Aman Hingorani’s ‘Unravelling the Kashmir Knot’ is emblematic of Indian liberals’ depoliticisation of Kashmir, mirroring the Bharatiya Janata Party’s justification for abrogating Article 370
The Malayalam literary giant’s merits and limitations in addressing Kerala’s traditional caste, gender and social hierarchies defined frontiers that other writers must now transcend
Three new books unpack the violent roots of caste-based vegetarianism and India’s dairy industry as Dalits and Muslims continue to be targeted by cow-protection vigilantes
Three new books demonstrate how India’s position on Israel–Palestine is determined by a careful calibration of geopolitical ties and its own image and interests
Vanya Vaidehi Bhargav’s biography of Lajpat Rai helps trace the Indian freedom fighter’s ideas on nationalism and caste – which, when compared to Gandhi’s, point to the often counterintuitive caste politics of India’s Hindu and “secular” nationalisms
Sunela Jayewardene’s search for Ravan’s presence in Sri Lanka offers a counter to Sinhala Buddhist appropriation of the mythic king, but comes with its own pitfalls
In ‘Sahaj Path’ – Rabindranath Tagore’s much-loved work for young readers of Bengali – his views on class, caste and gender are inextricably intertwined with his aesthetics and pedagogy
Syed Irfan Ashraf’s ‘The Dark Side of Journalism’ and Saad Mohseni and Jenna Krajeski’s ‘Radio Free Afghanistan’ show how local journalists became both victims and agents of geopolitical conflict and an exploitative global media – and looked to push back
The ‘Oddamavadi’ project, comprising a book and documentary film, takes on a shameful chapter in Sri Lanka’s recent history when Muslims were barred from burial in violation of their religious beliefs
With the collapse of India-backed authoritarianism in Bangladesh – and Myanmar too – ‘India’s Near East: A New History’ reads like a testament to the failure of New Delhi’s policy on its eastern flank
