For An Informed Ambedkar Age
Rahul Sonpimple Charisma is elusive yet the most common term to define leadership. Charismatic leadership is usually perceived as essential and assenting, specifically in politics. However, the history of charismatic leadership may not allow one to continue with such romanticism. Nazism led by Hitler and Italian Fascism led by Mussolini are the two most discussed …
Rahul Sonpimple “The emancipation of the working classes must be conquered by the working classes themselves” Marx wrote in 1864 as the first principle of the self-emancipation of the proletariat. He was convinced, however, Indian upper caste Marxists are still not. When Ambedkar pushed for the Poona Pact in 1932, demanding separate electorates for …
Rahul Sonpimple I was told that I couldn’t rent the bicycle that day. All entries to our basti (slum) were blocked by the police. I was eighteen then. I insisted, but Namdeo, the cycle wala (shop owner), didn’t even bother to look at me and hurriedly shut the shop. With all his ferocity and …
Rahul Sonpimple (This is the text of his speech on the theme ‘Undoing the Dominant Narrative’ delivered at the SIO national conference on February 23rd, 2018. It was transcribed by Sumeet Samos) Jai Bhim to all the participants, friends, elders, women and student representatives on behalf of my organization BAPSA. Tonight, I speak here not …
Round Table India In this episode of the Ambedkar Age, Round Table India talks to Rahul Sonpimple, leader of BAPSA (Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association), an active political platform of Bahujan students. In the interview, Rahul shares his experiences & views on a variety of subjects–from his childhood in a Nagpur slum, his early …
[Via Rahul Sonpimple] We, the nine suspended students of JNU spoke with the Press at the Press Club of India, on the issue of social justice. Below is the press release of all the events and the movement for social justice. We the undersigned students of JNU wish to bring it to the public …
C Ahamed Fayiz “It is your claim to equality which hurts them. They want to maintain the status quo. If you maintain your lowly status ungrudgingly, continue to remain dirty, filthy, backward, ignorant, poor and disunited, they will allow you to live in peace. The moment you start raising your level, the conflict starts”. …
Dhrubo Jyoti I have never been a big fan of presidential-style debates or Jawaharlal Nehru University. The former almost always reduces social justice to grandstanding and the number of hunger strikes while the latter takes itself too seriously as the citadel of equality, never mind the festering casteism, sexism and homophobia. Therefore, when I …
Rahul Punaram Sompimple (Following is a rough transcription and translation of Rahul Sonpimple’s speech for the Presidentital election at JNUSU delivered on 8th September, 2016. Parts of the speech had to be omitted owing to lack of a fully audible video and disturbances) {youtube}zh5Dt3Ee1eI{/youtube} To all the people that have come here for the …