The five upcoming State elections are widely seen as key to setting the broader narrative for the general election next year.

In this issue

20-10-202333 STORIES

State elections will test the waters for 2024 Lok Sabha race

Caste, gender, and religion come into play as parties woo voters in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram.

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Sanatana Dharma’s historical roots reveal a complex journey

A pivotal force in the construction of Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma was shaped by colonialism, reform movements, and socio-religious ideologies.

Can the INDIA coalition revive social justice politics to counter Hindutva?

It can transcend “social engineering” by substantively engaging marginalised social groups in economic and political processes.

Harish S. Wankhede

At a bell metal production unit, called gorsal or sal, in Sarthebari. Here, bell metal scrap is being heated in a glass-shaped cast iron vessel (muhi) inside a heat chamber. The liquid metal is then shaped into small discs (gola) in a clay bowl (aak).

The bells of Sarthebari

The death knell might be sounding for Assam’s bell metal industry, which urgently needs a helping hand to ring new life into it.

Rajinikanth’s fans celebrating his latest film, Jailer, with a cut-out of the actor inside a cinema hall in Mumbai.

How ‘reaction videos’ shed light on society’s collective consciousness

These cinematic spectacles are shaping our public sphere and redefining the essence of citizenship.

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Exhibition at Metropolitan Museum of Art showcases the impact of Buddhist art on southern India

Tree & Serpent, an ongoing exhibition at the New York museum, tells the story of how Buddhist art transformed the early landscape of South India.

Shreevatsa Nevatia

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In Telangana, it’s advantage BRS

K. Chandrashekar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi has Telangana in its firm grip, while the Congress and BJP scramble to keep up.

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ZPM emerges as main challenger to ruling MNF in Mizoram election

In a state with a history of two-party rule, ZPM emerges as alternative for young voters.

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Letters

Readers respond.

‘The Dystopian Times’ by Appupen

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New books on the shelves

An environmental novel about tiger conservation, the first volume of a Chief Minister’s memoir, and much more.

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Farmers’ issues take centre stage in Madhya Pradesh’s bipolar battle

Both the BJP and Congress have centred campaigns on economic handouts, agrarian challenges, and a spectrum of Hindutva sentiments.

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Editor’s Note: State elections a bellwether for 2024

Despite the divisiveness, there are still signs of hope.

‘Development, not revadi’: BJP leader V.D. Sharma

The party unit chief in Madhya Pradesh believes that the government’s pro-poor initiatives will ensure the BJP gets another term.

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Science & Technology

2023 Laskar Award for predicting the 3D structure of proteins using AI

Ineffectiveness of blue light filters in glasses, carbon in Europa’s moon, and more.

R. Ramachandran

Kailash Meghwal: ‘The only ideology of parties is to wrest power’

The former Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly said he was a victim of the factionalism within the BJP.

T.K. Rajalakshmi

Will Gehlot’s welfare schemes become a game-changer for Congress in Rajasthan?

With a divided BJP struggling to unite its leadership, and the Congress banking on welfare schemes, the electoral outcome remains uncertain.

T.K. Rajalakshmi

Kamal Nath: ‘People will run bulldozer over the BJP’

The former Chief Minister says that the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election will be fought on livelihood issues.

‘We are what we have lost’: Review of ‘Icelight’ by Ranjit Hoskote

Ranjit Hoskote’s latest collection of poems, a deeply felt reflection on the ecological crisis, is haunting with its urgency and hope.

The Hitler years: Review of ‘Travellers in The Third Reich’ by Julia Boyd

A gripping collection of reports by mostly Anglophone travellers in Germany between the two world wars, trace the rise of Hitler and Nazism.

Annadurai in English: Review of ‘Help Me with This Tricky Case’ by C.N. Annadurai

The former Chief Minister’s social beliefs, based on reason rather than unquestioning acceptance, shine through in this lucid translation of stories.

Young Indian parents are losing their children to foster care abroad

Children are being separated from their parents on grounds of “incompetent parenting”. But this is perilous.

T.K. Rajalakshmi

In Chhattisgarh, Baghel’s Congress campaigns on caste and soft Hindutva

The BJP has a 69-point charge sheet against the ruling Congress government but no clear edge.

Ashutosh Sharma

Why do we want to militarise our gods?

Is it a cultural anxiety expressed through violence? Or do we simply imitate our cinematic heroes, who often portray gods as warriors?

Prathyush Parasuraman

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How one film studio helped shape Indian cinema: Review of ‘Bombay Talkies’

A new book blends images with text to tell the story of the studio, which made entertaining movies with socially relevant messages.

Malavika Karlekar

The art of foraging: How indigenous people can be the influencers we need

Foraging, which is a part of the received wisdom of many indigenous communities, can offer a sustainable solution to the inevitable food crisis.

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Many tongues, one voice: Review of ‘Under the Bhasha Gaze’ by P.P. Raveendran

An essential text in the study of Indian literature, English translation, comparative literature, and cultural studies.

Breaking barricades: Review of ‘Body on the Barricades’ by Brahma Prakash

A critique of cultures of protest, oppression, and power across time and space in India.

Kalpana Kannabiran

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Mystery of the miscellaneous: Review of ‘Sakina’s Kiss’ by Vivek Shanbhag

When a talented novelist like Vivek Shanbhag encounters a translator like Srinath Perur, the fiction that emerges is capable of leaving a global mark.

India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor: A passage of possibilities

It unites the EU and seven other countries, but tensions simmer between Mediterranean rivals Greece and Türkiye.

Iftikhar Gilani

Higher education in limbo as Governor and government battle over universities in West Bengal

The clash has not only exposed the fragility of Bengal’s education system but also jeopardised its future.

Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay

A closer look at the India-Canada diplomatic fallout over Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s charges against India threaten to undermine a key strategic partnership.

Activists of women’s organisations demonstrating outside Parliament in support of the Women’s Reservation Bill on July 14, 1998.

Women’s reservation: A law on paper, but a reality far away

Implementation of reservation of seats for women in Parliament and State Assemblies will have to wait for the Census and a delimitation exercise.

Archive

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