Arirang: When Nationalism Goes Cultural

By Narayani Ganesh Post their military service hiatus, the K-pop boy band, BTS, after ‘disappearing’ from public gaze for three years, are making a comeback with their new album, titled Arirang , to be released on March 20. Fans are waiting with bated breath for their world tour’s kick-off concert, to be held in South…

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Why Trumpian Hegemony’s In Trouble

Trump’s second term starkly illustrates a rapidly intensifying imbalance, between consent and force in America’s hegemonic strategy. Historically, US favoured waging a patient struggle for hearts and minds, through soft power. Trump’s escalating military campaigns, however, exemplify coercion without restraint. But how far can Trump push such a coercive strategy, and what restraints, if any,…

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Remembering the Indo-Pak War of 1971

Fifty-five years ago, Pakistan launched “Operation Searchlight”- a brutal crackdown in East Pakistan to suppress political dissent. The targets included students, intellectuals, political activists, and Hindu minorities. Widespread killings, sexual violence, and destruction followed. This created one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 20th Century. Bangladesh’s official figure places 3 million deaths in 1971,…

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There’s face on your cake … oops

I celebrated a milestone birthday, recently. Nothing out of the regular as far as special birthday celebrations go, though. I spent the morning reading and replying to love, affection and warmth that poured out like the Niagara Falls via WhatsApp messages and phone calls from parents, loving siblings and good friends.  The feeling of being…

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Out of the Mouth of Babes

Sometimes the wisest ideas come from children. Two cheerful boys from a village in Tamil Nadu have shown that adults can learn from kids too. Pre-teen brothers Deva and Jiva make very short videos — just 20 to 40 seconds long — for Instagram and YouTube. In their simple reels, they talk about things like…

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Wars, Governments, and Facts

While many Americans were watching the Oscars, their president, Donald Trump, was angrily posting messages online saying “FIRED.” But he wasn’t firing someone directly. Instead, he was attacking TV channels and newspapers that were reporting critically about him. He even said some journalists should be charged with treason, which in the U.S. is a very…

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Out Of The Mouth Of Babes…

…often comes the best of wisdom, as two pre-teen Tamil boys have shown. Adults, pay attention Two, toothy’n grinny, underprivileged kids, “child influencers” on Insta and YouTube, made it to their chief minister’s office – and got 15 minutes of adult-world fame. Their discovery, by the Tamil adult world and beyond, showed what simple joy,…

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One safe choice after another

Social media is abuzz with conversations about Javier Bardem’s unequivocal political declarations, at the just-concluded Oscars. “No to war. And Free Palestine,” the globally acclaimed Spanish actor said, while on stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, to announce an award. Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, is about the Far Left and…

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