The optics of a pocketbook Constitution in anyone's hands do not imply they have read it or are interested in wading through this lengthy text. Yet, the optics have given the Constitution an unprecedented tangible form and popularised the... more
The optics of a pocketbook Constitution in anyone's hands do not imply they have read it or are interested in wading through this lengthy text. Yet, the optics have given the Constitution an unprecedented tangible form and popularised the ideas of Constitutionalism.
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Experiences of abuse should make us more sensitive to how language operates to secure multiple forms of subordination. We should empathise with those who are routinely abused and not replicate the patterns of abuse. We should deploy the... more
Experiences of abuse should make us more sensitive to how language operates to secure multiple forms of subordination. We should empathise with those who are routinely abused and not replicate the patterns of abuse. We should deploy the power of language to transform the humiliation of abuse into proud reclamations and push back against abusive expressions even if they seem to originate from among the same subordinate group of which we are part.
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The question of representation has gained significance in the popular culture of the day - in particular, the representation of subordinate groups such as women and racial minorities. The success of the Amazon Prime series Them (2021) led... more
The question of representation has gained significance in the popular culture of the day - in particular, the representation of subordinate groups such as women and racial minorities. The success of the Amazon Prime series Them (2021) led to the release of its second season, Them: The Scare (2024), last month. Another series, Dahaad (2023), recently marked a year since its release, and there is some anticipation about a renewal. The popularity of such shows demands that we pay attention to how social identities are portrayed, especially when these identities stand at odds with dominant power systems. What difference does this 'different' identity make?
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Rohith Vemula died by suicide in 2016 because of caste-based hostilities at a university in Hyderabad, where he was enrolled for a PhD programme. Eight years later, the Telangana police claim that Rohith was not Dalit and that it was... more
Rohith Vemula died by suicide in 2016 because of caste-based hostilities at a university in Hyderabad, where he was enrolled for a PhD programme. Eight years later, the Telangana police claim that Rohith was not Dalit and that it was likely the fear of his "real caste" being revealed that led him to suicide. At the core of this claim are some formalities of law and policy that must change.
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The students of Ashoka University, a private university in Haryana, have allegedly raised casteist slogans. Roughly translated from Hindi to English, these slogans call for a caste census at the university, the end of the supremacy of... more
The students of Ashoka University, a private university in Haryana, have allegedly raised casteist slogans. Roughly translated from Hindi to English, these slogans call for a caste census at the university, the end of the supremacy of priestly and mercantile classes, and the end of casteism. They also salute and praise a historical anti-casteist visionary and statesman, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, by chanting 'Jai Bhim'. The labelling of these slogans as casteist is as ironic as calling Dr. Ambedkar casteist. The attention to anti-casteism can sometimes paradoxically appear as casteist. Therefore, it is imperative to exercise discernment and differentiate between the forces of casteism and appeals against it.
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More than just a whimsical preferential treatment of one group over the other, at the heart of the debate is the question of which are the more injured groups that the state needs to prioritise for affirmative action.
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Dutt erases queer Dalit voices while claiming the term “coming out” for herself, overlooking its origins and complex marginalised experiences.
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This article builds on letter writing as a discursive method to engage with university systems, administrators and communities more widely-especially students currently enrolled in law schools, colleges, faculty and practitioners of... more
This article builds on letter writing as a discursive method to engage with university systems, administrators and communities more widely-especially students currently enrolled in law schools, colleges, faculty and practitioners of law-about structural inequalities that are embedded within educational institutions. Making a case for more caste-conscious approaches to legal education, this article examines gaps in relation to caste, reservation quotas, epistemology and method, and it suggests constructive ways to bridge those gaps.
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Alongside visibility of the more dominant and privileged segments of queer people at Pride, there has to be more consciousness-raising for a wider range of rainbow colours and a queerness of Dalit people.
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Before we get to celebrating a decade of the Supreme Court's decision in the 2014 National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) v. Union of India case in April next year, we should look at the problems in the representation of marginalities... more
Before we get to celebrating a decade of the Supreme Court's decision in the 2014 National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) v. Union of India case in April next year, we should look at the problems in the representation of marginalities and the role played by the empty rhetoric of analogies.
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The second line at the start of Made In Heaven’s 2nd season, 5th episode states, “Denied tells us what it means to be Dalit in India.” In the said episode, “Denied” is the title of a book written by the character of Pallavi Menke. This... more
The second line at the start of Made In Heaven’s 2nd season, 5th episode states, “Denied tells us what it means to be Dalit in India.” In the said episode, “Denied” is the title of a book written by the character of Pallavi Menke. This article explores the theme of denial as a point of departure from the fictional story of Menke.
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The social media discourse around Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti's show Made in Heaven has brought Sumit Baudh's Reflections of A Queer Dalit (2007) to public attention again.
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Arguing the need to fix regressive legal language related to caste and class The Supreme Court of India recently released a handbook on combating gender stereotypes. Similar attention to the usages of the English language in relation to... more
Arguing the need to fix regressive legal language related to caste and class The Supreme Court of India recently released a handbook on combating gender stereotypes. Similar attention to the usages of the English language in relation to caste should also be explored.
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Introduction Many countries the world over have laws that criminalise consensual sexual acts among persons of the same sex. These laws are differently worded as ‘gross indecency’, ‘buggery’, ‘debauchery’ or ‘carnal intercourse against the... more
Introduction Many countries the world over have laws that criminalise consensual sexual acts among persons of the same sex. These laws are differently worded as ‘gross indecency’, ‘buggery’, ‘debauchery’ or ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature’. More commonly, they are known as ‘sodomy laws’. Sodomy laws affect almost everybody, if not in the practice of being charged, then in the societal attitudes that follow. No doubt they bear serious implications for same-sex desiring persons, including those who identify as hijra, kinnar, kothi, aravani, zanaanaa, khusra, khwajasara, queer, third gender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (hereinafter referred to collectively as LGBT). The laws present a serious threat to HIV prevention initiatives aimed at, for example, men who have sex with men (MSM). These laws also have an impact on attitudes towards certain sexual acts like oral and anal sex, regardless of who is committing them, heterosexual or homosexual. A global review...
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Research Interests: Law and Human Rights
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The law must recognise the Scheduled Caste status of those who may not be Hindu.
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This essay looks at the criminalisation in the South Asian Commonwealth, drawing upon application of human rights, also vigilant of issues beyond the law, and exploring the potential of decriminalisation. It is arranged in four parts:... more
This essay looks at the criminalisation in the South Asian Commonwealth, drawing upon application of human rights, also vigilant of issues beyond the law, and exploring the potential of decriminalisation. It is arranged in four parts: part 1 describes the nature and abuse of criminalisation. Part 2 gives an account of the application of human rights. Part 3 goes beyond legal issues, building upon perspectives of affected individuals and activists. Part 4 explores the potential of decriminalisation.