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RSS – Roots and Wings of Authoritarianism

ELEVEN years of rule of the Modi government has seen a drastic and dangerous erosion of democracy in India. This is not confined to just the electoral system but to all round dismantling of democratic rights, further marginalisation of under-privileged sections, institutional capture by the Sangh Parivar, hollowing out of Constitutional and statutory bodies, destabilising of State governments and their architecture, and the vitiation of society by violence and intimidation emanating from the toxic ideology of Hindutva.

Not Mere Symbol, Birsa Munda is a Living Philosophy

15th November was the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda. He was an iconic fighter of the tribals of Chotanagpur for the rights of the tribal people for water, forest and land. This fight in the early parts of the nineteenth century developed as an integral part of our peoples’ struggle against colonial British rule and earned Birsa that iconic status. However, Birsa’s contribution went far beyond. His intellectual and philosophical imagination introduced a larger world view from the tribal traditional life and livelihood standpoint. This analysis throws light on these aspects.

Fifth Anniversary of Farmers’ Protest: Significance of November 26 Agitation

NOVEMBER 26, 2025 marked the 5th anniversary of the beginning of the historic farmers’ struggle at the Delhi borders, actively supported by the united trade union movement. This was the largest mass struggle of peasants and workers in the contemporary history of Independent India. As many as 736 people sacrificed their lives during the protest and the Union government was forced to repeal the three farm laws.

An Anthem of Divisive Intent

EVERY nation has an anthem, but India is unique in having a song that competes for prestige. The two decisions -- on adopting Rabindranath Tagore’s Jana Gana Mana as national anthem and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Vande Mataram as national song – were made the same day in the Constituent Assembly. There was no discussion, nor any thought given to the role either would play in public life.Rules were written in later years, stipulating how and when the national anthem would be played, and the public deference that was its due. No equivalent rules exist for the “national song”.

The Tasks before Publishing Houses

“IT cannot be business as usual,” said M A Baby while kick-starting a discussion among publishers associated with the Party. “The Party Congress has identified neo-fascism as a serious threat. We cannot take this threat lightly. We have to confront it frontally.” This was part of a one-day meeting held in Chennai on October 30, 2025. It was attended by 19 representatives of 11 publishing houses from different parts of India.

RSS and the Great Betrayal of Adivasis

The government sponsored ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh’ (Tribal Pride Year) ends on November 15, 2025, which is the 150th Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda, the great tribal leader who led an Adivasi revolt against the landlords and British at the end of the 19th century, and died in jail. The Sangh Parivar, and the BJP-led governments at the Centre and states, have been active in publicising Birsa Munda and other tribal leaders as part of their long-standing strategy of winning over the Adivasi communities of India.

Remembering November: Imperialism in these Adverse Times

In the run up to the final moments of reckoning for the New York City mayoral elections, as it was becoming apparent that Zohran Mamdani would win, no one less than Donald Trump himself confirmed what was going to happen in his own inimitable fashion. A rank outsider in the political process in the United States, Mamdani was leading all the other candidates hands down.

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