This paper was triggered by a study of social media commentary I had released earlier this year, that had shown a spike of 11 percent in religion based hate speech between 2016 and 2017. Here I try to delve into the causes and spread of such speech on social media and the intersections between free… Continue reading Digital Hatred, Real Violence
Category: Politics
To Delete or Not to #DeleteFacebook, That is the Question
For the last few days, I’ve been grappling with an unexpected existential crisis over whether or not to delete my Facebook. While the harvesting of data of 50 million Facebook users in America for political gain, without consent, is unconscionable, the issues the Cambridge Analytica scandal has raised — of privacy, consent and data security… Continue reading To Delete or Not to #DeleteFacebook, That is the Question
Where have the Jobs Gone?
Job surveys indicate the ripple effect of demonetization and the Goods and Services Tax is disastrous. For a government that blazed its way to power on the promise of economic growth and opportunity, the ground tells a starkly different story. Here's the link to my latest episode of India Matters on NDTV 24x7 that aired… Continue reading Where have the Jobs Gone?
Triple Talaq and Marital Rape: Politics and Patriarchy Trump Gender Justice
A week is a long time in politics. If there were ever any doubt about this, the government’s contradictory positions on gender justice over the span of seven days between August 22 and August 29 have laid them to rest. On August 22, women all over India celebrated the Supreme Court’s verdict declaring triple talaq illegal… Continue reading Triple Talaq and Marital Rape: Politics and Patriarchy Trump Gender Justice
TM Krishna, The Agent Provocateur
just one part of my interview with Carnatic vocalist, Magasaysay Award recipient and generally, agent provocateur TM Krishna - this bit on the politics of lineage and dynasty in the AIADMK "what is astounding to see, is that not only is it politically flowing towards her, but the ritualism attached to amma, is now completely… Continue reading TM Krishna, The Agent Provocateur
India Overplayed the Pakistan Issue at BRICS in Goa.
This piece appeared on my page at ndtv.com In keeping with the message the Government of India has been pushing even before the Uri attack, the Prime Minister's stream of tough words aimed at isolating Pakistan for its support to terror groups that act against India, made headlines through the two day BRICS and BIMSTEC… Continue reading India Overplayed the Pakistan Issue at BRICS in Goa.
The Teesta River Dispute: Geopolitics, Myth and Economics.
For all interested in rivers, legends, water and food security & South Asia- my paper for the Observer Research Foundation on the Teesta river dispute. I travelled down the river from Sikkim to the Bangladesh border at the end 2011 after the agreement between India and Bangladesh on water sharing fell by the wayside of… Continue reading The Teesta River Dispute: Geopolitics, Myth and Economics.
Monk Ki Baat In Haryana Assembly: Sexist And Misogynist?
In Haryana, a controversy brewed over the Assembly's invitation to Jain monk Tarun Sagar to give an address. While much of the outrage over his speech is around him doing so in the nude, his comments were even more controversial - on the fact that religion and politics have the relationship of a husband and… Continue reading Monk Ki Baat In Haryana Assembly: Sexist And Misogynist?
Kashmir: Behind the Rage
Over a month after Burhan Wani’s killing in an encounter by security forces, the question of whether the ongoing protests are about glorifying a terrorist or whether his death was simply a trigger for simmering rage to boil over is moot. As ‘Azadi’ protests pierce the silence of curfew, and the stillness of strikes brings… Continue reading Kashmir: Behind the Rage
As Gurgaon Drowns, Haryana Searches For Mythical River Saraswati
The project's supporters say it is about more than providing water for a parched state - it is steeped in the search for culture and heritage. Appropriately, it is not the water ministry, but the culture ministry that's in charge of it. As questions arise over whether the state government is using a Vedic legend for… Continue reading As Gurgaon Drowns, Haryana Searches For Mythical River Saraswati
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