What lies behind the resistance to re-examining India’s dominant political and intellectual narratives? In the second part of his follow-up essay series on the politics of minority-progressive-celebrities (MPCs), Sriram Chellapilla questions the assumptions surrounding Hindu reform, religious supremacism and the alleged threat to the Constitution. He challenges the selective scrutiny of Hindu history, examines the ideological leanings of India’s media and cultural establishment, and questions who gets to decide what constitutes intellectual credibility. Moving beyond familiar political labels, the article makes a case for independent scholarship, intellectual scepticism and a willingness to confront uncomfortable questions.
Latest Posts
Conditioned Responses (Part 1): The ‘Secularist’ Reflex
In this follow-up to his essay series on the politics of minority-progressive-celebrities (MPCs), Sriram Chellapilla examines the conditioned responses that, he argues, constrain public debate on communalism and secularism in India. He challenges prevailing assumptions about Hinduphobia, minority appeasement, Bollywood’s cultural influence and the equation of Hinduism with Hindutva. Tracing the political and cultural roots of these narratives, the article calls for even-handed scrutiny of religious extremism and a more honest engagement with Hindu concerns. It argues that genuine pluralism requires open debate, not ideological labels that silence dissent.
Learning Was More Than Remembering: How Indian Traditions Disciplined the Act of Knowing
What can India’s ancient traditions of learning teach us about the art of truly knowing? Rajat Kanti Satpati explores how Vedic recitation, Upaniṣadic inquiry and Yogic practice trained the faculties of hearing, memory, reflection and sustained attention. From the precision of oral transmission to the contemplation of the Self, the article examines how knowledge moves beyond mere retention towards deeper understanding. Though rooted in distinct intellectual traditions, these practices share a recognition that learning requires disciplined engagement. Ultimately, the essay presents knowledge not merely as information to be acquired, but as a capacity cultivated through practice.
The Architecture of Division: Rwanda, Caste and the Colonial State
How did a society deeply shaped by Christianity descend into genocide, with churches themselves becoming sites of massacre? Anjali George examines Rwanda’s tragic history, tracing how colonial racial theories, rigid identity classifications and shifting institutional alliances helped turn social divisions into instruments of violence. Drawing parallels with India, the article questions how political and religious institutions can perpetuate the very divisions they claim to transcend. It warns that when identity becomes a tool of political power, grievance can harden into hostility and exclusion. Rwanda’s history offers a sobering lesson on the dangers of weaponising social categories in the pursuit of institutional and political dominance.
Hanuman, Bhakthi, and the Miraculous Story of Flydubai Captain Smit Machchar
What happens when extraordinary events awaken an ancient faith in the modern world? Through personal testimony, Hanuman’s enduring presence in popular culture, and the story of a pilot who invoked the deity in a moment of crisis, Vamsee Juluri reflects on the power of bhakti to transcend the limits of human agency. The essay explores how faith, memory and the possibility of grace shape our understanding of life, while revealing unexpected bonds across religious and cultural divides. Ultimately, it asks us to see beyond cynicism and rediscover gratitude, hope and our shared humanity.