Politics
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...
The American Verse
American verse is a queer mixture of everything avant-garde. Strongly drilled into their national culture is the fascination for differences and an almost infectious urge to differ.
How the Taliban will seek to win the world's hearts and minds
It is no secret now. The Talibani troops, a hotpotch coalition of nobodies - have taken over Afghanistan. They have somehow managed to cut through a modern army like a knife through the butter. But...
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...
Making vaccines for the world.
Vaccinating the world is, needless to emphasize, a complicated problem. It has technological, economic, social and political aspects that aren’t easily solved. As studies suggest that there is a hu...
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...
Does Compassion Correlate with Wealth?
I am not trying to answer this question (in the title) from an individualistic perspective. That’d be a philosophical quest, which is well beyond my remit here. However, it is possible to answer th...
The era of global politics driving the local.
In democracies, local political compulsions drive the policy. Often, there are mechanisms in place to make sure that these compulsions don’t lead to undesirable outcomes. This could be a wrong fore...
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.
Appetite for a darker worldview.
So these are the thoughts for the day.*
Community transmission in Kerala.
Community transmission is not a dirty word. In epidemiology, it is an eventuality that is to be expected.
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...
A short history of dead babies walking.
For dead babies to walk, they have to die first. Perhaps, that is the most difficult part of this short history. In order to write this, some babies had to die. Now, it was not my wish to have them...
Show your disagreement with CAA.
Click here to show your disagreement with CAA. And make a missed call.
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 ...
Writing about myths.
I once wrote about myths - of what their purpose is. Why do we have myths?
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 ...
Feminism and Science.
It is tempting to look at feminism as a social movement based on a social science construct - the feminist theory. But it is much more than that. It has a well defined utility of making science mor...
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.
Of Data Democracy and beyond - Part 1.
Democracy derives its legitimacy from “will of the people”. If the people are deprived of real information, their ability to make suitable decisions is impaired. This renders Democracy meaningless.
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...
Revenge of the Barbarians.
It is of great use if History is not written by historians, but anthropologists. If not anthropologists entirely, the service of a few will definitely make the endeavour more productive and the end...
The idea of Gandhi.
Today marks the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The man was killed, his followers confused and his ideals vanquished in an act of violence. But the question remains - what did he stand f...
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...
Was the Muslim world more secular in the 1970s than now?
My answer to the question of how Islamic world has evolved from ‘yet another’ society to the one we have right now. In the process, you will see that the usuals suspects are not the real villains. ...
Ram, Rahim and religions of the world.
As I am writing this, One lakh followers of Dera Sacha Sauda is holed up in the residence of Ram Rahim Singh. Since their violence against society has failed, the next logical step is violence a...
The Story of Ishi.
Ishi was a man, a man who was the last of his tribe.
How you should be teaching values to your kid.
Kids should have values, undisputed truth. But how should you teach them?
One more Crusade Sir? No, Thanks!
I recently came across this collection of songs. No doubt, a fine one at it, but the twist is that you should read the comments!
If biology doesn't get you, economics will.
I am known to re-post xkcd cartoons.
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...
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.
Why aren't we treated alike?
I came across this during my early morning browsing section.
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 ...
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.
When I met the ghost again!
I recently updated to Ghost 0.6.4 on Openshift. I am currently on the honeymoon period and enjoying the product well. A big thanks to Kiko Beats for providing an amazing theme on which I could buil...
Let's not kill the Internet that made us.
Cry people cry!
A Speech that can unite the whole of Humanity
Video removed. This speech is getting more and more relevant today. Nothing is comparable to the angst you get when you could relate to the feelings and thoughts of a man who is nothing but lo...
Interesting times are coming!
#####About the government ad that omitted the words “Secular” and “Socialist” from the preamble of India.
My different nation.
Patriotism is just like a threadless kite. You set it free and you never know where it goes. Nationalism is woven around a very thin moral fabric, which no one knows how to handle.