Opinion

When “Why?” Becomes a Threat: Is West Bengal’s Democratic Space Shrinking?

West Bengal’s recent clashes over classrooms, universities, the press and cultural institutions raise a larger question: what happens when political power enters spaces meant for independent thought? The incidents may not be connected, but together they reveal how easily institutional autonomy and dissent can come under pressure.

‘Assalamu Alaikum, Inshaallah, Jazakallah’: Peace, Hope and Gratitude Don’t Cancel Out Your Merit

Dr Bushara Bano’s use of “Assalamu Alaikum”, “InshaAllah” and “Jazakallah” has sparked controversy. But can three expressions of faith overshadow an IPS officer’s qualifications, competitive achievements and professional record? The debate raises a larger question about identity, neutrality and merit in public service.

You Can Crack IIT. Can You Crack Its Caste System?

IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode’s suicide has revived questions about caste discrimination, merit and student rights in India’s elite institutions. As allegations of harassment and casteist abuse emerge, the larger concern is whether campuses meant to nurture talent are becoming hostile spaces for marginalised students

What Is India’s Youth Asking For: Cultural Identity or the Right to a Future?

India’s youth have always questioned power, from the student movements of the 1970s to the Anna movement. Today, programmes in Ujjain and Indore raise a new question: is young India seeking cultural identity, political recognition or something more basic — the right to shape its future?

BRICS Isn’t Beijing’s Game. It’s India’s Strategic Autonomy

India’s BRICS engagement is not about choosing China over the West but protecting its strategic autonomy. As the global order turns multipolar, India must retain strong ties across competing blocs while defending its independent foreign policy and ensuring that national interests, not Western approval, shape its international choices.
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Largest Democracy, Smallest Justice: How India’s Courts Fail Muslim Prisoners

In India’s “largest democracy,” justice bends to power. Political prisoners like Umar Khalid languish in jail without bail or trial, while the influential walk free. The judiciary speaks of liberty and human rights but delivers selective relief. Law is no shield—today, it is wielded as a weapon

Who Owns Urdu? Javed Akhtar, Religion, and the Fight for a Shared Language

“Bahut Samjhe the Hum Is Daur Ki Firqa Parasti Ko Zubaan Bhi Aaj Shaikh -o-Brahaman Hai Ham Nhi Samjhe” (Rashid Banarsi) Around 225 years ago, in...

Bengal Congress Submerges Rahul Gandhi’s Jitna Abaadi, Utna Haq Vision into Bay of Bengal

While watching Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi’s dazzling roadshow in Bihar, I couldn’t help but wonder—if the Gandhis are working so hard for Bihar,...

Final Deletion: Election Commission’s Press Conference and Unraveling of Its Credibility

The Election Commission tried to shake off its image as a puppet of Narendra Modi’s BJP by holding a press conference yesterday, but by...

From Chavez to Modi: How India’s Democracy Risks a Venezuelan Fate

Linking India’s electoral crisis to Chavez’s Venezuela, Rahul Gandhi warns that captured institutions and manipulated elections could push the world’s largest democracy toward authoritarian rule

Beyond 15 August: The Fight for Dignity, Equality, and True Freedom

From Sher Ali Afridi’s defiance of colonial rule to Rahim Ali’s wrongful detention, Umar Khalid’s incarceration, and MF Husain’s exile, India’s history shows that political freedom alone is not enough. When laws enable injustice, independence remains incomplete, and the struggle for equality, dignity, and true justice must continue
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