Amid the coronavirus scare, the government of Chhattisgarh is busy hunting for the footprints of Ram. Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel made a public admission to that effect on 26 April 2020. The government believes that Ram spent a part of his exile in the forests of Chhattisgarh. It intends to identify the places where Ram camped and develop and market them as tourist destinations. A host of Dalit, Adivasi and OBC intellectuals have opposed the idea, arguing that it would strengthen the cultural hegemony of the upper castes (dwij) and undermine the Dalitbahujan countercultural resistance movement. One of the notable opponents of this proposed plan is Nand Kumar Baghel, who happens to be the father of the chief minister.
Related Articles
How Bengali scholars critiqued Ram Rajya
According to Dinesh Chandra Sen, the spotless character in ‘Ramayana’ was Bharat. During his rule, the revenue of the government increased significantly, the kingdom...
Laxman Yadav: ‘Manusmriti’ could only be taught alongside ‘Gulamgiri’ and ‘Annihilation of Caste’
‘The situation today is that even if the BJP loses the next election, teachers wedded to the RSS ideology will continue teaching students for...
Naming military action ‘Operation Sindoor’ unconstitutional, says retired CRPF commandant
If you have still not realized who named the operation 'Sindoor' and why, look at what followed. Even more absurdly, BJP purportedly announced that...
When I attended a liberal Savarna’s poetry reading
Having read Om Prakash Valmiki and Suraj Pal Chauhan’s works and identified with the worlds they inhabited, and then one day listening to Ashok...
Dhadak 2 and CBFC’s cuts: Are we ready for Pariyerum Perumal’s truth in Hindi?
'Pariyerum Perumal' was a battle cry against caste. If 'Dhadak 2' mutes that cry before its release, are we not losing a chance to...