The release of the Bihar caste survey report, which puts the State’s backward castes at 63.14 per cent, threatens the BJP’s carefully nurtured “Hindutva unity” and brings caste right back into the political fray.

In this issue

03-11-202335 STORIES

Why large dams spell doom for Arunachal Pradesh

Himalayan States have a history of opposing their government’s decision to undertake construction projects for big dams.

Anusua Mukherjee

‘Culture plays a vital role in cultivation’: Swati Nayak

The scientist and Norman E. Borlaug Award recipient discusses climate change, high-yielding seed varieties, landraces, and more.

Aishwarya Mohanty

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How a hydropower project threatens the wildlife of Arunachal Pradesh

With its renewed clearances, the project raises red flags as the eco-sensitive region is home to at least two species of critically endangered birds.

Rishika Pardikar

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Bihar’s caste survey can spark a new political consciousness

It can empower the communities to demand transformative reforms in social justice policies.

Harish S. Wankhede

Activists hold placards against poverty and climate change on the first day of the Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank, in Marrakech on October 9.

How IMF and World Bank need a redesign, not just reform

A new international financial order governed by democratically operating institutions is the need of the hour.

C.P. Chandrasekhar

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Science & Technology

The 2023 Nobel Prize for Medicine is a thumbs up for basic science research

The award for work enabling the development of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine underscores the importance of a neglected field.

Partha P. Majumder

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M.S. Swaminathan (1925-2023): The Rice man of India

Despite his share of controversies, the father of the Green Revolution was responsible for averting a mass famine in the newly independent India.

Devinder Sharma

Melded in Malaysia: Review of ‘My Mother Pattu’ by Saras Manickam

Stories that explore the everyday experiences of the Indian diaspora in Malaysia and question our notions of belonging and otherness.

Forest in the heart: Review of ‘I Named My Sister Silence’ by Manoj Rupda

Manoj Rupda’s sharp insights into the ground realities of Adivasi life, coupled with his style and wit, make this an extraordinary novel.

Aditya Mani Jha

Breaking free: Review of ‘Subversive Whispers’ by Manasi

In these unabashedly feminist stories, women walk away from patriarchal strictures and binaries, refusing to be seen as either goddess or whore.

Congress party chairperson Sonia Gandhi with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, and Telangana party chief Revanth Reddy during the “Vijayabheri Maharally”, in Ranga Reddy on September 17.

Telangana might deliver the most significant result in the State elections

If the Congress lives up to the buzz it has created on the ground, it can actually defeat the BRS.

Bihar caste survey results challenge BJP’s Hindutva unity narrative

The survey catapults OBCs into mainstream political discourse again. And this could change Indian politics profoundly.

Siddaramaiah on the horns of a dilemma over caste survey in Karnataka

The findings could shake up Lingayat and Vokkaliga political dominance.

Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed

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Editor’s Note: Can India’s Davids overcome the Goliath of caste?

At the very least, a caste survey can spur the most underprivileged to unite and fight for a fair share of resources.

Akhilesh Yadav: ‘Reservation has to be on the basis of caste, not poverty’

The president of the Samajwadi Party believes a caste census would lead to equal opportunity and representation in politics and policymaking.

The struggle for social representation in education and employment

Without addressing structural inequities and ensuring secure employment opportunities, increasing quotas alone won’t bridge the gap.

T.K. Rajalakshmi

‘Pasmandas should not be taken for granted’: Ali Anwar Ansari

The head of the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz says that the Bihar caste survey has demolished the myth of Muslims being a monolithic community.

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What purpose do war memorials serve?

Be it Gaza, No Man’s Land, or Kargil, the wounds of war linger beyond the site of impact, always.

Prathyush Parasuraman

Will the BJP implement the Rohini Commission report?

The report could result in dominant OBC castes losing reservation benefits. The Modi government may not want to antagonise the communities.

Conflating Hinduism with Vedic religion is a dangerous distortion

It will wipe out internal debate and reformist tendencies within the tradition.

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Letters

Readers respond.

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Corbett tales: Review of ‘Hero of Kumaon’ by Duff Hart-Davis

This new book on Jim Corbett should hopefully help new fans set off on a discovery of his thrilling jungle stories.

Shekar Dattatri

History cannot be recast: Review of ‘Our History, Their History, Whose History?’ by Romila Thapar

A boon for those who question so-called historians merely fantasising about the past and present only what they would like to believe happened.

Parsing judgments: Review of ‘Unsealed Covers’ by Gautam Bhatia

Gautam Bhatia’s interrogation of judicial power is imbued with a passion for constitutionalism.

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New books on the shelves

Taslima Nasrin’s poetry in translation, two critiques of the Indian Constitution, and much more.

What does the AIADMK-BJP split mean for the future of Tamil Nadu politics?

A closer look at the events leading up to the split reveals a complex web of power dynamics and ideological differences.

R.K. Radhakrishnan

Buddha, Bollywood-style: Review of ‘Siddhartha’ by Advait Kottary

Siddhartha emerges from cluelessness and blunders into enlightenment in this bombastic reimagining of the Buddha’s life.

‘The Dystopian Times’ by Appupen

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‘A Herd of Men’: A Tamil story in translation

Translated from the Tamil by V. Ramakrishnan.

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The Gaza crisis was a ticking time bomb

Fuelled by incendiary Israeli ministers, extremist settler violence, and an eager-to-war Hamas, it was waiting for a spark.

How Karnataka’s maths reflect the interplay of power, piety, and politics

The symbols of Lingayat power now stand poised to become political tools for Scheduled Caste status.

Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed

Is this Mandal 2.0?

Bihar caste survey results may boost demand for national caste census, but OBC divisions could limit electoral impact.

Sanjay Kumar,Aadyot Prakash

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Paranjoy Guha Thakurta: ‘Unfortunately, a large section of the media has stopped asking difficult questions’

The veteran scribe believes the crackdown on NewsClick would have a chilling impact on journalists who believe in asking questions freely and fairly.

Ashutosh Sharma

Crackdown on NewsClick signals erosion of democratic values

Is the government exploiting anti-terrorism laws to silence dissent?

Ashutosh Sharma

Journalists staging a protest against the arrest of NewsClick founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha and its administrative officer Amit Chakravarty on terrorism-related charges at the Press Club of India, in New Delhi on October 4.

Assault on NewsClick marks the lowest point for media freedom in India since Emergency

So, what must be done?

Archive

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