Monday, August 03, 2026

The universal solvent that is modernity

 Pretty much. But it's worth pointing out that this is not a new discussion. 

Bankim Chatterjee in his "Letters on Hinduism" argues that the prevailing understanding of "Hinduism" was reduced, by "the ignorance, the intolerance and the contempt of foreigners and the degeneracy of natives," to an incoherent amalgamation. It was akin, Bankim writes, to a conception of Christianity that incorporates "the political and social constitution of Europe, its codes of morality, its jurisprudence, its international law, and its legislative enactments." 

Swami Vivekananda similarly argues that Hindus have a tendency to include "every little village-god and every little superstition" as part of "religious faith." Vivekananda emphatically declares that "the greatest mistake made is that ignorant people always think that this local custom is the essence of our religion."

The failure is understandable in a sense. The notion of "religion" as a distinct sphere of human life was foreign to Hindu civilization, and it is only natural that some Hindus, violently thrust into modernity via the colonial encounter, would react by seeking to maintain the integrity of the "Hindu world" uncontaminated by the taint of this new world. This is the heart of the orthodox position, which was encoded in the popular conception of "Hinduism" that emerged in the early 20th century. 

The consequences of this failure are more apparent in the diaspora where the break with the old world is definitive, but India will not be spared the universal solvent that is modernity.

https://x.com/i/status/2084116211697139785 

There is so much stress today in a race to become something, be somewhere. Hindu Civilization is supposed to be anti stress as eternal fundamentals have been sorted. What we need is a cognitive shift to make custodianship and transmission of what inherited, as life goals.

https://x.com/i/status/2084123708252373219

The Indic Thought Forum requested me to appear for a podcast on Pakistan based on my book. This was for a Gen Z audience by a Gen Z interviewer "India, Pakistan & The Future of South Asia"

https://x.com/i/status/2084088617782411733

Vedic Meditation on atma prakaasha आत्म प्रकाश 

One of the most curious qualities of consciousness is self luminosity 

That is it needs no light from outside 

It is like the gem that creates its own light, what is called the मणि 

It needs no light to shine within

Or rather, it is this light that illuminates the stars and sky, the earth and waters

Here, again, the Chitta burns as Chitta Shakti or Chidagni 

This quality of consciousness is called sva prakasha स्व प्रकाश and we must find it or let it find us spontaneously 

https://x.com/i/status/2084128142873010455

What remains when identity dissolves? Discover the profound reflections of “An Embryo of Space” from the collection Satya: Poems to My Father with @PariksithSingh and @MakrandParanspe. youtu.be/McN8JjMrbUI?si… @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/i/status/2084021421882396864

One Truth- One Family- A vision that transcends time. Discover how the Vedas reveal the unity of humanity and the deeper meaning behind these timeless words. Watch now. Discover more in this episode. youtu.be/DQbeYr4W_1Q?si… @AmazingVedas @PariksithSingh @MakrandParanspe

https://x.com/i/status/2083244801768714644

A nation born from freedom. A history marked by contradictions. A future reshaped by AI. Professor Subhash Kak explores the deeper meaning of America at 250 with @MakrandParanspe . Watch full episode youtu.be/rnluRgBtBg8?si… @AmazingVedas @PariksithSingh

https://x.com/i/status/2083543268449821049

Hymns to the Mystic Fire, 1st US Edition - Sri Aurobindo ..this book he has provided the translations for all hymns to Agni, the mystic fire, from the Rig Veda. lotuspress.com/products/hymns… #mystic #mysticfire #rigveda #veda #sriaurobindo #aurobindo

https://x.com/i/status/2084007577902284937

Who was Pandit Gopi Krishna? Explore the life, legacy, and teachings of the visionary who transformed the global conversation on Kundalini with insights from his grandson, Rakesh Kaul. youtu.be/HfstWe1024g?si… @MakrandParanspe @AmazingVedas @PariksithSingh

https://x.com/i/status/2083968822529417635

What stories do symbols reveal? Join @PariksithSingh as he uncovers the deeper meanings within the poem 'A Reflection' from Satya: Poems to My Father, exploring the interplay between the peacock feather, memory, and identity. youtu.be/YakyhouaTLQ?si… @AmazingVedas @MakrandParanspe

https://x.com/i/status/2083311750787797481

From ashes to awakening—discover Agni Paavaka from Satya, Poems to My Father. Join @MakrandParanspe and @PariksithSingh to explore life, death, and spiritual renewal. youtu.be/bcBauLfQ3Vg?si… @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/i/status/2083671614038888632

I knew his sister Dr Kamala and her husband Maj General Krishna Tewari when they came to live in Pondicherry later in Auroville in the late 1970’s. She was dispensing Homeopathy in the Auroville Health Centre. Three of their daughters live and work in Auroville

https://x.com/i/status/2083552607508021498

Only the cavemen and barbarians don’t understand the difference between literary fiction and myths. Myths are the fountainhead of a civilisation. Greek mythology is treated in such a manner because pagan Greeks went extinct. As long as Hindus live, our myths will reign supreme.

https://x.com/i/status/2083878561757430214

Beyond ethnicity and religion: Gandhi and the crafting of civic nationalism in India

JS Moolakkattu - National Identities, 2026
… his concept of Indian nation developed while he was living in South Africa and
how his inclusive nationalism differed in its views on citizenship, civic friendship as
the basis for national unity, the language question, the answer to the Naga question …

[PDF] India's Democracy shifted into 'Electoral Dictatorship': A Study of Critical Analysis

S Mandal
This study mainly discusses all the major challenges that India faces in establishing
the status of the world’s strongest-largest democracy in the current century. Equality
and freedom are essential elements of any democracy. The Constitution of India …

Recognition or Reconfiguration: The Politics of Gender and Nation Building in India

N Khaniejo - Routledge Handbook of State, Nation and Nationalism …, 2026
… the rise of Hindutva witnessing a perpetual dysrecognition of female bodily
autonomy. The current iteration of Hindutva has doubled down … At the same time,
Hindutva also allowed for female agency and expression of violence under the …

[HTML] The Modi myth and the false binary of Hindutva vs economic development

A Shah - 2026
… books, documentary films and media columns has it that the Hindutva rhetoric of
historical injustice and hurt pride has turned millions of … Economic liberalisation
provided a favourable climate for Hindutva to grow. And in turn, I suggest, the rise of …

Book Review: Fascism in India: Race, Caste, and Hindutva

KB Nielsen
… of Hindutva and the political thinking of chief ideologue VD Savarkar whose
Essentials of Hindutva provided the pioneering theoretical foundations of Hindutva…
(forced) intermarriage and reproductive intermixing, including with Hindutva’s prime …

The Consolidation of Hindu Nationalism in India

M Katju - Routledge Handbook of State, Nation and Nationalism …, 2026
… The Hindutva ideologues see Hindutva as a true nationalist ideology, as the
essence of the Indian people and as the foundation of a ‘post-… The myth of Hindu-Muslim
enmity is an intrinsic part of the Hindutva ideology. Hindus are encouraged to …

Muslim Citizens' Engagement with Hindutva Nationalism

M Ali - Routledge Handbook of State, Nation and Nationalism …, 2026
The chapter has put the last decade of Indian politics to analysis, which is also
coterminous with the rise of Hindutva forces, both socially and politically. Within the
broader context of Hindutva politics, this chapter looks at the “space” available for …

Changing Nature of the Indian State

A Ranjan - Routledge Handbook of State, Nation and Nationalism …, 2026
… Such hierarchy has turned relatively more rigid during the time of Hindutva politics.
A shift in politics has also pushed for a change in economic and foreign policies, and
vice versa. At the international level, the end of the Cold War in 1991 marked a …

Caste and Nationalism in India

N Sukumar, AK Sahani - Routledge Handbook of State, Nation and Nationalism …
… Some of the major schools of thought elucidating Indian nationalism were the
Cambridge School, the Nationalist School, the Subaltern School and in the last few
decades, the Hindutva ideology which negated the very idea of India as a secular …

Crown, Faith, and Tongue: The Evolution of Nepali Nationalism since Unification

SS Poudel - Routledge Handbook of State, Nation and Nationalism …, 2026
This chapter traces the historical evolution of Nepali nationalism from state
unification in the eighteenth century to contemporary debates over secularism,
identity, and monarchy. It adopts an instrumentalist approach, viewing nationalism …

Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra
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Friday, July 31, 2026

An Arya is the one who has refined himself

 Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra

Feel Philosophy
Recovery of metaphysical seriousness - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Vedic Meditation The Power of Indra Indra, the God-mind as Sri Aurobindo calls him, is indeed the most powerful deva a...
the Orchid and the rOse
Sri Aurobindo's Vision of India's Scientific Heritage - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Gyanoday Day 150| On Sri Aurobindo | By Sujata Bhalotia 1:44:58 Quantum Life University (QLU) is an unconditional and hol...
Savitri Era Political Action
Recognising the adjacent existence of the others - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Interview with Sima and Sampa - Part 2 | Serving the Master's Work | Hosted by Narad 1:27 @Sri-Aurobindo-Elibrary. Subsc...

How does the Veda describe the journey of man? And see man?

1) The battle between light and dark. The yajna in this sense may be seen as the invocation of devas or beings of Light and establishing them in one’s own body

The battle with the dark is also with that of duality or ignorance and limitations of ego. The devas fight for the seeker as allies and personalities: it is my humble opinion that the personalities of the devas are also the divinized personality of the growing Rishi which is how the devas are often depicted and seen: as individuals or entities in the universal manifestation, in the space between pure self and vyaktitva

2) Adhvarya: or the Journey (adhva is the straight path) which also means the Yajna without violence. The journey of the seeker maybe described across the ocean in a ship or Rocky Mountains, Adri

3) Arya or the self refinement and becoming noble. Ari- is to dig, Arya is the ancient ideal of self possession and development. An Arya is the one who has refined himself or herself and become worthy of the devas

Thus, Man or Manu the thinker is the grand warrior, the traveler, the self-realizing one. This is the Vedic ideal

https://x.com/i/status/2083165501065212371

Thomas Sowell, in A Conflict of Visions, proposed a theory of the conflicting convictions about human nature that underlie the standard left-wing and right-wing views on economics, politics, & culture. (I discussed his ideas in the chapter on politics in The Blank Slate). Dan Williams @danwilliamsphil probes Sowell's theory in a new post: "We Are Stuck With Human Nature, Not Human Ignorance" open.substack.com/pub/conspicuou…

https://x.com/i/status/2083047214134305177

How did Kolkata Marwaris fare in revolutionary freedom fight, while living in its epicenter? Read Section E.1 sringeribelur.com/was-g-d-birla-…

https://x.com/i/status/2083218066133921951

Continuing to read Animal Liberation Now by Peter Singer, and The Better Angels of our nature, by Steven Pinker.

The two are connected as both look at violence and its expressions...

Trying to understand why.

Why can't there be peace, harmony, love, kindness for all beings?

https://x.com/i/status/2083067610510565865

Read this if you haven't, mam. You might be interested. Animals as Experiencing Entities. 

https://x.com/i/status/2083109929989394888

I sometimes think they said the quiet part out loud," Arundhati Roy told Supriya Sharma. 

"All of us thought those things, but were not able to say it. You can’t say it as an individual, but in a crowd, what’s going to stop them."

Full interview: https://scroll.in/article/1094667/arundhati-roy-ive-been-angry-for-a-long-time-but-i-laugh-with-anger-as-did-those-students

https://bsky.app/profile/scroll.in/post/3mrxduee4rc2q

Hindutva in Power

DS Reddy - Religion Compass, 2026
This essay is a follow up to three others published in Religion Compass in 2011
which survey research on Hindutva (Hindu nationalism or political hinduism),
covering its seminal ideologies and its evolution into multiple modes of practice. I …

[PDF] Bollypolitics: Popular Hindi Cinema and Hindutva

A Taneja - Journal of Religion & Film, 2026
… How does there seem to be such widespread complicity with the toxic discourses of
Hindutva nationalism, which render Muslims as outsiders to the idea of India, and as
second-class citizens whose right to occupy the public sphere as equals is increasingly …

[PDF] JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE (JOELL)

S Ramteke
… Unlimited, 2021) offers a reflexive savarna feminist critique of how Brahmanical
patriarchy structures both Hinduism and Hindutva. Writing … The book characterises
Hindutva as the political zenith of these structures, vilifying Muslims, women and …

Deepan Sivaraman's Ubu Roi: A scenographic foray against authoritarianism

A Sengupta - Performing the Radical
… School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi, in 2012, mostly as a response to the ugly
political realities in India between 2004 and 2012, including the financial scams of
monstrous proportions under the Congress party-led government and the …

Performing faith in the land of eighteen tides: Exploring the radical in 'Bonbibir Pala'

H Mukhoti - Performing the Radical
… In an increasingly polarized India marked by the ascent of Hindutva politics and
the commodification of class, caste and religious identities, ‘Bonbibir Pala’can play a
significant role in bolstering peaceful communal coexistence. Nowadays, mostly …

[PDF] Recognition, culture, representation: A qualified ethnographic legitimation of human rights

D Sarma Bhagabati - Anthropological Theory
Much as the scholarship on human rights has engaged with a diverse range of social,
political and cultural themes, there is still a great deal to be said about how
marginalized struggles develop everyday representations and ephemeral civic …

[PDF] Contours of History, Society and Governance: Context, Process and Transformation

PP Singh, A Batta, T Hashmi, S Dubey, V Kori, A Kajla
This is an edited volume that has been brought out as a result of an intellectual
worry over the interpretation of the thorny and dynamic relationship between society,
governance, economy, culture and historical processes. Over the last few years …

[PDF] Caste consciousness: Examining the effect of caste narratives in relationship to prejudice and demonization of Hindus

DS Finkelstein - 2026
This study aimed to address a significant oversight in social psychology by
investigating attitudes and prejudices towards Hindus in America, a growing
population (Wormald, 2015). As the Hindu and Indian populations continue to …

[PDF] Pilgrimage to Wellness: Ayurveda's Integral Role and Potential in Nepalese Tourism

N Bhusal, BP Khanal, S Acharya, BR Ghimire - Nepalese Journal of Hospitality and …, 2026
… Yoga based tourism is also interconnected with Ayurveda as both are sister
sciences and follow same ideology. Many Yoga schools including Nepal Yoga Home,
Himalayan Yoga, Mandala yoga offer retreat packages for tourist seeking wellness …

Leveraging Social

S Pillai - Marketing Public Health in a Digital Age, 2026
… Social media platforms have become integral to daily life, influencing health
behaviors like physical activity, diet, sleep, and social … User-generated
adaptations like community-shared yoga practices increased participation by 40 …

Spirituality in Australian Early Childhood

S Garvis, A Keary, H Zheng - The Palgrave Handbook of Religion in Public …
… , moral, social, emotional, spiritual and aesthetic goals of education are integral to
educating the whole child. A further aim of education is ‘… see it as teaching moral
behaviours and values, exploring nature or engaging in contemplative practices …

The Human Capital Frontier: Unlocking Competitive Advantage through Intellectual and Social Assets

EL Widarni - 2026
… Human resources are a collection of skills, attributes, knowledge, and expertise of
employees, which then play an integral role in increasing organizational productivity.
Every organization invests its money and resources in training new employees. In …
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Monday, July 27, 2026

A plural self

 Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra

Here is how the sycophancy spiral works.

A powerful leader consolidates authority. The people closest to them rise not because of their ability but because of their loyalty. These loyalists tell the leader what the leader wants to hear. Criticism is treated as disloyalty. Disagreement is treated as betrayal. Over time, the leader becomes surrounded by people whose only skill is praise. JP Nadda. Gogoi. Sanjay Jha. Digvijay Singh. Different parties, same species. They thrive not by being strong but by making the leader feel strong.

The problem is not that these people are sycophants. The problem is what sycophancy does to the information flow.

https://x.com/i/status/2081392630215111148

"Idealism isn’t just the opposite of knowingness; it’s also the absence of learnt fear, of disabling prudence." Must read! 

Cockroach Janta Party protest | Dawn for democracy: The moral ballast of the insurgent cockroaches is undeniable - Telegraph India share.google/2fyNzLUCbdsUtw…"

https://x.com/i/status/2081421949977125362

Mukul is spot on! 

“The possibilities that this movement has created are to do with the way in which it expresses its exasperation with a system that has failed it.”

https://x.com/i/status/2081422645828977077

Hindutva is not a positive doctrine. It is a reaction to the scars of partition.

Its core ideology is about ideas of Indian nation. Is India Hindu or secular? Why should India be secular when Pak and Bangladesh are explicitly not? What unifies us if not a corporate Hindu identity? The 15-20% minorities (esp Muslims) are a problematic minority. They remind us daily about 1947 and its scars. That's what Hindutva is. I empathize with it. Even voted for it. But it is not what we need to take India to the next level.

What India needs is a conservative party with a Hindu lens. A party that has a genuine affinity for Hindu civilizational values (such as a tolerance of diversity, a defense of norms, a certain respect for inductive wisdom over deductive reason, a keen interest in Hindu high culture)

Current avatar of Hindutva is none of that. It is anti-diversity. Wants to abolish caste, while at the same time politicizing caste identities to promote populism. It has no real interest in Hindu high culture. Its version of Hinduism is Anuradha Paudwal singing gAyatri mantra and using it as ringtones.


When Draupadi is publicly humiliated, it is Bhima who avenges her, collecting Dushasana’s blood so she can wash her unbound hair; it is Bhima who smashes Kichaka to pulp when Arjuna does nothing Read more... Why does Arjuna overshadow Bhima in epics? newindianexpress.com/columns/2026/J…


Bhishma appears as a noble elder, Drona as a respected teacher, and Karna as a tragic hero. So, when they die—Bhishma pierced by arrows, Drona beheaded, Karna killed while struggling with his chariot—we feel uneasy. Read more... mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/others/sunday-…


Chinese philosophy offers a radical rethinking of human action, not as an outcome of the self’s conscious deliberation, but as a spontaneous, effortless process, utterly in tune with nature. 

Daoist texts like the Zhuangzi describe agency without a reflective self—no weighing options, no detached rationalizing. 

Philosopher of cognitive science Brian Bruya argues that this Chinese vision not only captures how we experience our actions, but also more deeply resonates with breakthroughs in recent cognitive science than the Western ideal of action as the product of reasoned choice, which is rooted in mistakes that go all the way back to Aristotle.

"Instead of a single, deliberate self, we get a plural self, which aligns well with the current notion of modal mind in cognitive psychology," writes Bruya. Tap the link now to read more: iai.tv/articles/china…


China’s control over historical narratives is not just about the past—it is a tool for political legitimacy, nationalism, ethnic integration, and territorial claims. The article explains how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) censors alternative interpretations of the Qing dynasty to reinforce its authority and justify modern China’s territorial integrity.


Radar

Whether I possess any agency at all - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Public debates in contemporary society often escalate with striking speed. From the rise of cancel culture, to whether ...
Rejection of rigid - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Lecture series on Sri Aurobindo's Synthesis of Yoga (by Ranganath), pp 463-465 45:48 Lecture series on Sri Aurobindo's S...
Escaping India - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra You stole money from Ram Mandir. You misused our religion, insulted our priests and brainwashed devotees to grab power....
Connection to the infinite - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Kena Upanishad Talk 16 by Sraddhalu 1:04:44 Go to channel The Mother & Sri Aurobindo : E-library · Lecture series on Sri...
Words distort - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra I am currently working on a metaphysical synthesis of spiritual philosophies and teachings. I've always liked Meher Bab...
Beauty and nobility expressed through creative abundance - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Questions and Answers with Mother read by Monika (Hindi) - Part - 6 (Page: 43-50) 26:18 Questions and Answers with Mothe...
A Master List of Virtues - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Anurag Banerjee Honoured with the ‘Shiksha Bharati Award’ by the Indian Achievers’ Forum Dear Friends and Well-wishers ..
The Book of Death in Savitri - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Dr. R. Y. Deshpande awarded the ‘Auro Ratna Award’ for the year 2022 Dear Friends and Well-wishers, The eleventh ‘Auro R...
Apropos of the Divine Body - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra https://auroramirabilis.blogspot.com/2026/07/shyam-sunder-jhunjhunwala-shyam-kumari.html https://serfrat.blogspot.com/2...
असली घुन समाज में लगा है - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra NOTE: THIS IS MY PERSONAL NOTE, NOTHING TO DO WITH RSS In the melee of #CockroachProtests we have not noticed the spect...
Nietzche had a problem with the Examined Life - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Discover how Vedic meditation connects Dhi (higher intelligence) with Dhyana (focused awareness), and explore the timel...
Centralisation stifles innovation - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra The Republic of Cockroaches by Nihar Nalini Sarangi countercurrents.org/2026/07/the-re… The July 20 march by students ...
A resilient secularism requires secularised minds - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra In this essay, @MRavinderReddi revisits the history of the Sakas through a remarkable synthesis of epigraphic, numismat...
Quality higher education transforms lives - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra 5 August 1914 || Prayers of the Mother 3:08 The 123 prayers in this collection are translations of prayers that were wri...
Take 2 to Tech - The world of knowledge at my fingertip in 2005 had given me immense hope and satisfaction. Besides, being able to publish instantly seemed to be the gre...
Journey of Odia music - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Recorded songs from the first decade of the 20th century (1900–1910) are extremely rare, but archival efforts have iden...
Let there be no end - Savitri Era Ushers in new thought, And fresh perspective Towards freedom. No black and white Shades of grey galore; There are a thousand pegs To...

[PDF] India and its image in international organizations: comparison of the global and local levels

M Manďák - 2026
… The focus of the analysis are influences of Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) and
populism on India’s self-presentation, as both Narendra Modi and the BJP have
been closely associated with the Hindutva ideology, and Narendra Modi is often …

[PDF] How Political Ambiguity Transforms Across Digital Platforms: Mechanisms of Discourse Radicalization in the Case of Zohran Mamdani

G Beacken
This study examines how politically ambiguous rhetoric about Israel-Palestine
transforms into antisemitic discourse through three circulation phases: elite political
statements, digital influencer reframing, and audience commentary. We present a …

[PDF] Reminiscing Punjab: Memory and Double Consciousness in the Narratives of Diaspora Women's Participation in the Farmer's Protest in India (2020-21)

RK Dhaliwal - 2026
This thesis explores how political memory shapes the Punjabi/Sikh diaspora’s
participation in the 2020–21 Farmers’ Protest in India. It draws on interviews with
Punjabi diasporic women in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States of …

[PDF] Navigating the Changing Narrations of the Nation and Nationalism: From Satyajit Ray's Ghare Baire to Aparna Sen's Ghawre Bairey Aaj

S Dam - … JOURNAL OF CULTURAL STUDIES AND SOCIAL …
… The Hindutva movement is termed as … Hindutva with fascism, and suggest that
Hindutva should be considered as an extreme form of conservatism or “ethnic
absolutism” (Bhatt & Mukta). Nikhil in Sen’s movie is a chief editor of a digital news …

[PDF] Strategic Narratives of Political Transition: Indian Media and the Geopolitics of Post-Hasina Bangladesh

D Dutta, DB Ugen Bhutia - Journal of Daoist Studies, 2026
This study examines the Indian press and how it framed Bangladesh’s political
transition after the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024.
Using framing theory and strategic narrative theory, the article analyses how Indian …

[TXT] TASK FORCE

A Yang, C Stolfa, A Trindeva, C Davison, J Zheng…
… of the Hindu Nationalist Movement, or Hindutva, backed by the vision of a modern
India. … a century-old political legacy of Hindutva, or “Hindu-ness” in Hindi. The BJP
and its followers … Prime Minister Modi and his Hindutva-oriented BJP party have …

Commonwealth shadows: journalists navigating report and reprisal in India

S Chauhan - The Round Table, 2026
… Rather than fact-driven and objective reporting, these media stations amplify the
ruling party’s propaganda of Hindutva, communal hatred, national security and
jingoistic nationalism through rhetorical narratives, with loud performative debates …

[TXT] SACRIFICE, AHIMSA, AND VEGETARIANISM: POGROM AT THE DEEP END OF NON-VIOLENCE Volume II

P Ghassem-Fachandi
attracted to his intelligence and curiosity. We got along well and spent much time
together driving around the city in search of lunch experiences. These trips more
than once resulted in a visit to one of his many sisters who live scattered in diverse …

Deobandi Movement: Theological Strands and Socio-Political Offshoots

A Rasheed - Strategic Analysis, 2026
… Growing concerns among current Indian Deobandi leaders, such as Arshad
Madani (current Principal of Darul Uloom Deoband) and Maulana Mahmood Ahmad
Madani (President of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind) over the rising wave of Hindutva …

[PDF] Caste-ess Co nity and the a arnas: Understanding Ambedkar

S Gupta
This paper aims to read Dr. BR Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste and a few of his
other works in relevance with the idea which discusses the responsibility of the
savarnas (upper caste people) in dismantling caste hierarchies. When we …
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Thursday, July 23, 2026

A resilient secularism requires secularised minds

 Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra

In this essay, @MRavinderReddi revisits the history of the Sakas through a remarkable synthesis of epigraphic, numismatic, archaeological, and literary evidence. Moving beyond inherited caricatures, he reconstructs how a people remembered as outsiders became enduring participants in India's civilisational story, leaving an imprint upon its polity, religion, art, and historical memory. Read: bit.ly/CavalaryofTheE…

https://x.com/i/status/2079942346779832637

In conversation with Dr Meera Nanda, philosopher and historian of science, and author of Postcolonial Theory and the Making of Hindu Nationalism (2025).

"..From around the 1980s, modern science itself came under attack for its "Eurocentrism" and "epistemic violence". The net result was technological modernisation without corresponding de-traditionalisation"

"...I believe very strongly that you need a secularised culture for secularism to take root. A culture as saturated with gods, goddesses, godmen and gurus as India is today is not hospitable to secularism. Why would those for whom everything is permeated with the divine want to separate the state from the dictates of dharma?"

"..A resilient secularism requires secularised minds"

thedailystar.net/slow-reads/foc…

https://x.com/i/status/2079931070842286561

When Visuality and Technology Re-define Spirituality

by Dr Rajat Sebastian and Devi R countercurrents.org/2026/07/when-v…

Traditions evolve as societies change, but their deeper meanings need not disappear. This article examines how robotic elephants in Kerala temples and the growing visual appeal of Theyyam reflect changing ways of experiencing spirituality in a technology-driven age. It argues that while innovation can support ethical progress and preserve cultural practices, an increasing emphasis on spectacle risks overshadowing the symbolic and philosophical foundations of ritual. By exploring the relationship between technology, aesthetics, and belief, the authors call for a thoughtful balance that allows traditions to remain both relevant and meaningful for contemporary generations, without losing their cultural depth and enduring significance.


Man, these ignorant ass Christians. First Xenia isnt just vital in the Odyssey but throughout all of pre-Christian Hellenic world. Zeus in one of his forms is Zeus Xenios, Zeus the protector of guests. This forms the crux of the Illiad, Paris violated Xenia, and is the core of the Odyssey. Zeus and Hermes test humans by wandering and seeking shelter with humans to see if they uphold this sacred duty.  

The Golden rule isn't distinctly Christian, the Mahabharata presents a version of this in the Anusasana Parva and throughout the text.  

Finally if you want to say that Zeus's law is whatever the gods say it is, its no different than your view of Yahweh or Christ, whatever they say is the good, the Euthyphro dilemma.


I haven't been following the India protests that closely, but it seems to me that they reflect a basic contradiction in India's political economy that will naturally get more acute as the country grows economically. At a very basic level, the path to political power in India is through the rural poor and the farmers. This plays out at the central and state level, with governments at every level regularly extracting resources from surplus-producing urban areas to fund welfare for the hinterlands. As long as this basic political logic remains, Indian politicians will neglect the aspirations of the electorally insignificant urban middle class who form the bulk of the protesters. 

The BJP has somewhat successfully bridged this divide through Hindutva politics: When it comes to economic policy they double down on rural development (water connections, electricity, welfare etc.) while pushing cultural and religious nationalism to satisfy the ascendant Hindu middle class that has the luxury of voting on ideological lines. But this is not sustainable in the long run. As the urban middle class grows, the demand for greater economic opportunity, a better standard of living, and the promise of a better future will naturally increase in intensity. 

Retorts about the depredations of the Congress-era, even if true, are little consolation to the young who have only known BJP-led India. The reflexive tendency of BJP supporters to see protests as a "foreign conspiracy" reflects a basic inability to see the world through the eyes of others. That there are bad actors is no doubt true, but this does not detract from the legitimacy of the complaints about corruption, stagnation, urban misgovernance etc.

Modi and the BJP have spent years referring to their era of electoral dominance as a "golden age" of Indian economic and cultural regeneration. Turns out when you set expectations high, people will expect you meet them. Who would have thought?


After years of observing Indian politics, I keep returning to one conclusion, the coalition that keeps a government in power is rooted in the economy India already has, while its legitimacy increasingly rests on the India it promises to build.

Modi understood this tension and tried to change the economy. Yet whenever reform threatened groups capable of organised resistance, the government eventually retreated. The BJP therefore found a political way to contain an economic contradiction. Welfare secured its rural base, while Hindu nationalism convinced the expanding middle class that national renewal was already under way.

This worked as long as young people could connect India’s rise to a personal route upwards: study hard, pass the examination and secure a respectable job. The paper leak broke that connection. It transformed employment anxiety from millions of private disappointments into a shared political grievance.

Many protesters are children of the Modi era. They accepted the promise of a rising India and now ask why national success has failed to produce a credible future for them.

Arun Shourie’s “Congress plus a cow” remains powerful because the BJP has transformed how India is politically united far more deeply than the economic relations beneath it. As the educated urban population expands, this contradiction will become increasingly difficult to postpone.


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