#India

Feb 24, 2021
5 min

Why we should dissolve Puducherry

It makes little sense to continue administering a three pronged entity tied together by a vague “French” cultural identity. V. Naraynaswamy of Indian National Congress, the now-former Puducherry Chief Minister who lost the trust vote in what is likely action imitated by the BJP. The V. Naraynaswamy Government of Puducherry officially fell today (22/02/2021), after multiple MLAs resigned from the 33-member Legislative Assembly. This comes after high drama over the supposed def

May 29, 2020
3 min

China: A paper tiger? [Guest Post]

China has recently heightened its rhetoric against Taiwan and has moved against Hong Kong’s autonomy, while initiating a standoff against India. What explains these moves? Is China and the Chinese President Xi Jinping as strong as they appear? Rohit writes. Written by Rohit79564935 Xi Jinping recently asked the Chinese Army to be ready for worst-case scenario. China has an old habit of trying to rake up foreign affairs, national security and create war like hysteria to distra

Jun 3, 2017
8 min

The case against “The case against abolitionists”

Or alternatively, “An abolitionist’s case against triple talaq”/a response article to an article advocating the retention of triple talaq. This article is the definite case of triple talaq apologia that has sprouted out many a times from many in the wake of the triple talaq debate. Just a day before, Manu Joseph wrote an article on how triple talaq is not really that different from how “modern couples” split. The former article advocates the promotion of “community rights” ov

May 27, 2017
2 min

No beef hasn’t been banned.

The recent notification by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has run into controversy as it restricts the sale of cattle slaughter in animal markets. In response to the rules, Kerala (with a communist government) has called it a “neo-fascist” move to turn India into a “Hindu Rashtra”, as it bans beef. Well, a close reading of the rules notified – “Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 “ Betrays that beef has not

Apr 24, 2017
4 min

No easy fights

Some perspective & opinion in the aftermath of the Sukma Encounter: The way forward and what can be done. “They were around 300 & we were around 150, we kept firing. I shot 3-4 Naxals in the chest”: CRPF Braveheart Sher Mohammed injured in the Sukma encounter today. The recent attacks by Maoists is just another witness to their barbarity. There is no doubt that these terrorists should be wiped out from our country. But to arrive at snap judgements at the effectiveness of Anti

Apr 23, 2017
3 min

Journalism, Ethics and the Media.

Some thoughts on a recent non-disclosure by a leading Newspaper and the reaction of the Journalist in question on Social Media. A preliminary basis for a future open letter. Watch this space. The role that media has in a democracy is of utmost importance. The media what holds the Government, The politicians and indeed, the State accountable to its citizens. I am no one to pontificate my opinion and write on the necessity of free and unbiased media in a democracy, as enough an

Apr 15, 2017
3 min

Sedition,Tweets and journalism.

Some thoughts on the recent “controversy” Gautam Gambhir’s tweet. The tweet in question: The reaction to this tweet by journalists in the mainstream media is duplicity and two-facedness personified. What Gambhir portrayed the Indian Flag as - in a very aggressive manner, as a symbol of anger, that of a warning, may not be palatable to all. There might be people who are genuinely distressed and angered by the comparison of the white colour in our flag representing a shroud. Ho

Apr 13, 2017
2 min

How the Chhit is funded

Since The Wire has transparently displayed their source of funding, I have decided to do the same for my Blog: The Foundation for Independent (Non-Spin, Non- aligned, Non-Partisan, Pro- Communist) Blogging that publishes The Chhit, is pleased to announce the receipt of Rs 1.95 rupees from the Independent and Public Spirited Blogging Foundation (aka CPI(M)) in the form of a grant (collected from party workers in Kerala) commencing April 2017. From its inception till now, the

Apr 9, 2017
4 min

What you think is not the last word on things.

Written in response to “The cow is not our mother, Hindutva means nothing to us”: A devout and ‘proud’ Malayali Hindu” This article was published as the response of those belonging to Hindu Community of Kerala. I deconstruct it and decipher it. Written as “A devout and ‘proud’ Malayali Hindu” Certain ignorant fundamentalists now in power should understand this before targeting Malayalees for their defiance against myths of Akhand Bharat and the beliefs of north. I’m sorry, bu

Mar 29, 2017
3 min

A welcome break for Kerala

The Transport Minister of Kerala Shri A.K. Saseendran resigned on Sunday, just hours after a newly launched private channel aired an alleged obscene/lewd conversation with a woman who had approached the minister for registering a complaint. A congressman from his student life, he has been a prominent face in Kerala Politics for more than 30 years. When Sharad Pawar rebelled against Sonia Gandhi’s stewardship in the late 90s, he too joined the Nationalist Congress Party, whic

Mar 25, 2017
4 min

Meat shops, Kebabs and a massacre

Some thoughts on March 23. // A paean to Indian Secularism. On 23 March, 2003, 24 people were lined up and shot, somewhere in India. The victims included 11 men, 11 women and 2 children, including a 2 year old child. Killed in cold blood. Killed by extremists. Killed for their religion. But in India, as a relative wryly observed, we have no value for human life. Massacres, Murders, Rapes, and assaults happen so regularly that we’re numb to the pain, the devastation and despai

Mar 24, 2017
4 min

Reviewing Public Sector Employment in Kerala

The Public Sector is no longer the primary employer in the organized sector. I had written an article on Swarajya almost a month ago, about PSUs in Kerala and how Public Sector Employment is viewed in the state. I had briefly reviewed the burden that is being created on the state for the unreasonable number of ‘employment opportunities’ that were being ‘created’. After the release of Kerala’s Economic Review for the last Financial Year (2015–16), one can have a more through r

Mar 18, 2017
3 min

Explaining Electoral Success

The UP Electoral results have shown how unreliable and partisan Political Journalism is. To rely on ex-post facto judgments of Why BJP succeeded would be wrong. As is after every election, a host of articles have appeared in online news portals to explain the electoral success of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, and attempts to explain why this was not “observable” by “journalists” on the ground. BJP’s success has stunned everyone, themselves, even. I, of course do not expect Journa

Dec 20, 2016
3 min

A tribute to the Cholas :An Introduction A little over 10 months ago, I published a small article…

A tribute to the Cholas :An Introduction A little over 10 months ago, I published a small article called The Lost History about how many Indians are unaware of the grandeur and achievements of the Chola Empire. This article can be considered as in continuum. Of the three great dynasties[1] to have made Ancient Tamilakam[2] their home, the Cholas are arguably, the greatest. At its greatest extent under Rajendra Chola I, it stretched near to the Ganges in the north, to Sri Lan