Everybody knows Fidel Castro as a great revolutionary. Along with Mao Zedong and Ho Chi Minh, he represents the radical revolutionary spirit of the late twentieth century. In the current paper I will primarily be concerned with Castro as a…
Let us begin by paying homage to the labour leaders in whose memory this annual lecture has been instituted. I have personally had the honour of working with Comrade A.D. Shastri, who was a leader of my union CITU. He…
The geographical impact of the disaster, being uneven showed that a majority of the coastal communities living in the northern, eastern and southern provinces were most affected. Described as the biggest global media event subsequent to the ‘09/11’ attacks (Lund…
Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, The Colonial State: Theory and Practice, Primus, Delhi, 2016, 228 pages, Rs 1495 Professor Sabyasachi Bhattacharya investigates the concept ‘colonial’ and the definition of ‘colonial state’ in this book. He explores various aspects of state sovereignty and subjecthood…
Professor Irfan Habib has for some time been developing a perspective on modern Indian history that is novel and rather different from that of much of the Indian Left, not to mention the bulk of the European Left. In contrast…
The arch reactionary Metternich is reputed to have denounced the idea of Italy as a nation by asserting that Italy was merely a ‘geographical expression’. Through this gibe he still rendered a service by reminding his listeners that a geographically…
One should begin by distinguishing colonialism from previous constructions of empires and foreign conquests of countries. In those times transfers of wealth from one territory to another took place, usually when successful invading armies returned home with war booty, but…
It was . . . in the Spring of 1961 that Vella told me about a request from ‘our people’ in South Africa for someone to study radio technology and communication and to return to South Africa to teach others.…
On 23 October 1764, the combined forces of the Nawab of Bengal, Mir Qasim, Nawab of Awadh, Shuja ud Doula and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam were defeated in the battle of Buxar. The Emperor sent khil’at in which he himself…
Assets are an important indicator of economic well-being of households. Acquired through inheritance, gifts (including dowry) and accumulated savings, assets provide means of livelihood as well as security against adverse economic shocks. In his widely acclaimed recent book, Thomas Piketty…