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Showing posts from March, 2024

The Problems with Westphalian Nation-State System

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We all associate ourselves with various identities such as Indians, Chinese, Pakistani, Americans, Canadians, French, British and much more. Why do you think we all associate with all these more? Are there any other identities which people associate with?  The identities which I mentioned before are relatively new compared to other identities such as religion, language, caste, and various other identities. It is not to say that people never had such feelings towards nations or the state. But the idea of loyalty and love for the motherland was very important which offset various other identities. The question we are arriving at is what is the motherland, who made and how it formed.  What we refer to today as a Nation or Country refers to what we know in political science as a Nation-State. Today almost all the countries we know are categorised Nation-States and some even as State-Nations. International Relations and Political Science suggest that states are the most important a...

Are we secular?

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#opinion Is India a Secular Country? The most common answer would be yes. This is because the Constitution says so. I don't want to disagree with that. There is another set of people who will claim that it is secular because the Hindus of the country didn't demand a theocratic nation. Although I will ask other questions that might make you rethink your conscience. Are we as a country secular? Beyond the Constitution, what keeps us secular? In recent days, both academic and social media discourse have been largely focused on what happened to India's secularism. Is it still alive and relevant, or has Modi's Hindutva overshadowed it through his majoritarian policies? It is peculiar to see that this discussion is only echoing in the left-liberal echo chambers, which have always been opposed to PM Modi since 2013. This is amidst the fact that many states in India still have state-controlled temples, and no secularism discourse talks about it. The death of secularism has been...

Sports and Politics- Convergences and Divergences- A Podcast

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Greetings to all listeners and readers!! Sports has always been an exciting topic for everyone to talk about. It doesn't merely represent entertainment; rather, it has transcended beyond external influences and power politics. Countries, governments, corporations, etc., aim to use it primarily as a lucrative avenue and a means to project power. Furthermore, while sports has historically had a Eurocentric origin, it has evolved into more than just a pastime for many, including countries in the Global South. Beyond being a source of entertainment and a lifestyle choice, sports has emerged as a significant career option. Undoubtedly, it has the transformative power to shape and change people's lives. Through, this podcast episode will dive through all these topics directly from the expert on all these topics.  About The Guest  Alan Bince is a Neuroscience PhD candidate working at Maastricht University, Netherlands. Growing up in the UAE, his passion for sports started at a very y...

News Capsule for the Month of February 2024

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Following are the top news for the month.   If you wish to follow and get notifications of future articles, you can sign up using the email on the left sidebar.  Article of the month Kerala  2021 murder case of Kerala BJP leader, in which 15 got a death sentence.  Eight urban health centres are to be open on February 6th. Govt to proceed with K-Rail and Kozhikode, TVM Light Metro projects. Days since the assistant public prosecutor's suicide, the probe has made no progress.  Papanasam Beach in Varkala is featured among the world's best 100 beaches.  The Kerala music festival was cancelled on the eve of kick-off.  HC orders probe against Guruvayur Elephant camp, action against mahouts who beat elephants. Celebrities among customers, and foreign drugs inflow into Kochi. HC discourages defection.  LDF declares candidates in all 20 constituencies.  State to form an inter-state panel to monitor the movement of wild animals across state border...