Hilal Ahmed
The contradictions in Pak army chief's speech that expose flaws in Pakistan's narrative
Pak army chief’s pre-terror attack speech was an example of the violent Islam of the Pakistani state, writes a political scientist
Why affirmative action should move beyond quotas for Muslims
A new social policy framework based on a completely secular criterion of socio-economic backwardness is needed to address the concerns of the marginalised community
What Constitutes Balance
We are celebrating our Constitution. Some thoughts on it: representing voters is imagined as a secular activity, voter, as a secular individual, MPs, MLAs as addressing minorities’ concerns in a secular, moral way
Is Aurangzeb really a hero for Indian Muslims?
In this excerpt from ‘A Brief History of the Present: Muslims in New India’, the scholar and columnist provides a deeper understanding of how the sixth Mughal emperor’s legacy is debated, showing that his political and personal choices do not align with modern Muslim identity or historical revivalism efforts
Mahatma’s three faces
‘Govt’ Gandhi is being replaced by parties with new official figures, ‘weak’ Gandhi is criticised in popular discourse, ‘political’ Gandhi is a powerful force for grassroots people’s movements
8%: Why some Muslims voted for Modi
A tiny proportion of the community accepted BJP, for different reasons. State-level factors dominated. Labharthi card worked. Class was a determinant as well
Mandir mathematics
Opposition leaders are criticising the ceremony instead of Ram temple itself. BJP sees this. So its voter outreach will be temple-plus
- Hilal Ahmed
- TNN
Of Constitution and voters
Who wins in general elections isn’t the only thing that matters. What ideas of democracy and social justice get traction matters greatly
5 reasons why BJP smiles and Congress sweats
Modi’s party smartly combines cultural signalling, leadership & state support. Nehru-Gandhis’ party is confused about Hindu sentiments, muddled about welfare & bad at managing dissent
Counting castes, counting votes...then?
Decoding the caste census politics: No one can diss the market, and no one dares diss quotas. But no neta can also admit to the limits of this social justice politics
- Hilal Ahmed
- TNN
The INDIA question
Opposition group’s key challenge is not just that BJP is a strong electoral competitor but that the party is the anchor of the dominant political discourse of Hindutva
- Hilal Ahmed
- TNN
BJP’s new frame for Muslim picture
PM Modi touched upon controversial issues – triple talaq, UCC, Pasmanda Muslims – to underscore his political imaginations of Muslims of India.
Does Opposition understand the Muslim vote?
Karnataka result neither means BJP has no gameplan for minority vote nor that non-BJP parties can ignore stratification within the community
- Hilal Ahmed
- TNN
Why ban on The Kerala Story only helps Hindutva politics
Bengal ban on The Kerala Story only strengthens the right wing’s victim card. It also sidesteps the state’s real responsibility, which is to manage the aftereffects of screening
Why religion cannot be separated from politics
Karnataka’s mutts & institutions of all faiths elsewhere are part of Indian electoral politics because of complex social transactions. Simple modernist arguments don’t get this
- Hilal Ahmed
- TNN
After NCERT books, will it be the turn of Mughal monuments?
Writing, or revising, any textbook is an official statement made by the state and thus invariably an ideological project, whether or not ‘pressure is eased’ on students
Can there be politics beyond elections?
Parties would have us believe there’s no space for morally committed political endeavour. But people’s movements in today’s India speak of the politics of justice, inclusiveness and equality
How BJP, AAP merged religion with roti, kapada, makaan
BJP in Gujarat is an excellent example of how big messages can be meshed with subaltern concerns
How Gujarat fell in love with Hindutva politics
Hindutva became the defining political common-sense in the state thanks to the party’s better statecraft