Harini Calamur's Writings
My mother would tell me, as a kid, the women and girls would get the second or third filter coffee decoction  . The men and the boys would get the first decoction. Similarly with curds – the men would get the thick curds, the…
My column, in last week’s DNA In the last three days there have been two instances of suppression of expression due to ‘hurt’ sentiments and political beliefs. The first was the independent publisher Navayana that is focused on literary works based on…
This column appeared in the DNA on the 31st of October About a decade ago, I traveled to film my first documentary. It was a hot and dry May and we were filming the destitute Dalit and Pardhi women near the town…
[tag]Dr.B.R.Ambedkar[/tag] in the Annihilation of Caste, 1935 The effect of caste on the ethics of the Hindus is simply deplorable. Caste has killed public spirit. Caste has destroyed the sense of public charity. Caste has made public opinion impossible. A Hindu's public…
Dr.Ambedkar in Annihilation of Caste: It is a pity that [tag]Caste[/tag] even today has its defenders. The defences are many. It is defended on the ground that the [tag]Caste System[/tag] is but another name for division of labour and if division of…
Two stories on further education. One is about a 12th standard topper who quits formal education. …Urvi Pithadia, 17, has been forced to discontinue her studies just a week after joining junior college. Nobody there volunteered to help the wheelchair-bound girl in…
On the eve of [tag]Maha Shivratri[/tag] a great victory was won. Devotees, backed by the state and other institutions, ensured that the right to pray the way you want to, in the language that you understand, in the manner that you choose…
This, a headline from the ET – India's most widely circulated business broadsheet : Some SC/STs too made it on merit replace the word SC/ST with any other ethnic/religious/gender grouping and tell me what is right/ wrong with this headline. [tag]media bias[/tag]…
This year I began teaching culture studies to my students. Culture studies is not the study of culture perse – but the study of cultures – their power structures internally and in relation to other cultures – their internal & external dynamics…
the ToI – the world’s largest selling English paper – puts out a supplement where a South Indian – to be precise superstar Rajnikant – is referred to as a Southie. What next? a Muslim referred to as a Mossie, a North…