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Ambedkar studied in depth the interrelationship between nationalism and women and found the idea of ‘Bharat Mata’ to be anti-women. Neha Singh explains what, according to Ambedkar, the place of women in a nation ought to be

‘As the years pass, I am influenced – and challenged ­– more and more by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. You cannot change India until you understand India, you cannot understand India until you understand caste, and you cannot understand caste until you read Ambedkar.’ Harsh Mander elucidates Ambedkar’s monumental contribution

While the RSS and its affiliates harp on about the increasing Muslim population, demographers link the higher fertility rates to the lack of education and poor health facilities, writes Ram Puniyani

Bhagat Singh wasn’t just born into the Shudra community. His thinking was shaped by the need he saw around him for the upliftment of Shudras and Atishudras and the establishment of social equality – but our historians have always ignored this fact. Ashok Yadav tells the story

Since we Bahujans continue to swell the ranks of Hindu religion, no, we have not annihilated caste. Rather, we seem to have strengthened it. Certainly, many have left Hinduism to embrace other religions but even there they have taken shelter under the very blind devotion and irrational ritualism that Babasaheb and Buddha thundered against. Read Nijam Gara’s analysis of the sorry state of affairs

In this third part of their interview, S.V. Rajadurai & V. Geetha tell Vidyabhushan Rawat that Periyar was insistently critical of the political sphere, which to him, was inexorably given to instrumental reasoning and limited goals. He felt that being active in this sphere could prove corrupting

Both the RSS and Golwalkar were opposed to the Constitution. According to them, the constitution is for managing a state and not a national constitution. Opposed to Dr Ambedkar’s idea of a casteless society, the RSS is all for maintaining the caste system, with the Brahmins at the centre of the Hindu nation

Anil Kumar tries to understand the various conflicting nationalisms of India by analyzing the debate and discussion on the propriety or otherwise of Mahishasur Day celebrations and the clashes they have triggered

Politics in the name of religion is aimed at maintaining cruel, exploitative social relations and is opposed to liberty, equality and fraternity. Shankar provides the philosophical ground for this brand of politics, writes Ram Puniyani