Philosophy
It takes more than one to organise.
The spirited campaign of Zohran Mamdani has caught my attention. It has all the bells and whistles of an underdog campaign, adapted to the social media needs of the Generation Z and beyond. His “on...
Pseudo-Cultarism must be discussed, its practitioners exposed.
The phrase, “Cultural Nationalism” is an oxymoron at best.
Direct Democracy is Dictatorship.
Perhaps psychology will help us design political systems better than philosophy. Of course, there is a lot of haggling around why psychology is hardly a science. But a few will dispute the fact tha...
Philosophy of the bomb.
One of the longest standing political projects of all times are the reflections on how to justify a carnage. Theorising to erase murder and call it by some other name; finding ways to hide dead bod...
Revolution is a product of old age.
Long ago, I was quoted an American report that claimed that the single most important data point that leads to revolutions is a bulge in the youthful population. We were talking in the backdrop of ...
Democratic thinking vs Democracy in Praxis.
It is very important that we understand the differences between these two. The basis of modern democracy is as much philosophical and ideological as much as it is rooted in practice. The much hackn...
Attack on fraternity is an attack on the Indian Constitution.
One of the hallmarks of Indian public discourse is the inexplicable urge to deflect a sane analysis of the nature of political processes. This doesn’t mean that the political processes are incredib...
Gandhi and his faults - choosing the praxis X idol.
Critical reading of Gandhi is the order of the day. Despite his portrayal in textbooks and pop culture, the enterprise of ‘exposing’ Gandhi has grown leaps and bounds in the last a few decades. If ...
My Time with the UPSC.
The results of the UPSC CSE 2021 are out. I have secured an AIR of 553. In this post, I would like to briefly state my experience with the examination and some pointers I have about the examination.
A short history of 2021.
As we get on with 2022, a few reflections about my 2021 is due.
Flickering lights over the sea of time.
How should a thinking mind envision time? Like, what are the images that one should invoke when it is thinking about the singular entity that binds the entire universe together - Time!
Dissecting Dreams.
Dreams are easy to see; but difficult to understand. The most difficult part is perhaps in deciding where they start and to where they travel to. What do you get when you dissect a dream? What are ...
Remembering Abhimanyu.
Martyrs always command over a contentious legacy. To some, they are heroes. To some, they are perverted criminals. To others, they are not nobodies. To form a learned opinion on all the cases is an...
Where are the songs when we have death all around?
You wake up in your village. You see a hundred half burnt bodies washing up your sacred river. Which song will you sing? If the voice is stuck in your lumpen throat, how will you let the grief esca...
What is it, even if you win this universe?
This song, written by Sahir Ludhiyanvi and sung by Mohammed Rafi is an ode to a spirit that is alive since the dawn of civilization. It is the enduring conflict between a rebel poet who finds socie...
On Bangalore riots.
All opinions about communal riots miss a fundamental point that needs to be stressed. The violence is not about any particular ideology. It is more about the conditions that facilitated the violence.
India is an intellectual project too. It must be protected.
Nation states often find themselves in a great dilemma. This dilemma stems from the fact that more often, there is a wide gulf between its origin myths and the real circumstances under which they w...
An Obituary to Prof. Lilavati.
My friend Lilavati, a professor at Hyderabad Central University, passed away last week after a protracted struggle with Alzeimer’s disease. Her life was remarkable and I believe that my words will ...
Show your disagreement with CAA.
Click here to show your disagreement with CAA. And make a missed call.
Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo.
Tonight is particularly melancholic. Here I am, listening to Farida Khanum slowly making her way through this beautiful Nazm. There is a certain ring to her canorous voice, that keeps me tethered t...
Sagar, Sleep Walking.
Reluctant lovers are the most despicable thing about humanity. It doesn’t matter what they are reluctant about. Whether in indulging with each other or in exploring the more amorous facets of life ...
Forbidded fruits of the day.
Litchis are sweet; they kill children. AES they said. Encephalopathy - said learned doctors. An ounce of dextrose in time, Would have saved them. Glucose worth half a rupee. No, not available. A th...
A way forward for India.
Can potentially dangerous outcomes of democracy be cited as a reason to prove the inefficacy of Democracy?
Memories of letters lost.
I ate a bit too much. I knew it, the breakfast has breached the threshold of contentment. There is no going back. There isn’t much that I can do about it now.
Bilkis, Bharat Mata.
When I hear the word “Bharat Mata”, only one face comes to my mind. It is the face of Bilkis Bano, who was brutally attacked, tormented and left to die by a mob fuelled with hatred. 14 members of h...
Looking beyond the Black hole.
We are celebrating the release of a breakthrough image. One of the most shared images on internet already, the ‘unseeable’ black hole is a real sensation. But contrary to popular perception, it is ...
A Forty year old dream.
She walked straight into my room. This was strange, not because of the act itself, but the time and place where she chose to do so. I have lived in many rooms. All kinds of rooms. Rooms with or wit...
And then we spoke in tongues that chose us.
So here I am, speaking the tongue of my coloniser. A coloniser who would just mimic the polity of that time, albeit improvising a bit - all the while struggling to hide a smirk while he slowly, but...
Do you know where soldiers come from?
Passionate warcries to cover up a brother’s death. In his blood do I see the face of enemy. But in his face, I see myself - my failure.
Brain is not a computer!
I found this excellent article on Aeon.
The dancer and the dance.
This thought provoking article by Sameena Dalwai on Indian Express prompted me to write this piece.
Reservations for the most stupid.
Of course, I am not arguing for reserving seats for the most stupid people! This is a very short guide to explaning affirmative action to the most stupid (and unfortunate) beings amongst us. Make u...
Books of 2019.
Books I read in 2019.
Story of a song entangled in barbed wire fences.
In the morning, they found a song entangled in the barbed wire fence. As she wriggled and jiggled there, a thousand cold tungsten needles pierced her. A red fluid oozed out of her flawless brown sk...
The Disenfranchisement of Indian Farmer.
Farmers constitute ~55% of Indian population. 75% Indians are directly or indirectly dependent on agricultural income. Put together, they constitute the largest population block in terms of socio-e...
As a non American which party would you vote for if you lived in the US?
So here’s the question - “As a non American which party would you vote for if you lived in the US?”
The Courts alone won't do!
Everytime we hear the Supreme Court of India making a progressive judgement, we are flooded with a bout of celebrations. But I, for that matter, have mixed feelings about this whole business.
Price of a Woman.
In our busy lives, we apparently miss a lot of details that could give us a better understanding of this world around us.
Life after death.
Life is important, of course. But what comes after death?
Why do we have myths, Bob?
Pertinent question, but why?
Where did the American ideals of Liberty, Equality and unalienable rights come from?
Read Hashin Jithu's answer to Where did the American ideas of "freedom", "liberty", "equality", and "unalienable rights" come from that the Founding Fathers held so dear? on Quora
How to kill a Democracy.
Can dangerous outcomes prove the inefficacy of Democracy?
Some imminent trouble.
Wisdom is nothing but agony if we are unable to apply it somewhere. Casual ethnocentrism aside, we have legitimate reasons to celebrate the success of Kerala. Our state has scored high in many soci...
Review of Lust Stories.
Lust’s passion will be served; it demands, it militates, it tyrannises. ~ Marquis de Sade.
Anastasia and her questions.
“This is not condescending dude; I am trying to prattle my way out of your agony”. Anastasia whispered in my ears. Before I could say anything, her soft hands were all over my body. When we can’t t...
Small talk on affirmative action.
Exercise of power has a sole purpose - to create exclusive right over resources. Like it or not - people will monopolise resources to the best of their abilities.
Emotive people, I despise thy kingdom!
It is natural to get emotional. Hormones and a myriad of chemicals exist for a purpose. They help us blur the lines of banal objectivity. I wish for clinical precision while conducting nuclear fiss...
Caste and loathing in Indo-Pakistan.
Pakistani Journalist Khaled Ahmed writes so often in Indian Express. His writings throw deep insights into the nature of his society. He admits that the process of nation building has hit a dead en...
About Identity Politics.
Identity politics is a boon as well as a bane. It is divisive by definition. Instead of promoting a strong, unifying identity, emphasis is on old, parochial ones. These identities may have been a v...
This is just porn; stay away from it.
I don’t have much to say about the movie, but I would like to comment on the director. Critics aren’t allowed to abuse the crew. But I am not a critic. So I take my liberty here - to call Sanjay Le...
A movie that treats you the way you treat art!
Abrid Shine created this movie with an agenda. An agenda that isn’t too obvious on the screen. You have to read between the lines. Or rather, see through the shots, to take out the message.
Triple Talaq
A few weeks ago, I told my mom that they are discussing about banning Triple Talaq(TT).
Tussle among the unequals.
Couple of days ago, I came across a news article describing how over three dozen shanties belonging to daily wage labourers were razed by authorities in Noida alleging that these stood on public la...
My old wallet.
I lost my wallet near a mob that was working on a man.
അമരം, നിർമാർജ്ജനം, ദരിദ്രം.
വളവ് തിരിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ ഷൂസിന്റെയുള്ളിൽ എന്തോ മുളക്കുന്നതു പോലെ. കൈ എത്തിച്ചു നോക്കിയപ്പോൾ ഉപ്പൂറ്റിക്ക് താഴെയായി രണ്ടു പഴുതാരകാലുകൾ മുളച്ചു വന്നിരിക്കുന്നു. ബൂട്ടിന്റെ ഉള്ളിൽ കിടന്ന് അവ അരിക്കുന്നതാണ് ച...
How you should be teaching values to your kid.
Kids should have values, undisputed truth. But how should you teach them?
Mascara, Butterflies and Mango Manchurian.
When my ancestors died, they were buried near the paddy fields. Dare someone to hold a funeral procession, it would be more deaths. The eldest male will carry the dead, wrapped in a “thazha paaya”...
Excerpts from the past - Bacon, 1624. [Series]
There is not under heaven so chaste a nation as this. It is the virgin of the world. There are no stews, no dissolute houses, no courtesans, not anything of that kind. Nay they wonder, with dete...
If biology doesn't get you, economics will.
I am known to re-post xkcd cartoons.
Catching the thoughts : Neural Networks.
[Republishing after updating some content]
A sea of lost dreams.
How far is it?
ആണും പെണ്ണും.
ഇന്നലെ കല്യാൺ നഗറിൽ ഭക്ഷണം കഴിക്കാൻ പോയപ്പോൾ പച്ച നിറത്തിലുള്ള ഒരു മനുഷ്യനെ കണ്ടു. തൊട്ടാൽ തുളുന്പുന്ന കറുകറുത്ത കണ്ണുകളിൽ വേറൊന്നും തന്നെ കാണാനില്ലായിരുന്നു. അകത്തേക്ക് പോകുന്നതെന്തും തിരിച്ചു വരാ...
Not to be taken for granted.
Today I was reflecting deeply about the way we take things for granted. We cannot take this planet for granted (thanks DiCaprio!), we cannot people around us for granted, we cannot take our beloved...
പ്രണയാരംഭം.
നമ്മുടെയൊക്കെ പ്രണയങ്ങൾ എവിടെ വെച്ച് തുടങ്ങി എന്നത് ഒടേതമ്പുരാന് പോലും കൃത്യമായി പറയാൻ സാധിക്കുന്ന ഒന്നാണോ?
Thoughts triggered by the death of Qandeel Baloch.
The death of Quandeel Baloch comes as a terrible blow to our brothers and sisters in Pakistan who are standing up against an oppressive society that is founded in Islamic fundamentalism.
മർഫിയുടെ നിയമം.
“ആ നാണയത്തുട്ട് നീ ഭണ്ഡാരത്തിലിട്ടാലും, നേർച്ചപ്പെട്ടിയിലിട്ടാലും, ഇനി കക്കൂസിലിട്ടാലും ഉള്ളുരുകി പ്രാർത്ഥിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ നടന്നിരിക്കും”.
Kenyon Commencement speech by David Foster Wallace , 2005.
David is talking about the banalities in our lives that all of us will have to deal with in the later part of our lives.
Catching the thoughts : Neural Networks.
==Research that throws light into the way neural networks work might change our understanding on how human thought process work. Here is how.==
Kammatti paadam - A tribute to lost souls and the songs they sung.
Kammatti paadam is an ode to the past, present and future of an upcoming metropolis that stands tall above the boneyards of the proletariat.
It's not about #PoMoneModi, It's about our own Attappady.
Keralites (Malayalis) have gone berserk over PM Narendra Modi’s remarks comparing the infant mortality rates in Attappady and Somalia.
'Just' the Gujarat Riots.
When disasters happen, we find solace behind the numbers. Numbers assuage the pain and help us to trivialise the suffering of others.
Why aren't we treated alike?
I came across this during my early morning browsing section.
21, The black jack.
I turned 22 last month. Life as a 21 year old was something I will cherish forever. Out of the 12 months I had in the calendar, I spent two months travelling.
Are college professors allowed to call students on their cell phones?
Read My answer to Are college professors allowed to call students on their cell phones? on Quora</span>
How do you cope with the feeling of inferiority when you're surrounded by brilliant minds?
Read Hashin Jithu's answer to How do you cope with the feeling of inferiority when you're surrounded by brilliant minds? on Quora
Inimical Love.
Once I was told to write a synopsis of life. I didn’t know for whom I was writing it for. It wasn’t meant to be personal. It had to be humane as well as indifferent to the vices and virtues of the ...
My Different Nation.
A sacred nation state is the last thing our founding fathers like Nehru or Ambedkar wanted India to become.
വാലന്റെ ദിനം, ധന്വന്തര മന്ത്രം - ആദിമ പകുതി.
അവന്റെ ശരീരം രോമാവൃതവും മീശരോമങ്ങൾ കാർബൺ ഫൈബറിനാൽ സമൃദ്ധവും ആകുന്നു. അവന്റെ അധരങ്ങൾക്ക് നെബുലകളുടെ പരിമളവും അവന്റെ മൂക്കിനു മുകളിൽ ഒരു കുഞ്ഞു ബ്ലാക്ക് ഹോളിന്റെ തുടിപ്പും ഉണ്ടാകുന്നു.
LLiness.
A quick story before I go to bed.
Love Now'Sadth.
I am a ghost house filled with empty words. Too many of them trying hard to escape the biological field that mashes them up in a futile attempt to make sense.
She is Euthymia.
A photo posted by Neha Nowshath (@neha_daidaiiro) on Nov 19, 2015 at 9:31am PST
I have problems with your moral sensitivities and there is nothing that you can do about it.
Before I begin, let me state that I am not sad about the suicide of Mr. Rohit Vemula [1]. For reference, I didn’t feel sad when the dead body of Aylan Kurdi was washed ashore at Turkish beaches on ...
കറുത്ത വാവ്.
അജ്മീറിലെ ദർഗയുടെ പുറത്തുള്ള മിനാരത്തിന്റെ അടിയിൽ വെച്ച് ഞാൻ മുഹ്യുദ്ധീൻ ഷെയ്ഖിന്റെ റൂഹിനെ കണ്ടു.
Happy New Year!
Okay, let’s think it this way.
Imma goin.
Vans in a vile, yu shud rait for yuvarself to reed. I don’t mind if peepil find it difikalt to anderstand. Ayam riting 4 maiself ant has novan to keyar for.
Patriarchy.
Research says only 40% of all the men who have walked on this planet have reproduced while 80% of the women gave birth to at least one offspring.
പച്ച മനുഷ്യൻ
റോഡരുകിൽ കാണുന്ന ആരോ പുകച്ചു തള്ളിയ സിഗരറ്റുകുറ്റികൾ എടുത്തു വലിക്കുന്ന ഒരു സുഹൃത്ത് എനിക്കുണ്ട്.
Ideas
The depth that life can get into is much more than our normal minds can render.
പ്രണയം
എന്തോ വല്ല്യ സംഭവം ആണെന്നാണ് വെപ്പ്…
Let's not kill the Internet that made us.
Cry people cry!
Wanderlust.
##Another (b)rave attempt to the uncharted waters of the Utter Poetry.
അലങ്കാരികം, ദുർവിനിയോഗം!
മണപ്പുറത്ത് കിടന്നു മുകളിലോട്ട് നോക്കുമ്പോൾ നക്ഷത്രങ്ങൾ തിളങ്ങുന്ന കാൻവാസിന് ചെറിയ മഞ്ഞ കലർന്ന കറുപ്പാണെന്ന് ദിലീപന് തോന്നി. മെല്ലെ തല ചെരിച്ചു നോക്കിയപ്പോൾ ദീപ്തി തന്നെ തന്നെ നോക്കി കിടപ്പാണ്. എ...
സൃഷ്ടി
സൃഷ്ടിക്കു വേണ്ടുന്ന ഊർജ്ജം അപാരമാണ്. കഥയാകട്ടെ, കവിതയാകട്ടെ, ചിത്രമാകട്ടെ, ഒരു മനുഷ്യനാകട്ടെ, അത് സൃഷ്ടിക്കുന്നവൻ സ്വയം ഉരുകി ഒലിക്കുന്നത് എന്തേ നിന്റെ കണ്ണുകൾ കാണുന്നില്ല?
The touch of Parvati
I need to write about love. Not about sex or lust. I am adamant about sticking to Indian mythology tonight. The sweet rains of summer has graced us and the cold breeze simply refuses to retreat.
We specialize in protection
This is how Ms. Leslee Udwin describes her interview with 34 year old Gaurav, who is serving his ten year term in Tihar Jail for raping a 5 year old girl. “He told me in minute detail what he h...
What is the best way to use Quora to develop a personal philosophy and live well?
Read Quote of Hashin Jithu’s answer to Quora: What is the best way to use Quora to develop a personal philosophy and live well? on Quora
Ayesha, You shall return
Hundreads of seconds have passed since I last called her. You know, we live in a galaxy where it is next to impossible for a 1 to talk with a 0. For starters, our 1’s and 0’s are concepts similar t...
Interesting times are coming!
#####About the government ad that omitted the words “Secular” and “Socialist” from the preamble of India.
The gargantuan gag.
Once in a while you feel that you simply don’t exist. You are so much stupefied by the grand scheme of things that you look at the matter that makes you up and holds all those molecules that define...
I will suffer in Happiness!
Found this amazing comic at [Existential Comics.](http://existentialcomics.com/comic/42)
Enough with this foreign language frenzy!
English was there around in India much before I was born. I was exposed to it around the same time I started learning Malayalam.
Reading Adultery.
I have searched spirituality in the hundreds of man hours spend much before I was born.
My Dog- The Paradox.
One of the must reads from The Oatmeal.
The Duke's Mixture.
It is not everyday that you stumble upon an obscure idiom and start wondering about its connotations. It happens once in while for me with two most possible outcomes - me falling head over heels to...
Some of my favorite xkcd's.
Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitab...