People A social studies teacher is fired for stating that white privilege is an established fact in his “Contemporary Issues” class and for showing a poetry performance by a Black woman. An English high school teacher is fired after parents complained about her reading and writing assignments on an award-winning young adult novel in her …
Education: Sometimes We Should Feel Uncomfortable Read More »
At this 30th year anniversary, the online magazine of Shuddhashar is a biography – or autobiography? – of Shuddhashar and its publisher. I was first introduced to Shuddhashar in February 2018. At that time, Shuddhashar had been online for a little more than a year. I read the articles. The bimonthly magazine issues were hopeful …
Shuddhashar’s Online Magazine as (Auto)Biography Read More »
Migrants. Immigrants. Emigrants. Refugees. Aliens. Asylum seekers. Exiles. Asylees. Nonimmigrant. Émigré. Illegal aliens. Legal aliens. Deportees. Expats. Displaced people. Diaspora. The Age of Refugees Migrating – and population movement in general – is a human condition. We all move with a desire to live fulfilling lives, to survive, and to better ourselves. For such …
The torching of Ranesh Thakur’s music room, where he stored his musical instruments and 40 years’ worth of books containing traditional knowledge and Baul songs, is the latest of a series of attacks against humanists and minorities in Bangladesh. The persecution of Bauls is not new. During the 19th and early 20th centuries in the …
The persecution of Bauls is not new. It must stop Read More »
The Trial of God As a prisoner in Auschwitz, where some of the worst atrocities in Nazi camps took place, 15-year-old Elie Wiesel watched as three pious Jewish scholars put God on trial for the suffering of his people. After a lengthy debate and trial, they concluded with their verdict: God was guilty. They fell …
It is increasingly clear how fear can bring out our inhumanity. With instructions to practice social distancing, stop border crossings, self-quarantine, or obey lockdowns comes a very familiar fear about the danger of others. The virus is real; the danger is real. Covid-19 is new threat that has manifested as a global pandemic. However, some …
Practice Social Solidarity, Not Social Distancing, During the Pandemic Read More »
It’s 2020, and from our standpoint in the U.S., what do we see? On January 15, 2020, the state of Virginia became the 38th U.S. state to vote in favor of ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The ERA would amend the U.S. Constitution to guarantee that all citizens have the same rights regardless of …
This year marks 400 years since slaves were first brought to the shores of what is now the United States of America. Unlike other notable anniversaries, this is not a cause for celebration. But it should, however, motivate us to reflect and to take stock of where we are today. Yet that is exactly the …
This is an essay about Bangladeshis at home and in exile. It is written with Norwegians and Bangladeshis in mind, although the points are relevant more broadly. Awards that collect dust A friend shared an article with a video about Kangalini Sufia, a performer of Baul songs in Bangladesh whom I had known during my earlier …
Riding on the Visva-Bharati Express train from Kolkata to Bolpur, you can expect to be joined by a Baul singer, raising her voice above the clatter of the train, playing her ektara as she leans against a seat for balance. On this train, it is mostly the elite Bengali and foreigners who give Bauls money …
Beyond Hindu and Muslim: Bauls of West Bengal and Bangladesh Read More »
অসির চেয়ে মসীর শক্তি বেশি। The brutal killing of Shahzahan Bachchu, 60, on June 11, 2018 in his home village is yet another reminder of the dangers of writing in Bangladesh, the ability of words to be threatening, and the importance of freedom of expression. Shahzahan was the owner of Bishaka Prokashoni, a publishing house …
