Meltdown

Peace has eluded India's North East for a long time. Legacy of identifying and indicating areas as 'disturbed' predates India's independence. As years pile on the disturbed region/community already under strain and stretched to its wits in terms of resources to maintain its normal functioning, disintegrates slowly. In Manipur, Irom Sharmila Chanu is not the sole influence on people though uniqueness of her stance stands out. She is however, not the only participant in the troubled region, unlike other regions that has witnessed social strife and political turmoil and the movements and responses they incubate, including the neighbouring areas. Women, do participate in all troubled zones; the usual mode is of a victim. As political agents or one with their own subjectivity, their association to political disorder and social strife is an exception, not a rule. Middle age...

It was June 1996 and the 11 th Lok Sabha was in session,  Sushma Swaraj was speaking and a no confidence vote was being debated. Among many other things she said in India parents name their children Somnat h (his  father has a right wing orientation) and his political orientation was left. Sushma Swaraj’s emphasis on name is to tie the political choices to lineage, family, religion and tradition. Through emphasis on name, Somnath, she intended to mock those who ‘belittle’ religion, misunderstand 'culture'. 21 years later, Sushma Swaraj’s party, the BJP is in power, she as external ‘affairs’ minister reacted to attacks on African nationals in the parliament, this year in April. She expressed her surprise that India is being bracketed as xenophobic and racist and treated such issues as more or less settled.   Can one ‘settle’ in this tradition without settling scores about skin, its colour, apart from bearing a name that reveals religion? Another leader Tarun Vijay belongi...