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.
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.
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
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?
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.
The Pahalgam massacre was a brutal reminder of Pakistan-backed terror aimed at destabilizing India. Beyond condemnation, the response must be strategic and united. Divisive politics only serve the enemy’s agenda. Restoring peace in Kashmir and rejecting communal narratives are key to defeating those who thrive on chaos and hatred.
The release of Phule, a film on Jyotiba and Savitri Mai Phule, has been delayed due to objections from the Censor Board and protests by Brahmin groups. Despite celebrating the couple’s revolutionary legacy, the film faces resistance for critiquing Brahmanism, highlighting ongoing struggles over caste, history, and narrative control in India.
Ram Navami processions in Bengal, once unfamiliar to the region, have become politicised spectacles of dominance. The use of Israeli flags and communal slogans, especially in Barrackpore, signals a deeper agenda—where festivals are repurposed for polarisation, and silence on global injustices becomes a loud alignment with power and provocation.
After passing the Waqf Bill, BJP leaders claim it's for the poor—but Muslim organizations across India have rejected the move as a land grab. RSS-linked media quickly turned attention to Catholic Church properties, revealing the broader agenda. Even Adivasi leaders fear their ancestral lands may soon be in the crosshairs
Every Ramadan, political Iftar parties project false solidarity while ignoring Muslim empowerment. Despite grand feasts, Muslim leaders remain sidelined, policy reforms are absent, and their concerns are dismissed as “appeasement.” Until real political inclusion replaces token gestures, these events will continue to serve as mere spectacles to manipulate Muslim voters
Nitin Gadkari dreams of Muslims becoming engineers and doctors, but the ground reality tells a harsher story. Caste discrimination, denial of reservations, poor education access, and systemic exclusion from panchayats to Parliament keep India’s largest minority marginalized. When they rise, they’re criminalized—revealing a deeply unequal and unjust system