Category Gender, Pluralism and Social Inclusion

Beyond Flowers and Festivities: A Historical and Institutional Analysis of International Women’s Day

Originating in the early 20th-century labor movements, IWD has evolved into a globally recognized event, championed by the United Nations and grassroots organizations. It highlights both the progress achieved in women's rights and the enduring disparities that necessitate continued advocacy.

Reclaiming Dalit Identity: From Sant Ravidas’s Teachings to Contemporary Expressions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech at Varanasi commemorating the 647th birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas,emphasised the creation of an egalitarian society — one driven by ideals of social justice. A society where people from the margins are marching towards the epicentre with great hope for creating a community free from social evils, a society made up by liberated souls. With the unveiling of the statue of Sant Ravidas, Modi talked about how the ills of the caste system are destroying humanity. This transported me to the words of Sant Ravidas, “Jaat-paat ke pher mahi urjhi rahi sab log/ Mannushta ku khat hai, Ravidas jat kar rog” (Everyone is trapped in the caste system/ Ravidas, humanity is being eaten up by the disease called caste).

In his speech, he said that the BJP government has been instrumental in revitalising the teachings of Sant Ravidas as they embody a movement to reclaim history, give voice to underrepresented groups, and change the way politics is framed. The BJP has been successful in transforming the social and cultural reality of the country. The current political dispensation’s policies have been centred around the empowerment of marginalised people. With this approach, the BJP government is attempting to harmonise some facets of its governance model with that of Begumpura, the city without sorrow envisioned by the poet-saint, through the prioritisation of social justice, equality, and development.

Enhancing Women’s Property Rights Through Financial Empowerment and Legal Reforms

Economic self-sufficiency is crucial for women’s emancipation because it fundamentally enables autonomy, freedom, and the empowerment necessary to make decisions. It also allows women to live beyond the limits imposed by patriarchal norms.

Equality in the workplace, along with the recognition and enforcement of women’s property rights, are vital instruments for ensuring women’s economic and financial independence.

Urban Development: Impact of National Schemes on Marginalised Communities

Since 2014, under Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India’s socio-political discourse has shifted to the right, driven by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS’s) ideology. The unprecedented moves like the triple talaq ban, Article 370 revocation, Citizenship Amendment Act-National Register of Citizens (CAA-NRC) legislation, and the Ram Janmabhoomi project reflect this shift, enabled by capturing institutions, media, judiciary, and public imagination.

Moving beyond its established role as a socio-political-cultural ideology with core philosophy of othering of those not belonging to the wider Hindu fold, Hindutva’s new phase is now possibly shaping cities and the urban lived environment, as a site for demonstrating ideology – socially, culturally and spatially. The targeted demolition of homes of Muslims as an act of collective punishment, and the recent cases of staged violence including at Sambhal mosque are only facets of a broader, emerging urban manifestation of the Hindutva ideology.

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