In this post Stephanie Nicolle examines the histories of language in Sri Lanka and analyses the implications of the growing presence of Mandarin on public signage in the country. She explores the relationship between language and political power and provides a critique of how language omissions are symptomatic of projects that promote one language.
A signboard at the Attorney General’s (AG) […]
In this post, Jessica Albrecht explores the intersection between religion and feminism in a colonial context. Using the example of transnational encounters between Buddhist and theosophist women in 19th century Sri Lanka, she argues that religion and feminism need not be mutually exclusive.
Religion often seems like a relic of times past, especially when judged from a secular feminist or European […]
In this post Anwesha Roy explores the historical significance of M. K. Gandhi’s philosophy for the nation. She argues that the current desire for another ‘Mahatma’ to lead India out of its current difficult times is contrary to Gandhi’s belief that self-reliance was the key to progress.
Every year, on 30th January, the Indian nation is collectively reminded of a […]
In this essay Arushi Vats reviews ‘Dalit: A Quest for Dignity’, published in 2018 by the Nepal Picture Library. The work is a unique collection of photographs that seek to capture the lives of the Dalit populace, an ostracised minority, over six decades in Nepal. Vats analyses the interaction between readers, photographers and the subjects of the compendium, musing […]
Colonialism manifested itself in all walks of lives of the subjugated populace. In this article Abinand Lagisetti muses on the legacy of football, a sport imported from Imperial Britain to the Raj in India, and retraces its journey from an exclusive recreational activity to an avenue of resistance for non-white communities in the Indian sub-continent.
Sport is largely considered to […]
There is a park in New Delhi that commemorates the British Raj. Dilapidated effigies of British monarchs and viceroys can be found there. An assemblage of arch-imperialists that once imposed a racist and violent order are now covered in graffiti and pigeon droppings. The British Raj sought to cast its imperial legacy in stone but the history of the […]
Violence targeting the Muslim community has recently increased in Sri Lanka. The latest outbreak of violence occurred in March 2018. An isolated traffic dispute between a group of Muslims and a Sinhalese man led to the death of the Sinhalese man. In retaliation for the death, militant groups incited others to commit violence against Muslims. Sinhala-Buddhist mobs subsequently attacked […]
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