Notes of Nagesh

The British Raj lasted 89 years (1858-1947) during which India was recast as a single modern nation. What has been achieved in the 78 years since?

  By Mohan Guruswamy Context : In 2005, during the release of "Religious Demography of India" by the RSS-affiliated Centre for Policy Studies, former RSS Sarsanghchalak KS Sudarshan encouraged Hindus to have larger families due to concerns over the population growth rates of Muslims and Christians. Population Trends : Since 1951, Muslims in India have grown at a faster rate than Hindus. 1951-61: Muslims grew by 24.9%, Hindus by 18.6%. 1991-2001: Adjusted growth rate for Muslims was 29.3%, Hindus 20.0%. RSS Perspective : RSS fears Hindu population being overtaken by Muslims are not supported by data. Even if trends continue, it would take 247 years for Indian Muslims to catch up with Hindus in numbers. RSS has enlarged India in its projections, including Pakistan and Bangladesh. Family Planning Stance : Former Chairman of All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Rabey Hasni Nadwi, opposed family planning in Islam. Contradicts practices in Islamic republics like Iran, Indon...

The phrase " If it had not been for" is a conditional expression often used to introduce a situation or factor that significantly influenced an outcome—implying that without it, things would have turned out differently. It’s typically part of a past perfect construction, reflecting a hypothetical scenario in the past. Let’s break it down with examples and grammar. Grammar Structure Form : "If it had not been for" + [noun/pronoun/gerund] + [result clause, often with "would have" or "might have"]. Tense : Past perfect ("had not been") to indicate something that did or didn’t happen before another past event. Purpose : Highlights a critical cause or savior in a situation. Examples with Explanation "If it had not been for the rain, we would have gone hiking." Meaning : The rain prevented the hiking trip. Without it, the outcome (hiking) would’ve happened. Grammar : "Had not been" (past perfect) pairs with "would ha...

MOHAN GURUSWAMY: From bees to dolphins to elephants, many wild animals live in cooperative groups ruled by a single leader. And, as is the case in human societies, these rulers take different pathways to power. In the animal world, pack leadership is by natural selection. You are born an alpha or you fight for leadership. When it comes to groups’ nature has decided that they are better off led by one or a few.  What differentiate these groups are the pathways to leadership. Depending on their size and personalities, chimpanzees either use brute force or build coalitions to get ahead. The top dogs of some species, such as spotted hyenas, are determined by sex or by lineage, much as rulers ascend in a monarchy. Stickleback fish simply follow the best looking of the bunch. Among spotted hyenas and elephants the leadership lineage is always matriarchal, like in some human societies too. Evolutionary scientists have also determined that animals that have effective leader-follower system...

" Share, Dignity, Power" (Quota, Self-respect, Authority) – These are the slogans of the BC movement. T. Chiranjivulu IAS (Retd) President, BC Intellectuals Forum In the poem Bharatavani, the renowned Telangana poet Alishetty Prabhakar wrote, “How many buildings adorned with ornaments, covered by green revolutions, Bharatavani is merely a cage of wealth, and the present is a cry of anguish.” This is true indeed. Even though India is the fifth-largest economy in the world today, the annual per capita income of the common person does not exceed 30,000 to 40,000 rupees. All the wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few. The lives of BCs, SCs, and STs have become unbearable due to the lack of food to eat. Here, along with state power, the caste system and varna system have physically, mentally, economically, culturally, and politically enslaved Shudras and Ati-Shudras, brutally suppressing them and destroying them in every way. Even though 75 years have passed since the Indian...

Telangana’s BC Movement Gains Momentum with Calls for Share, Dignity, and Power Feb 23, 2025 — A growing movement among Backward Classes (BCs) in Telangana is shaking up the state, demanding equity and representation in a system critics say has marginalized them for decades. 1. The Slogans Driving the Fight “ Hissa, Izzat, Hukumat ” (Share, Dignity, Power) encapsulate the BC movement’s core demands. Led by T. Chiranjivulu, IAS (Retd), the BC Intellectuals Forum is rallying for quotas, self-respect, and political authority. 2. A Stark Economic Divide India’s the world’s fifth-largest economy, yet the average citizen earns just 30,000-40,000 rupees ($360-$480) annually. Wealth concentrates among a few, leaving BCs, SCs, and STs struggling for basic survival. 3. Historical Oppression Fuels the Fire The caste and varna systems, backed by state power, have enslaved Shudras (now BCs) across physical, mental, economic, and cultural lines. 75 years after the Constitution, BCs—60% of India’s p...

"హిస్సా ,ఇజ్జత్ - హుకుమత్- ‘’ (వాటా,ఆత్మ గౌరవం,అధికారం )ఇవే బిసి ఉద్యమ నినాదాలు. T.చిరంజీవులు ఐఏఎస్ (retd) అధ్యక్షులు బిసి ఇంటెలెక్చువల్స్ ఫోరమ్ “భరతావని “అనే కవితలో ప్రముఖ తెలంగాణ కవి అలిశెట్టి ప్రభాకర్ గారు “ఎన్ని భవనాలకు ఆభరణాలు తొడిగిన ,హరిత విప్లవాలే కప్పిన ,ఆస్తిపంజరమే భరతావని ,ఆర్తనాధమే వర్తమానం “అన్నారు.నిజమే నేడు భారతదేశం ప్రపంచంలో ఐదవ అతిపెద్ద ఆర్థిక వ్యవస్థ అయినప్పటికిని సామాన్యుని వార్షిక తలసరి ఆదాయం 30 వేల నుంచి 40 వేలకు మించి లేదు సంపదలన్నీ కొందరు చేతిలోనే కేంద్రీకృతమైనాయి .తినడానికి తిండి లేక బీసీలు ఎస్సీ ఎస్టీల బతుకులు దుర్భరమైనటువంటి పరిస్థితులు. ఇక్కడ రాజ్యాధికారానికి తోడు వర్ణ వ్యవస్థలు, కుల వ్యవస్థలు తోడై శూద్రులను,అతి శూద్రులను శారీరకంగా, మానసికముగా, ఆర్థికముగా, సాంస్కృతికముగ ,రాజకీయము గ బానిసలుగా చేసి ,క్రూరంగా అణిచి వేసి సర్వ విధాలుగా నాశనం చేశారు. భారత రాజ్యాంగము అమలులోకి వచ్చి 75సంవత్సరములు గడిచి నప్పటికిని నేటికి బిసిల జీవితాల్లో సామాజిక మార్పులు పెద్దగా ఏమి జరగ లేదు. నేటికి సామాజిక న్యాయం అందని ద్రాక్షపండే: స్వతంత్ర భారతములో బిసిలు అనగా నాటి శూద్రులు జనా...

The first picture can be found in most popular history books, in which Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is shown killing Afzal Khan. The second is seldom seen. In this Shivaji Maharaj is depicted killing Pt. Krishnabhaskar Kulkarni . Both events took place on the same day, same time on 10 November 1659, Pratapgarh, Satara, Maharashtra. Kulkarni was the intermediary who arranged for the parleys between Afzal Khan and Shivaji. He was angered when the Maharaj slew the Bijapur general instead.  Afzal khan who was a giant of a man physically intended to crush shivaji in his ‘embrace’ but was outwitted. It would seem that kulkarni was party to this plot and struck at shivaji when he outwitted Afzal. Kulkarni actually injured Shivaji before he was killed. While people are busy finding their caste and religions , Chatrapati Shivaji saw anyone without any filters. Krishna Bhaskar was given repeated warnings by Chatrapati Shivaji " you won't be harmed you can walk away "  He...

Here’s an analysis of the article from The News Minute titled " Kerala man who complained of caste discrimination at work transferred to Gujarat ," focusing on the key themes, allegations, and implications: Overview The article details the experience of Roshan (name changed), an assistant manager at the Ernakulam branch of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), who alleges he faced caste-based discrimination and harassment from senior officials, Assistant General Manager (AGM) Kashmeer Singh and Chief Regional Manager (CRM) Nitesh Kumar Sinha. Roshan, a Scheduled Caste (SC) individual, claims that after reporting the harassment, he faced retaliation, including a punitive transfer to Ahmedabad and a suspension based on what he asserts are fabricated charges. Key Allegations Caste-Based Harassment : Roshan alleges that AGM Kashmeer Singh assigned him menial tasks (e.g., buying tea, running personal errands) not part of his job description, exploiting his willingness to help initially. He...

D. Muthukrishnan Tweet Post Population of UP is 240 million  Population of Bihar is 130 million  The combined population of just these 2 states, 370 million, is around 25% of India . It's more than even the US population of 345 million. Their average percapita is roughly around $1100 .  The GDP percapita of subsaharan Africa is $1710 . This is our biggest challenge. This shows our very long journey ahead. So, any talk of Viksit Bharat or Viswaguru is very far away from the reality. UP and Bihar need to invest heavily in their people. Social capital and knowledge capital needs to be their priority; not expressways or airports. Aggressive focus required on education,  healthcare, women empowerment and equality of opportunities. I'm not against developing infrastructure in UP. But developing people need to be the primary focus for resource allocation. When capital is scarce, you need to prioritise. Niti Aayog has set a goal of $18,000 percapita in 2047. Difficult to ach...

In the annals of India's social reform, two luminaries stand preeminent: Jotirao Phule and E.V. Ramasamy, colloquially known as Periyar. Their endeavours, ensconced in the 19th and 20th centuries, continue to sculpt the contemporary struggle against the entrenched caste system. Phule's educational renaissance Phule, born in 1827, was an intellectual vanguard who perceived education as the ultimate equaliser. He inaugurated the inaugural school for girls from lower castes in Pune, subverting the Brahminical hegemony that had long monopolized erudition. His Satyashodhak Samaj endeavoured to obliterate caste hierarchies through radical social reform. His magnum opus, "Gulamgiri" (Slavery), delineated poignant parallels between India's caste system and the subjugation of African-Americans, igniting a discourse on caste as an apparatus of servitude. Periyar's rationalist odyssey Periyar, born in 1879, assumed the mantle of social reform through the Dravidian moveme...

JD Vance just did to U.S.-Europe relations what he allegedly once did to an unsuspecting couch—jammed himself in where he wasn’t wanted, made a mess, and left everyone in a state of deep regret and confusion. Yes, America’s most notorious furniture fornicator—the man, the meme, the legend—flew across the Atlantic to the Munich Security Conference, where he proceeded to insult, undermine, and condescend to an entire continent like a guy who just finished reading The Art of the Deal and thinks he should be Secretary-General of the UN. By the time it was over, European leaders looked like they’d just walked in on him mid-thrust, eyes locked in silent, horrified recognition that yes, it was happening, and no, they would never be able to unsee it. Let’s back up. For those blessed enough to have missed it, a wholly unverified, deeply stupid, and undeniably hilarious rumor emerged last year that JD Vance once, in his youthful desperation, attempted to achieve sexual congress with a couch. It ...

"The Great Good Place" is a book by American urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg, first published in 1989. It's a seminal work that introduced and popularized the concept of "third places" – social spaces beyond the realms of home (first place) and work (second place) that are essential for community building and social interaction. Key Ideas from "The Great Good Place": Importance of Third Places: Oldenburg argues that third places, like cafes, coffee shops, bars, bookstores, and community centers, are vital for a healthy society. They provide neutral ground where people can gather, relax, and engage in informal conversation. Characteristics of Third Places: He outlines several characteristics that define these spaces, including: Neutral ground Level playing field Conversation as the main activity Accessibility and accommodation Regulars Low profile Playful mood Decline of Third Places: Oldenburg expresses concern over the decline of these ...

The term "third space" (also known as "third place") refers to social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments of home ("first place") and work ("second place"). This concept was popularized by urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg in his book "The Great Good Place." Characteristics of Third Spaces Neutral Ground: Third spaces are neutral, allowing individuals to interact without the formal constraints of home or work. Level Playing Field: They promote equality among participants, allowing individuals of different backgrounds to engage. Conversation as the Main Activity: These spaces encourage informal conversation, fostering community ties and social cohesion. Accessibility and Accommodation: They are easily accessible and accommodating, encouraging frequent visits. Regulars: Third spaces often have regulars who habitually congregate there, providing familiarity and comfort. Low Profile: They are typically hum...

Defiance, Deterrence, and Dialogue: A Three-Pronged Strategy The strategy of "Defiance, Deterrence, and Dialogue" is a comprehensive approach used in various fields, including international relations, conflict resolution, and personal interactions. Here's a detailed explanation of each component: 1. Defiance Definition : Defiance involves standing firm and refusing to yield to an opponent's demands or threats. It is a display of strength and determination, sending a clear message that one is not easily intimidated or manipulated. Explanation : Defiance is about asserting one's position and maintaining a strong stance. This could involve refusing to back down from a negotiation, rejecting an adversary's aggressive actions, or standing up for one's principles. It is a powerful tool to demonstrate resolve and signal that one is not afraid to confront challenges. Example : In international relations, a smaller nation may demonstrate defiance by refusing to ced...

The Basque people, who are native to the region straddling northern Spain and southwestern France, are one of Europe’s oldest and most unique cultures. Their language, Basque or Euskara, is considered a language isolate, meaning it has no known relation to any other language, making it an incredible linguistic anomaly. Euskara has been spoken for thousands of years, predating the spread of Indo-European languages across Europe. The Basque language is the only surviving pre-Indo-European language in Western Europe, offering a rare glimpse into the continent's ancient past and providing valuable insight into the early linguistic landscape of Europe. Despite the rise of Spanish and French as dominant languages in the region, Euskara has persisted, deeply rooted in the Basque people’s identity and cultural practices. Basque culture is also deeply intertwined with its unique language, and throughout history, the Basque people have fought to preserve both. The isolation of th...