Amrith Lal
Articles By Amrith Lal
Malayalis in the Gulf are finally beginning to write about the land they live in
The Gulf Malayali experience is slowly stepping out of diasporic nostalgia to document the lives, landscapes and politics in the Arab countries.
After stricter law on child rape, death sentences hit two-decade high
162 death sentences across the country in 2018; 22 in MP amid rewards system for prosecutors
This Story Could Fill Every Space
Why art in Myanmar is intrinsically linked to its political past even as it tells the story of a society in flux.
My Friend, the River
In Kerala’s Kasaragode, a unique celebration of the river Chandragiri.
When Delhi said Baro Krishnayya
Carnatic musician T M Krishna projected an inclusive politics that celebrated India’s diversity during his concert in Delhi on Saturday.
Airports authority scraps T M Krishna concert after trolls call him anti-India
TM Krishna’s views on constitutional values like secularism and caste prejudice in music have made him a target of Hindutva supporters.
In controversy over Wagon Tragedy painting, reminder of an unsettled debate
The Wagon Tragedy incident, which took place on November 20, 1921, two years after the Jalianwala Bagh massacre, is remembered as one of the many horrific acts of the colonial administration.
Travancore parallel: the fight to wear an upper garment
The Channar revolt exposed the caste fault-line that ran deep in the kingdom of Travancore. The Nadars embraced Christianity promoted by British missionaries as a way out of the oppressive caste order enforced by upper caste Hindus, which included the royalty.
On the Shelf: Class Apart
Post ’80s, Ambedkarite thought has seen resurgence and the Marxist Left has been forced to recognise that caste needs discussion on its own terms.
I had wanted this novel to be read without too much noise around it: S Hareesh
S Hareesh on his new novel, its central character and why he wants it to have a different kind of life.
The Sorcerer’s Tale
Malayalam author S Hareesh’s debut novel Meesha, that evoked calls for a ban, is a multilayered work that weaves in the many histories — social, ecological, economic and political — of Kuttanad in Kerala.
Fighting caste bias, giving region a voice: Karunanidhi’s legacy, its relevance
Karunanidhi’s politics engaged with a slew of ideas — secularism, caste, affirmative action, federalism, regional identity — and their role in public affairs.
Kaala: The dark knight
Rajinikanth's ‘Kaala’ is a political film that mirrors the social and economic questions of our time.
‘Hindus have to come out and say: not in our religion’s name’
Why Malayalam novelist KP Ramanunni undertook a penance for the Kathua gangrape in a Kerala temple. According to him, it was his response as a Hindu and a believer. He said he was following the Gandhian tradition of personal atonement for a public evil.
Reading literature in many tongues: The story of his land
Thakazhi, a social realist, believed that the role of a novelist was to capture the sights and sounds of the world around him.
AR Venkatachalapathy says Subramania Bharati has become a posthumous bestseller
AR Venkatachalapathy on the enduring magic of Subramania Bharati.
A Song Called Bharati: Why the Tamil icon is even more relevant now
Nearly 100 years after his death, as a new book explores the nationalisation of his work, a look at the centrality of Tamil poet-public intellectual Subramania Bharati in the making of modern Tamil political culture and why he is relevant now more than ever.
Why politicians eat with Dalits
Dalits are probably the most vibrant, decisive political constituency in India today. Unless these gestures go with effective action on core concerns, Dalits would regard them with as much scorn as they deserve, says Valerian Rodrigues.
Why Buddhism invites Dalits
The conversion of 300 Dalits to Buddhism in Una, Gujarat, was not the first such instance. The Indian Express looks at previous mass conversions by Dalits and the pressures that have forced them to take the step.
The Death of an Author
Malayalam short story writer M Sukumaran voiced an idea, spoke for a movement. When it faded, he withdrew into silence.
