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Edited by Pramod Ranjan, Forward Press, 128 pages, Rs 300 (hardback), Rs 150 (paperback), Rs 100 (e-book)

In the film ‘Kaala’, Mumbai’s Dharavi slum symbolizes Ravan’s Lanka and is the biggest obstacle to both Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the fake ‘Digital Mumbai’ mission. Rajnikanth plays the hero who fights for the rights of the workers and the poor – the residents of Dharavi

Today, political and social battles being fought over mythology have taken many forms. On the one hand, the RSS is strengthening the dominance of Dwijs using Hindu mythology; on the other hand, the Bahujans are becoming increasingly conscious of their own mythology. The moot question is how the Bahujans can use their mythology constructively, says Premkumar Mani

Mahishasur: Mithak Va Paramparayen, the keenly awaited title from Forward Press Books, has been released. The first of its kind, the book traces the origins of myths related to Mahishasur and enunciates the ideology of the Mahishasur Movement. It also boasts anthropological studies of the Asur tribe and articles that detail the present condition of the community

Thousands in Mysore, previously known as ‘Mahishapuri’, ‘Mahisuru’ and ‘Mahishamandala’, took part in the cultural procession and public meeting to pay tribute to Mahisha and remember the late journalist who was killed for her crusade against social and cultural injustice, reports M. Dileep Narsaiah

The nature-loving Asurs have been portrayed as villains in the description of the so-called Devasur battle in Hindu scriptures. Sanjeev Chandan reinterprets the battle from a Adivasi-Bahujan perspective

What explains the increasing fascination for Mahishasur and other Asurs? Is it enough to dismiss this phenomenon by arguing that mythology is not history? Or that folklore cannot tell us about our past?

The traditions of the indigenous inhabitants are more or less the same across the country – whether it is the Asurs of Jharkhand, who worship their god Bonga and Sarna Mai, or the villages of Bundelkhand, where Bada Dev and Mahishasur are revered. But the brahmanical and neo-liberal forces pose a major threat to the culture of the indigenous peoples

Efforts at alternative interpretation of myths signals the rise of a new consciousness among the Dalits. The deprived peoples have realized that it is essential to deconstruct the brahmanical scriptures, which were used to enslave them. Mahishasur: Ek Jannayak is a part of this endeavour, says Ish Mishra

Mythology, with its rich symbolism and fantasies, not only introduces us to untold facts but also, if we go to its roots, it can help us re-render and understand human history. He says Brahmins have very deftly used mythology to serve their interests. Read Mohammed Arif Khan’s review of ‘Mahishasur: Ek Jannayak’