Throughout 2021, momentum has been building behind the demand for a caste census in India. Whether a caste census will lead to greater social justice or a more divided society is one of the most contentious and long-running political debates of independent India. This paper analyses the arguments for and against it.
Category Archives: Papers
100 Years of Backward Caste Politics in Bihar
Over the course of the 20th century, Bihar has been the birthplace of numerous movements for social change. These movements emerged as a challenge to the caste order and have resulted in backward castes capturing political power, drastically altering the state’s power dynamics in the process.
How Hinduism is Used to Erase Tribal Identities in India
We talk about colonialism like it’s something that happened to India in the past but to the indigenous peoples of India, colonialism is ongoing.
How The Sangh Parivar Invents And Spreads Fake History
An exploration of how the Sangh Parivar manufactures Hindutva history and spreads it through formal education as well as informal channels like religious and cultural organisations.
In 100 years, India’s Response To A Pandemic Hasn’t Changed Much
Back in 1918, India was hit by a pandemic – the Spanish Flu. Through newspaper reports from the time, this article shows how despite a century passing, many things have not changed.
How The Whims Of A Few Judges Threw Delhi Into A Decade Of Chaos
A wild and scary story about how a judge can just wake up one day and throw a whole city upside-down.
PILs Promised Justice For The Powerless. They Turned Judges Into Kings Instead
Unlike in traditional cases where the powers of judges are restricted by rules of procedure, PIL cases sometimes lead to dangerous situations.
Why Dalits Saw Colonialism And Buddhism As Antidotes To Brahminism
The colonial period is often oversimplified but Dalit intellectuals like Iyothee Thass have argued that the colonial period brought some freedom from the tyranny of upper castes.
How And Why Lower Caste Muslims Tried To Stop Partition
While Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League were campaigning for partition, the Momins of Bihar opposed the idea of Pakistan, arguing that it was a creation of the same upper caste Muslims who were their oppressors.
Who Is The General Category Reserved For?
There is a constant debate about reservations in upper caste circles. People keep talking about if they work, when they will be stopped, etc. But the framing of reservations as something that the “casteless” majority give to those who suffered because of their caste hides the truth.