It’s one of those ironies that can make you smile — and then think. The millions of devotees who bow to Lord Ram, who wear his image in their hearts, abstain from meat as a mark of devotion. Yet, if we go back to the oldest scriptures, Ram himself was not vegetarian. In Valmiki’s Ramayana, hunting wasContinue reading “Ram Devotees Are Vegetarians…But Ram Himself Was Not”
Category Archives: BLOGS
The Holy Cow and the Filthy Boar: India’s Selective Divinity
Isn’t it strange that cows, despite not being called “divine” or “holy” in any Hindu scripture, are treated like walking gods in India — free to block roads, interrupt traffic, and occasionally bless political campaigns — while the boar, one of Vishnu’s ten avatars, is seen as filthy and untouchable? So the animal that saved theContinue reading “The Holy Cow and the Filthy Boar: India’s Selective Divinity”
Thanks to the Northies
A Tamil, born to Tamil parents and having spent nearly 20 years in Bombay — I had never truly heard of Thanthai Periyar. Once, my mother mentioned him in passing: “He was a bad man — an atheist who broke idols of Hindu gods on roads.” That was all. Even during five years of hostel lifeContinue reading “Thanks to the Northies”
Casteism in Tamil Nadu Before Periyar: The System and the Struggle for Equality
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”
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”