Contents: Decentering the Center (Issue 63)
Contents: Decentering the Center (Issue 63)
Posts tagged ‘Democracy’
Aug 22
Issue Editor’s Note: Decentering the Center
By Urvi Sharma
Several policies introduced in India in the recent past like demonetization, GST, CAA, NRC, and farm bills have attracted diverse reactions, transforming the Indian public discourse to become an echo-chamber of polarized opinions. Inevitably, numerous citizens are trying to make sense of this polarized atmosphere instead of thinking about the policies or issues around which this polarisation revolves.
The Curious Case of Political Labelling: Decentring Yourself in Contemporary India
By Athira Mohan
The first step to decenter yourself is to stop according importance to any labels anyone might attach to you, and speak up for what you consider fair. Remember that in any event, there is an oppressor and the oppressed, and one must choose to speak up for the latter.
How to Listen to the Peripheries?
By Jahnabi Mitra
While there is a formal definition of an immigrant which constitutes mostly of discourses on forced migration, I am talking about the immigrant who despite the costs of migration has the zeal to move. The migrants who move for change, to reinvent identities and the ‘self’ in question are what bring to light the nuances of the question who this this immigrant is.
An Ecological Critique of the Ideology of Developmentalism
By Survesh Pratap Singh
The idea of development is premised on the belief that human progress is a continuous and forward-moving process with no fixed or visible end. The conceptualization of what human progress means in the doctrine of developmentalism is restrictive, limited and deeply problematic as it primarily and majorly talks merely about material advancement of human beings.
Nationalizing Hindi and the Use of Language as Discourse by the Center
By Sindhura Dutta
To declare Hindi as a national language, given its newness, it will be unfair to the rest of the 21 major languages. Moreover, such linguistic imposition appears to be an attempt by the centre to homogenize the country’s population.
Social Media Activism amidst Dissenting Voices and Internet Shutdowns
By Shivani Das
In recent times, protests are no longer confined to processions on the streets alone but have made a swift switch over to hashtags and tweets on social media platforms. Social networking sites have become a powerful tool for shaping mass opinion and expressing dissent on several issues.
Defying Gender Roles: Manto’s “Mozelle” in Our Times
By Ragini Mishra
Mozelle shunned the religious cap that had become a person's sole identity in Bombay during riots. This cap symbolised a particular religion and community, and eventually led to communal riots, killing thousands of people and displacing many from their lands. This cap deprived human beings of their humanity.
Hedonism, Expedition to the Moon, Protagoras, and the Horns of Dilemma
By Rana Sarkar
In India, citizens may or may not dissent in the face of rising prices but they are the ones who suffer nevertheless. It, therefore, becomes important for the citizens to at least hold the government accountable, to protect their right to speech and dissent.
Let’s Look Beyond the Gender, Shall We?
By Nandini Sood
Even though I was intrigued, I was unsure about my grandpa’s fascination with Maithalisharan Gupt over Rani Lakshmi Bai. After all, Rani Lakshmi Bai did what Maithaisharan Gupt was talking about. How do you locate the center when it comes to the issue of gender?
The Crisis of the Imagined Community: A Study of the Current State in India
By Anmolpreet Kaur
Can a nation truly survive on its imagined past, or can this past be distorted and systematically erased to form new communities? The current state of India shows what happens when an imagined collective consciousness takes the shape of an ideologically motivated upside-down reality.
De-centering the Perception of War: From Virilio’s ‘Desert Screen’ to the Ultra-Modern Era of Bioweapons
By Avnoor Makhu
The politics of global warfare are constructed in an undecipherable course of action. On one hand, the US officials tried to debunk the mystery of the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic and on the other hand, the Chinese government officials denied the charges put up against them.
Café Dissensus 