Thinking Out Loud

Messengers of Hate

Social media of late has emerged as an important alternative platform of reaching out to people. And for the 2014 elections, BJP used it to its optimum potential for campaigning. The dividends did pay well and BJP won with impressive numbers. However with an extensive use of social media as a socio-political platform, another trend became very common – the trend of decimating one’s ideological opponent by using vile, illogical, abusive language. Online abuse and being trolle…

Saffron Demography and Saffronising Population Policy

Every ten years around the decadal census when data of population growth religion wise is released, debates often settle around the uncontrolled growth rate of particular communities. Misreporting by media outlets is also common. The religion based population growth data collected for the 2011 census was released as late as Aug, 2015 and a similar debate started doing the rounds. The rhetorical slogan of 1990s “Hum do humare do aur who paanch aur unke pachees” find takers ev…

The Meursault Investigation – A Review

In Albert Camus’ novel The Outsider, the anti-hero Meursault commits a random act of violence. He murders an Arab for no specific reason. The closest hint he gives to the motive behind murder is his utmost physical discomfort on a hot day, the sun shining so close to the beach and the sweat getting in his eyes. The murdered Arab is someone who had a problem with Meursault’s friend Raymond. According to Raymond, the Arab was getting back at him for misbehaving with his sister…