When I have had the pleasure of writing for Shuddhashar and similar publications in the past, my reflections have tended to veer towards analytical and academic essays. In a world as complex and structurally inequitable as the one we live in, it felt important for me to write critical pieces that built on my experiences
In the last decade, the Western film industry has justly received a lot of criticism for its severe lack of racial diversity, both on-screen and behind the camera. Initiatives like diversity quotas in awards governing bodies and popular movements like #OscarsSoWhite have not only resonated in North America and Europe but have become popularised in
Pitting communities against each other has been part of the establishment playbook for centuries and the strategy has, sadly, not lost its toxic impact. On 22 July 2020, the British Minister for Women and Equalities, Liz Truss, had to stand in the House of Commons and clarify that the government’s response on consultations on
Authoritarianism is an insidious sort of oppression, frighteningly easy to establish and appearing in many forms. It can manifest as a parliamentary system of governance where MPs are not allowed a free vote, thus ensuring that any majority is unchallenged regardless of its proportion. It can manifest as a toxic narcissist who consistently undermines free
Ekushey February is one of the many dates in the Bangladeshi calendar that supposedly unites the nation in a bout of nationalist fervour. Despite very few commemorations dealing with the complex history behind the Language Movement – its seeds sowed during the colonial era’s Divide and Conquer policies around linguistic division – and its extended
The South Asian subcontinent is seeing a renewed interest in engaging with colonial history in 2017, as India and Pakistan celebrate 70 years since gaining independence from the British Empire. In a year where the complexities and violence of the past are being swept aside for the sake of niceties and good political visuals, it
