Akshaya Mukul’s detailed biography holds back nothing in delving into the writer’s strengths and warts

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma transformed the santoor, mainly a folk instrument till then, and opened new vistas before it, widening its musical scope.

The Pandit's 100th birth anniversary has just passed us by. He was truly a Bharat Ratna, a jewel whose lustre will never diminish. 

In trying to 'resurrect' Savarkar's image, Rajnath Singh's remarks unwittingly brought to the fore the difficulty RSS and BJP have been facing in having a pantheon of their freedom fighters.

The opposition to Kannur University including texts by Hindutva ideologues in its reading list tells us that engaging an intellectual, ideological or political opponent on the level of ideas is no longer acceptable.

Accusations by the editor of 'Hans' magazine that the great author was status quoist, regressive and that most of his writings were nothing but “trash” are outrageous. 

While Deepika Padukone's presence at JNU shows film stars are prepared to take risks, there was a time when artists were deeply aware of their social responsibility.

Tripathi had loyal and loving friends in almost every political party, because he never turned his back on his friends.

As a poet, Atal Bihari Vajpayee dreamt of an 'Akhand Bharat' and of conquering Gilgit and other areas to undo the Partition. But, the ultimate goal in which he believed and for which he worked all his life was not very different from that of the present rulers.

The Hindutva brigade is frenetically attempting to vitiate the cultural and intellectual atmosphere in the country. The threats to Carnatic musicians is only the most recent chapter in a long history of the champions of so-called “cultural nationalism” stepping on secularist ideals.

The saffron party has long been playing the game of political mobilisation on the basis of religion. That's why it is more than amusing to see Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh invoking secularism in reaction to the recent letter by the Delhi Archbishop.

In response to two articles in The Wire, a re-look at history and historical personalities.

In 'The Evolution of Ghalib', the author Hasan Abdullah attempts to portray Ghalib as 'numer uno'.

One can say with absolute certainty that he was the most loved and admired poet of his times.

Instead of emphasising the Hindu origins of Muslim monuments and staking a claim over them, the new RSS strategy is to belittle their importance and denounce them so as to denigrate Muslims by suspecting their 'Indian-ness'.

Although fiction writers visited the theme of Partition repeatedly, Hindi poets curiously remained more or less indifferent to it.

Will Hindutva erase the eclectic, liberal and uninhibited legacy of Hinduism?

Amonkar's performances were never bereft of brilliant passages. Because, as they say in cricket, form is temporary but class is permanent.

Despite Hindi being the language of the UP legislative assembly, BJP members have been allowed to take their oath in Sanskrit, while doing so in Urdu has been disallowed.