Both Ram and Ayodhya are centuries old, each with strong sagas of faith and fraternity, but both have been given a brash new coat of political paint ahead of the general election.

In this issue

09-02-202429 STORIES

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‘The Verdict’: A Tamil story in translation

Innocent young minds meet mixed messaging in schools. Will casteism triumph or be vanquished? Translated from the Tamil by Malini Seshadri.

The hype and hubris of Byju’s

The Learning Trap traces Byju Raveendran’s meteoric rise and inevitable fall but glosses over deep systemic challenges in India’s education sector.

When spectatorship becomes devotion

Does archiving a thing, preserving it, caging it in amber, take it outside of human activity and touch?

Prathyush Parasuraman

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New books on the shelves

A gripping historical drama set in colonial India, a diplomat’s eye-view of India-Pakistan ties, and much more.

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A ‘Vyapam’ in Maharashtra

Question paper leaks in almost every test conducted by the Eknath Shinde government draw parallels to the 2013 recruitment scam of Madhya Pradesh.

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Revisiting Kalki’s magnum opus Sivakamiyin Sabatham

Eighty years after its publication, the question about the possibility of keeping religion out of politics continues to trouble us.

Maharashtra Speaker’s decision on ‘real Shiv Sena’ is legally vulnerable

Did Speaker Rahul Narwekar misread the Supreme Court?

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Being Muslim in contemporary India

In his superb collection Namaste Trump and Other Stories, Tabish Khair nudges the reader to confront that experience.

That insect-trapped-in-amber feeling

At least six stories in For Now, It Is Night ought to be in literary curricula across India. But the stories speak of Kashmir, so it will not happen.

Aditya Mani Jha

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Songs of the saint

In the emended Kabir Granthawali, Purushottam Agrawal provides a scholarly introduction, making it an invaluable companion for researchers.

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Journey of love

An all-India march organised by the Indian People’s Theatre Association aims to counter hate with humanity.

Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed

A second scramble for independence in Sahel

The recent spate of coups is seen as a relief for the people, breaking away from governments that were influenced by foreign powers.

How a Madhya Pradesh tribe’s symbiotic relationship with nature is in peril

The government is pushing the Korkus out of their ancestral lands in an attempt to mainstream them.

Vrushal Pendharkar

Supreme Court nullifying remission orders for convicts in Bilkis Bano case is a course correction

The apex court order includes a scathing rebuke to the Gujarat government and underscores subversion of judicial process.

T.K. Rajalakshmi

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How suspension of cross-LoC trade shattered Uri’s economy

With businesses collapsing and families under debt, the abrupt freeze on cross-LoC trade in 2019 has thrown thousands of lives into a tailspin.

‘The Dystopian Times’ by Appupen

Letters

Readers respond.

Rahul Gandhi with supporters during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Mokokchung district, Nagaland, on January 18.

Can Congress set aside Ram mandir and reclaim its ground by reorganising, reuniting, and refocussing?

To mount a credible challenge, the party must reinvigorate its grassroots workers, forge strategic alliances, and focus on bread-and-butter issues.

Blow for Trinamool Congress in West Bengal as Minister arrested in Rs.10,000 crore PDS scam

The ruling party now faces the challenging task of defending itself against yet another corruption allegation.

Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay

Artists perform during a protest in Buenos Aires on January 10 against austerity measures proposed by President Javier Milei’s administration that include defunding cultural programmes.

The IMF’s ‘shock therapy’ in Argentina

Javier Milei’s right-wing government is implementing IMF-inspired austerity on middle and lower classes while offering tax concessions to the wealthy.

C.P. Chandrasekhar

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India-Maldives ties suffer unprecedented damage due to social media fracas

The result of the Male mayoral election, however, proves that anti-India rhetoric is not pre-eminent for Maldivian voters.

R.K. Radhakrishnan

The idea of Ram, and the idea of India

Those using Ram as a political mascot must consider how their actions impact the ideals of an inclusive, democratic and just society India aims to be.

Purushottam Agrawal

Ram Lalla and the infantilisation of Hinduism

There is no evidence of Ram Lalla in Hindu mythology. It was created by the RSS and VHP to wage a war against Muslims for real or imagined injustices.

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Ram temple inauguration marks the start of an oppressive order

This shatters Hinduism’s age-old pluralistic, democratic spirit, birthing a singular, ominous force.

How the Ramjanmabhoomi movement fuelled BJP’s rise and reshaped India’s political landscape

It is also the story of the decline of the Congress, and the Muslim community’s silent struggles as India grapples with its secular identity.

Ayodhya’s new avatar

Against an opulent Ram temple, Ayodhya is brimming over with a new and brash brew of faith, politics, and commerce.

Ashutosh Sharma

Editor’s Note: Ram temple and the politicisation of faith

As celebrations erupt, one must scrutinise the carefully cultivated display of religious pride and exploitation of sentiments for political gain.

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Ustad Rashid Khan (1968-2023): Maestro whose music transcended time and genre

His voice and rendition were an integration of the best values of the past masters of his gharana.

Ustad Rashid Khan (1968-2023): A voice that bridged generations

His artistry, a contemporary embrace of tradition, resonated with a generation of music enthusiasts. Hindustani music will feel his absence forever.

Archive

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+ READ THIS ISSUE 19-04-2024

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