Articles by: Pushkar Raj

Reflections on the Death of a Philosopher Colleague – A Tribute in Exclamation Marks

Reflections on the Death of a Philosopher Colleague – A Tribute in Exclamation Marks

The message flashed on my phone informing death of a Delhi University, Philosophy Assistant Professor, Samarveer Singh ‘by suicide’ in his rented accommodation near the University! I did not know Samarveer. But that is not important! I was surprised, why would an Assistant Professor with Delhi University, (the second-best job in India, the first being Indian Army), employed with presumably[Read More…]

by 10/05/2023 Comments are Disabled India
Power and Glory in Times of Disease and Death

Power and Glory in Times of Disease and Death

As the weeks long birthday festivity of the leadership is rejoiced country wide, the covid is still raging. The carnival is in line with the post covid decisions and actions of the leadership demonstrating a pursuit of personal power and glory instead of national interest in the times of disease and death. The national interest, a term synonymous with the[Read More…]

by 22/09/2021 Comments are Disabled India
Are there any Human Rights of a Missing Soldier?

Are there any Human Rights of a Missing Soldier?

As we celebrate the International Human Rights Day, it is worthwhile to ask if a missing soldier of the country has any of rights that we commemorate with fanfare. This might sound an insulting query in a country which swears by the breath, life, and death of its soldiers. This is rightly so, for, the soldier is the cream of[Read More…]

by 09/12/2020 Comments are Disabled Human Rights
Gandhi and Relevance of Writers and Activists

Gandhi and Relevance of Writers and Activists

As we celebrate another birth anniversary of the father of the nation, it is worth recognising that the thinkers, writers, and activists are valuable for a society. Gandhi represented all of these, leaving a mark on the humanity that even his enemies find hard to deny. Some argue that it was the matter of time and Independence would have come[Read More…]

by 02/10/2020 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Emergency and Dystopia

Emergency and Dystopia

As we commemorate suspension  of democracy during emergency in 1975, it is disturbing to note that  police are on spree to  arrest  and  detain people  and send them to jail as arbitrarily as then. Police knock at  the door of  journalists  and social activists ;  one can be charged for airing views on television, or  posting comments  on social media.[Read More…]

by 24/06/2020 Comments are Disabled India
Human rights’ activists on trial

Human rights’ activists on trial

The supreme court has extended the house arrest of five human rights activists who were arrested last week. However, when the case comes before it on 12th September, it would be a enormous service to nation if it could reflect on the larger picture of the country in which human rights activists are branded, framed, arrested and sent to jail[Read More…]

by 07/09/2018 2 comments Human Rights
 Credibility crisis of India’s higher institutions

 Credibility crisis of India’s higher institutions

The Credibility of India’s top institutions has lately suffered affecting governance and democracy in the country. Its  strong indication came in the form of the impeachment motion against the chief justice of India which was rejected by the  Vice president and  was subsequently challenged in the highest Court. When the case challenging legality of the vice president’s action came before[Read More…]

by 21/06/2018 Comments are Disabled India
Why Propaganda Passes As News In (Indian) Media

Why Propaganda Passes As News In (Indian) Media

  It is a common refrain in the country that news has declined in content and quality. Social media is full of debate on the issue since innovations like the paid news and scandals like Radia tape. A common thread of concern is that the media is scandalizing, preaching and serving the masses a low comedy in the  name of[Read More…]

by 17/11/2017 1 comment India
Protest Against Violence

Protest Against Violence

    More than hundred military veterans wrote to the prime minister last week dissenting growing violence against people in the country.  Earlier, last month, thousands of people in several cities protested against the widespread incidence of mob violence against Muslims and Dalits. According to IndiaSpend, a data journalism website, 38 people have been killed in 61 attacks since Narendra Modi[Read More…]

by 07/08/2017 1 comment India
Dangers of Vigilante Politics

Dangers of Vigilante Politics

  The country is experiencing a spate of violence with cases of lynching in different parts of India. The citizen is hapless and government is unresponsive betraying its authoritarian tendencies rooted in its ideology. Over a couple of decades , BJP has grown on vigilante politics rooted in ideology of RSS and Hindutva, a distorted interpretation of Hinduism which is[Read More…]

by 14/07/2017 1 comment India
Decline Of Human Rights Protection Regime

Decline Of Human Rights Protection Regime

The recent summoning of Chhattisgarh officials by the National Human Rights Commissions (NHRC) for abuse of power is significant due to the expectations from human rights protection institutions in the country to deliver on their mandate. However, concerned officials may never appear before the commission to explain their conduct indicating a steep decline in human rights protection regime in the[Read More…]

by 10/12/2016 1 comment Human Rights
Pink, Akira And Ten Years Of Police Reform In India 

Pink, Akira And Ten Years Of Police Reform In India 

Pink and Akira, two recent Bollywood hit films, depict an ugly reality of the police in India. It seems much has not changed in country for the last ten years since the Supreme Court in Prakash Singh case ordered in September 2006 that the police must be made functionally autonomous and accountable by enacting new police laws. After 1947, Indian[Read More…]

by 14/11/2016 1 comment Human Rights
Freedom From AFSPA In J&K And Manipur

Freedom From AFSPA In J&K And Manipur

  As India celebrates its anniversary of independence from the British rule it, is worthwhile to ask when the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur will get freedom from the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act 1958 (AFSPA) which is no less than being living under the colonial rule. The law that the British conceived in the wake of quit[Read More…]

by 16/08/2016 2 comments Human Rights
In Defence Of The Writer

In Defence Of The Writer

The recent Chennai High court judgment concerning the writer Perumal Murugan is a requisite addition to the Indian jurisprudence as it underlines the relationship between the writer and society, which has lately suffered from grave confusion. Permual Murugan was hauled up in the court of law for describing a cultural practice of Tamil Nadu through a novel Madhurobhagan, published in[Read More…]

by 22/07/2016 2 comments India
Negotiating With Undeclared Emergency

Negotiating With Undeclared Emergency

Last month, Hyderabad police registered a case against Prof. Kancha Ilaiah for writing an article in a Telugu daily, entitled ‘Is God not a democrat’? The article questioned inequality in society and discussed concept of god. For doing so the professor was reproached for insulting sentiments of a community and charged for promoting enmity between different religious groups under section[Read More…]

by 26/06/2016 6 comments Human Rights
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