For An Informed Ambedkar Age
by Thamburaj Dharmaraj The assignment is of performing the story of Ambedkar in a folk art form, shadow puppetry. Shadow puppet theatre is widely held in the southern districts of Tamilnadu. Though it is prevalent in most of the South Asian countries it is habitually getting ostracized in the villages and performance opportunity is on …
Karukku enabled me to build my confidence and hope, Bama Faustina tells Tulsi Badrinath. Excerpts from a conversation. In Karukku you described yourself thus ‘I am like a bird whose wings were broken’. Twenty years later, in the second edition of the English translation, you describe yourself as ‘a falcon that treads the air, high …
Gail Omvedt [An excerpt from the chapter ‘The Background to Buddhism’ in her book, ‘Buddhism in India: Challenging Brahmanism and Caste’] Indian Brahmans as they have evolved over the centuries represent one of the most unique elites that any society has produced. They trace their origins back to Vedic times, where they were priests …
[This document elucidates the political programme of the Shoshit Samaj Dal, which is working chiefly to promote the cause of social justice, with specific emphasis on representation for the pasmanda sections, dalits and backward castes, among Muslims- Round Table India] Translation by Khalid Anis Ansari Shoshit Samaj Dal Campaign for Pasmanda Revolution Everyone …
by Madhuri Xalxo [In his letter declining the Gandhi Foundation award, Dr Binayak Sen refers to the protest against the award nomination, and Madhuri Xalxo responds to it- Round Table India] “The original citation of the Gandhi International Peace Award when it came, was a surprise, as I on my own had never claimed to …
Sukhadeo Thorat WITH a rapid scaling down of our tiny public sector due to privatisation and increasing withdrawal of the state under the impact of liberalisation, serious concern has been expressed about the fate of the present public sector reservation policy. Because of indirect and backdoor de-reservation, there is a growing demand for some sort …
‘The myth of Durga and the saga of Bahujan resistance’ Bahujan Films This short documentary (posted at the end of this note) named ‘Durga ka Mithak aur Bahujan Sangharsh ki Yatra‘ has its genesis in the OBC students of the country’s premier university, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, asserting their right to redefine the brahminical …
by Rupesh Kumar Inter-caste marriage and its ramifications in a caste society are at once personal and political for me. As a Dalit man married to a Nair woman, that too in a Hindu style wedding, I am faced with a number of complex issues, including questions about my political stands, from dalits as well …
Dinesh Maurya Earlier Forbesganj (Arariya, Bihar) and recently Nalanda (in Bihar) and Paramakudi (Tamil Nadu) are some examples of atrocities on the oppressed people directly involving the state machinery in the name of law and order. But before going into details, it is first necessary to know what does atrocity mean? The term atrocity, …