Features

Why Patels Can’t Complain

Kumar Anshuman

An unjustified demand for reservations by a dominant group has engulfed Gujarat in a caste struggle for power

The Cave Paintings of Our Time

Aresh Shirali

An adfilm can leave an impression. But the most arresting ‘cave art’ would perhaps always be the kind that grants one’s gaze the luxury of time to look again

MM Kalburgi (1938-2015): Death of a Dissenter

Ram Puniyani

The murder of Professor MM Kalburgi is part of a disturbing pattern of intolerance

A Call to Action

V Shoba

Yadgir in Karnataka has abysmal levels of literacy, housing and sanitation. But almost every adult has a cellphone. Can mobile networks connect the dots of the district’s developmental trail?

Sexual Consent: Yes for the Record

Shreya Sethuraman

There are now apps that register sexual consent. Just in case of a dispute later

Come Home for Supper

Mohini Chaudhuri

Amateur chefs woo foodies for exotic meals and great table conversation

The age-old Jain practice of Santhara has been held illegal by a court, raising old questions anew. Does the state own every life under it, or does our right to life also include the right to stop living?

Knock Down the Great Wall of Secrecy

Aresh Shirali

Having tom-tommed share ownership by the proletariat, China must have figured it had to keep prices up. Even after this crash, Chinese stocks are overpriced

Bihar: The Great Election Scare

Tufail Ahmad

How political parties in Bihar increasingly use fear as a tool to draw Muslim votes

Simmering Border Heat

Ullekh NP

NSA-level talks called off. LoC tensions on the rise. Non-state actors on a rampage. Is Pakistan’s military brass emboldened by an upcoming opportunity in Afghanistan?