Vinith Kumar [This is part 1 of a series of essays on Dravidian politics today and its historical roots.] There are pessimists who say that there is no guarantee that victory will be followed by a New Order. There is perhaps room for this pessimism. The New Order, which is the ideal of labour, has …
How BJP ran TN without getting elected – the story before 2 May
Radhika Sudhakar The story of Tamil Nadu election 2021, as the election itself drew close, was judged by non-brahmins in the state as one that was not going to be who the winner is – the ruling party or the opposition, but the faceoff between the outgoing Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy vs BJP-backed-dy-CM-O …
The caste of election analysis
Bobby Kunhu “Christ is born, my wise Solomon, my wretched pen-pusher! Don´t go picking things over with a needle! Is He born or isn´t He? Of course He is born, don´t be daft. If you take a magnifying glass and look at your drinking water-an engineer told me this, one day – you´ll see, …
The fence-sitter of Tamil Nadu politics: Superstar Rajinikanth
Keerthi Nathan Tamil Nadu has a long history where Dravidian politics is associated with the Tamil cinema industry and they both go hand in hand because the Tamil film industry has produced three Chief Ministers. The trend started with M.Karunanidhi and CN Annadurai who were known for their acumen in script writing and continued the …
After a series of dismal performances, what is the future of Congress?
Keerthi Nathan The Mahagatbandhan alliance comprising of RJD, Congress and the Left parties have given a tough fight to the ruling NDA in the recently held elections in Bihar. Although the RJD has increased its vote share tremendously since last the general election held last year, it is the Congress which has been consistently underperforming …
COVID-19 and a more dangerous virus
Salman Farissi COVID-19 hit India in March 2020. Nationwide lockdown prohibited all forms of political or religious congregations. Protesters on the streets of India against CAA, NRC, and NPR retreated as responsible human beings but the deep state and the Indian state (RSS-BJP) seem to have been searching for their prey hiding in the lurches. …
Discipline and Punish: A History of Impalement in Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Umar Nizar The brutal murder of P. Jeyaraj and his son Beniks in police custody in Sathankulam in Tamil Nadu invokes the Nirbhaya case in its brutality, the only difference in this case being that the perpetrators were policemen. The atrocious and horrific nature of the torture and the brutalities inflicted upon the victims …
Coronavirus may leave soon, but when will the caste virus leave?
Keerthi Nathan During the first week of April, there was a news report about a man who was reportedly killed for allegedly marrying outside his caste. The incident was reported to have taken place in a village in Tiruvannamalai district in Tamil Nadu. This alleged honor killing was carried out when the state was amidst …
The Meteoric Rise of L. Murugan, the new BJP Chief of Tamil Nadu
Keerthi Nathan The past week, BJP unit of Tamil Nadu was suddenly brimming with a lot of activity after being dormant for a few months. Mr. L. Murugan had been appointed the President of the BJP State unit of TN much to everyone’s surprise. Mr. L. Murugan is also the Vice Chairman of the National …