by playing complex, relatable, and unsinkable women.

Ishita Sengupta

Ladakh’s struggle for identity and survival

With the Centre increasingly alienating Ladakhis, is this another storm waiting to burst?

Court nod for Bihar caste survey a shot in the arm for regional parties

The move can potentially reshape electoral dynamics as local parties can use it to counter BJP’s aggressive Kamandal-II strategy.

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Editor’s Note: New Delhi must see Ladakh beyond border security

The Centre’s focus on border security is putting the people and the environment of Ladakh at risk.

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‘Centre’s stance on Sixth Schedule and the demand for statehood is unclear’: Sajjad Kargili

Residents in both Leh and Kargil districts realise that unity is the way forward in Ladakh’s struggle for statehood, says the political activist.

Protests on the rise in Ladakh as push for statehood gains momentum

Ladakhis want greater autonomy and protection of their identity, amid centralisation of power and a tense border situation with China.

‘Ladakh administration is working in a better way’: Tarun Chugh

The BJP national general secretary claims that making Ladakh a Union Territory has contributed to the region’s economic and administrative well-being.

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New books on the shelves

Four generations of Punjabi writers in translation, a unique book on India’s political prisoners, and much more.

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Letters

Readers write in.

Science & Technology

ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 success is only the beginning

India’s historic soft-landing on the moon opens new doors to lunar exploration and scientific discovery.

T.S. Subramanian

Science & Technology

The unsung heroes behind ISRO’s successful moon landing

The success of Chandrayaan-3 is down to the hard work and vision of scientists who worked tirelessly after Chandrayaan-2’s failure.

T.S. Subramanian

Can Maldivian President Ibu Solih defy the odds and secure a second term?

The election comes at a time when Solih’s Maldivian Democratic Party, once a formidable force, has been fractured by a major split.

R.K. Radhakrishnan

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DMK Ministers in hot water as High Court orders review of acquittals

Taking suo motu notice of the corruption cases against the ministers, the judge alleges a ‘well-orchestrated pattern’ to secure their discharge.

Ilangovan Rajasekaran

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‘We need to find ways to strengthen farming’: Dhananjay Munde

The Agriculture Minister of Maharashtra discussed the State’s topography, protective schemes, and challenges concerning farmers.

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Maharashtra hunger games: Contentious coda to report takes over debate on farmer suicides

A proposal to replace farmer welfare schemes with cash grant has irked many amid findings that over 1 lakh farmers fall in the suicide-prone category.

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The Centre’s controversial makeover of crucial criminal codes can have far-reaching impacts

Decades of court rulings on IPC, Indian Evidence Act, and CrPC could be upended by the changes.

‘Nationalism has to be rational’: Shoojit Sircar

The director of Sardar Udham, which has won five National Film awards, talks about making a ‘nationalist’ film in an age of hyper-nationalism.

Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay

Champion of equality: Remembering Gail Omvedt’s legacy of scholarly activism

Omvedt devoted herself to the struggles of Dalit-Bahujans, farmers, and women in India. Today marks her second death anniversary.

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In a historic victory, Hakki Pikki, Iruliga tribes secure land ownership on the edge of Bannerghatta National Park

Over a hundred families of forest-dwelling communities secure title deeds after a six-decade-long struggle.

Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed

Archive

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