PROFESSOR Aijaz Ahmad, who passed away last week in Irvine, California, was one of the foremost Marxist intellectuals of our times.  His significance as a Marxist theoretician came to prominence in the period after the retreat of socialism in the late 1980s and which led to the dismantling of the Soviet Union in 1991.His erudition and talents were wide-ranging. He began his work as an Urdu writer and literary critic.

YOU cannot see me, I am invisible. No, it is not me who wakes you up with a cup of hot piping coffee, served early in the morning. Oh, sorry, to wake you up. I know, you cannot be ‘woke’.Your breakfast? Find it on the table. Sorry, will serve it. Please be seated. Yes, of course it is my duty. It is not tasty? Or is it not to your taste? Beg you, spare me, will not repeat it. Oh, no, it is not me who had made it, because I am invisible. But I am responsible for that tasteless thing or that thing which is not up to your taste.A spot of leftovers on the plate? Ugh, curse my day!

THE Russian invasion of Ukraine has set in motion developments that will have long term implications on European and world affairs. A full-fledged military operation on such a big scale  mounted by Russia, whatever may be the provocations and perceived security threats, is not the way to resolve issues.  An immediate ceasefire and recourse to diplomatic talks and negotiations must be undertaken.TWO IMPORTANT FACTORS There are two important factors leading to the situation that need to be taken into account.  The first are the developments that have taken pl

INDIA has seen an increase in anti-minority far-right narratives in recent years. The country's top lawmaking body itself has become an apparatus that fundamentally operates against Muslim/Christian and dalit citizens, reinforcing their state of otherness and fostering communalism. Many parts of the country have witnessed incidents of lynching in the name of religion. Worryingly, in most of these cases the culprits are getting acquitted and even laws are being reframed in favour of such vigilantes.

THE recent wrangle between the prime minister, chief minister of Telangana and union power minister exposes one of the false narratives the central government has been building, even while putting spotlight on how crony capitalism is appropriating yet another human endeavour to save mother earth, for its ugly profiteering.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that his government was supplying power at the rate of Rs 1.10 per unit to states was squarely challenged by chief minister of Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao and he called it a lie.