Tag Constitution
I Watched The Kerala Story
Last night, we finally went to watch the film. I wanted to know what the film was going to bring to the table. What I heard and what I read about the film were the exact opposites, and that kindled my curiosity. And then, the last weekend, when I met my cousin, she seemed in favour of the film. And that increased my curiosity. Finally, yesterday, I gave in. Mentioning the plot in short is customary in pieces like these, and so, here goes:
To wear or not to wear the Hijab
Let me start this by saying that the school of thought within Hinduism that we follow at home, teaches us to be not disrespectful of any school of thought. This does not mean we agree with everything, though; we instead appreciate the fact that there are more-than-one ways of seeing anything. Philosophy aside, I am a man of science. Scientific thinking partially goes in line with the school of thought we follow, but digresses a little, in that scientific thinking allows every form of questioning.
Are We an Independent State
Political fads come and go. More so when the elections are around. National level fads peak at the time of the Lok Sabha elections. Having said that, they are not confined to those times. Before we begin, let me state that this is not a political post, even though it starts with the word “political”. This post is about a political phenomenon. Also, this post does not state the obvious for most people, because history from a couple of centuries ago has taken a back seat in our heads (as is evident by some of the responses that I saw on social media).
The CAA is not about throwing out people
Over the last week, I saw protests everywhere. Most groups (not WhatsApp groups) that I am part of had a discussion about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act going. I even surprised some that I was taking the stand I was, given my track record of having ideas contrary to the ruling party’s. I find it difficult to explain to people that having rational thoughts is all I do. Let me get to the point: The CAA is not about throwing people out.
The other side of the Hyderabad encounter
I met a friend of mine today, and heard an interesting perspective. A light discussion began on the Hyderabad killings, from her saying, ‘I have started feeling that they could have been innocent.’ But in no time, one sentence led to another, and we were on the opposite sides—neither of us believing that the four were fully innocent, but at the same time, me standing by the Constitution and her standing by the police.
Were the Hyderabad killings right
The first piece of text I read upon waking up yesterday was that the police had killed the alleged rapists of the veterinarian in Hyderabad1. It took me a moment to let it sink in. This was like the films, where film heroes go about threatening criminals, ‘I will take you down and term it an encounter.’ I am no “liberal community”. This is important. More important is that I respect the Constitution.
Kashmir and Article 370: Part Three
In the last two posts, we understood the technical aspects of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. To repeat for the benefit of those who landed here directly, this is the third part of the three-part series on the Act. Part One of the series is about the background of the formation of the Union of India and accession of Jammu and Kashmir to it. Part Two of the series is about the current situation, along with the legal and geo-political view of the change.
Kashmir and Article 370: Part Two
This is the second part of the three-part series on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. If you came here directly, this post alone will not do justice to the situation. Go back and read Part One. Reading the series partially will make you judgemental with limited knowledge. This article is available as a typeset printable PDF as well. This post talks about the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Kashmir and Article 370: Part One
We heard a lot of noise throughout the last week over the abrogation of Article 370 (and subsequently, Article 35A). Everyone kept saying: Article 370 is “no longer valid” in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Why, Jammu and Kashmir was no more a state! But then, as with all noises, this noise added to the confusion in our minds. And before we go any further, let me say in simple English, what Article 370 and Article 35A are.