Introduction Casteism in Tamil Nadu was not just a social habit — it was a deeply entrenched system that governed religion, politics, economy, and personal life. Before Periyar E. V. Ramasamy emerged as a radical reformer in the early 20th century, casteism was woven into the fabric of everyday life. This blog traces how casteismContinue reading “Casteism in Tamil Nadu Before Periyar: The System and the Struggle for Equality”
Author Archives: askenni
Who Said Protecting Hinduism Is Part of Your Dharma?
In recent years, a strange idea has taken deep root in the Indian Hindu psyche — that protecting one’s religion is part of one’s dharma. The average devotee now believes that safeguarding Hinduism from perceived enemies is not just a moral duty, but a sacred obligation. The slogan “Save Sanatana Dharma” has become a rallying cryContinue reading “Who Said Protecting Hinduism Is Part of Your Dharma?”
Without an ‘Other,’ Can Hinduism Truly Exist?
Hinduism is often praised as a religion of pluralism — a tradition that celebrates diversity, philosophy, and harmony. But a closer look at its history reveals a deeper paradox: Hindu peace has rarely existed without an “other” to define itself against. This “other” has taken different forms across centuries — caste, religion, and politics —Continue reading “Without an ‘Other,’ Can Hinduism Truly Exist?”
The Color of Shame: Why Brown India Still Worships White
In a country of brown people, why is blackening the face a mark of insult while whitening it a mark of beauty? That contradiction says more about our collective psychology than we care to admit. Originally, “blackening” wasn’t about skin at all — it was a moral metaphor. In Sanskrit thought, tamas(darkness) meant ignorance, deceit, or moral decay, while prakāśa (light)Continue reading “The Color of Shame: Why Brown India Still Worships White”
The Contradiction of New India’s Valor
The new India wants to showcase itself to the world as a nation of winners — a clan that does not bend, that tolerates no nonsense, that carries the spirit of “never say die.” It is a powerful image, carefully cultivated in speeches, campaigns, and global platforms. But then, in the very next breath, theContinue reading “The Contradiction of New India’s Valor”
Tamil RSS Cadres: Traitors to Their Own Soil
The RSS in Tamil Nadu is an odd paradox. On the one hand, its cadres wrap themselves in the saffron cloak of nationalism; on the other, they blindly surrender their cultural identity to an ideology born far from Tamil soil. Let us be blunt: Tamil RSS cadres should be termed traitors — not to India,Continue reading “Tamil RSS Cadres: Traitors to Their Own Soil”
Cricket: From Admiration to Patriotism
Associating cricket with patriotism is a modern-day narrative. In the 1980s, the game carried no such baggage. For my friends and me, cricket was about talent, style, and charisma. The postcards we treasured most were not of Indian players but of Pakistani cricketers like Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, and Wasim Akram, or West Indian legendsContinue reading “Cricket: From Admiration to Patriotism”
The Atrocities We Choose to Remember – and the Ones We Bury
Indian history, as taught and retold, is less a mirror of truth and more a carefully curated narrative. We grow up hearing of the cruelties of the Mughals, the plunder of invaders, and the ruthless policies of the British Raj. The story is repeated endlessly: Mughal atrocities on Hindus, British atrocities on both Hindus andContinue reading “The Atrocities We Choose to Remember – and the Ones We Bury”
Tamils Are Hindus — But Not of Sanatana Dharma
Long before the Sanskrit hymns of the Vedas echoed across northern plains, Tamils had their own gods, their own rituals, their own temples — a living faith that bore no connection to Sanatana Dharma. Murugan, Amman, Ayyanar — these were not footnotes in a larger Hindu story. They were the story. Sanatana Dharma is notContinue reading “Tamils Are Hindus — But Not of Sanatana Dharma”
The Cleverest Divide: How Brahminism Broke the Shudra Unity
When we talk about caste in India, we often think in terms of thousands of communities, each with its own sub-caste, customs, and identity markers. But step back for a moment, and you see something fascinating: this fragmentation was not accidental, it was engineered. At the top of the hierarchy sat the Brahmins, the self-appointedContinue reading “The Cleverest Divide: How Brahminism Broke the Shudra Unity”