Category Archives: writers

Rabindranath Tagore Rejects His Knighthood – 1919

Posted on May 19, 2011 by

Celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary are ongoing all over the world.  I’ve always been moved by Tagore’s literary work, which is well worth the read despite being canonical.  But I wanted to share here his powerful letter to … Continue reading →

Posted in empire, india, Rabindranath Tagore, writers

Mark Twain on patriotism

Posted on May 4, 2011 by

The quotation below from Mark Twain (thanks to FB!) captures exactly how I feel about the blood-lust on display in many US streets right now, and frankly the anger I feel that after ten years of violence and bloodshed and … Continue reading →

Posted in 9/11, nationalism, war, writers | Tagged

Three Day Festival for Binayak Sen | Hard News

Posted on April 10, 2011 by

A wonderful series of events in Delhi…which I missed because I was away! —————- A plethora of eminent artists, filmmakers,journalists, academicians, young students and activists got together for the three day event aptly christened ‘Justice on Trial’. It was a … Continue reading →

Posted in art and politics, arundhati roy, civil liberties, india, kashmir | Tagged ,

Justice for Niyamat Ansari | Statement

Posted on March 19, 2011 by

The following statement was published on March 11 after the murder of activist Niyamat Ansari by Maoists in the Indian state of Jharkhand.  Ansari was an activist for enforcing the people’s entitlements under National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).  For … Continue reading →

Posted in arundhati roy, india, labor rights | Tagged , ,

Sedition and the Indian Penal Code

Posted on November 30, 2010 by

As I’ve been discussing on this blog, Arundhati, Geelani and others have been charged for “sedition” under Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code.  The language of the law is so incredibly broad that it can’t possible co-exist with the … Continue reading →

Posted in arundhati roy, civil liberties, india, kashmir, writers | Tagged ,

Arundhati: Indict Nehru for Sedition, Too

Posted on November 29, 2010 by

Arundhati Roy’s response to being charged for sedition. 28 November 2010 “My reaction to today’s court order directing the Delhi Police to file an FIR against me for waging war against the state: Perhaps they should posthumously file a charge … Continue reading →

Posted in arundhati roy, civil liberties, democracy, india, kashmir | Tagged ,

Delhi Police Charge Arundhati, Geelani for Sedition

Posted on November 29, 2010 by

Sedition Case Registered Against Arundhati Roy, Geelani Press Trust of India | 29 November 2010 “New Delhi: Writer Arundhati Roy, Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani and others were on Monday booked on charges of sedition by Delhi Police for … Continue reading →

Posted in arundhati roy, civil liberties, delhi 2010-11, democracy, india, kashmir

Arundhati: Kashmir’s Fruits of Discord

Posted on November 9, 2010 by

Kashmir’s Fruits of Discord By Arundhati Roy November 9 | The New York Times “A WEEK before he was elected in 2008, President Obama said that solving the dispute over Kashmir’s struggle for self-determination — which has led to three … Continue reading →

Posted in arundhati roy, india, kashmir, obama, south asia | Tagged

LeftyProf on Sir Salman

Posted on June 21, 2007 by

The Rushdie Affair, Episode Two Great entry from a new blog. Show him some love, folks. Here’s the passage that I thought really captured what this means in terms of Rushdie’s place as a postcolonial writer: “Rushdie is no heroic … Continue reading →

Posted in salman rushdie | 1 Comment

The Farce of Rushdie’s Knighthood

Posted on June 20, 2007 by

I completely disagree with those who have called for violence against Salman Rushdie for being knighted by the queen of England this weekend. As a few people around the world have noticed, the man can write and has something important … Continue reading →

Posted in salman rushdie | 2 Comments