Opinion

Rahul Gandhi’s denunciation of Manusmriti and patriarchy echoes B R Ambedkar’s critique of the subordination of women and his vision of constitutional equality.

From President K.R. Narayanan being labelled an “untouchable” in Paris in 2000 to Mallikarjun Kharge facing humiliation because of “purification” of the venue of his rally in 2026, the silence on caste humiliation exposes how far India remains from honouring Article 17 and the social revolution the Constitution promised.

The victims of the 2024 Bangladesh violence deserve genuine accountability. But the proceedings against Sheikh Hasina raise cumulative concerns about the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal’s constitutional foundation, judicial independence, evidentiary scrutiny and appellate safeguards. India must note that its refusal to extradite need not mean abandonment of accountability.

The ex-Bangladesh PM’s return following a death sentence imposed in absentia brings renewed attention to the International Crimes Tribunal’s troubled record on fair trial guarantees, retrospective criminalization and capital punishment, while raising difficult questions for India over extradition.

The Sessions Court’s order, which conflates political solidarity with criminal intent, denies anticipatory bail to two TISS students as it treats slogans demanding the release of undertrials Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, and homage paid to the late Professor G.N. Saibaba, as grounds for suspicion.

The conflation of affirmative action and anti-atrocity law subjects persons of Dalit lineage exercising religious-freedom to a constitutional paradox and denies them the fundamental promise of social dignity

By branding dissenters as “Dimagi Naxals,” the Prime Minister revives the same colonial logic once used to silence Gandhi and threatens the constitutional freedoms India’s youth are fighting to defend.

The conflation of affirmative action and anti-atrocity law subjects persons of Dalit lineage exercising religious-freedom to a constitutional paradox and denies them the fundamental promise of social dignity