आम्ही कोण?

The recently released fictional fairy tale movie, "Jodha Akbar" has stirred the hornet's nest by depicting a period in Indian History when Mughals ruled India. It has started many debates, and has led to many protests across India. The debates and protests pertained to the supposedly misrepresented history, as one cannot tell for sure whether Akbar did or did not marry a rajput princess named Jodhabai. But these protests and debates missed another important point, perhaps which is more important than any other debatable issues about this movie, the portrayal of Akbar as India's emporer and for that matter the mughal rule itself. The following paragraph appears in the Indian History article on wikipedia. " Liberal Muslim kings are also a part of Indian pride. Akbar was a powerful Mughal emperor who admired Hinduism, forged familial and political bonds with Hindu Rajput kings, and developed for the first time in medieval India an environment of religious freedom. A...

Today is indeed a sad day for our people. The forces of evil are eclipsing the last hindu kingdom of the subcontinent. In the recently concluded polls in Nepal, the maoists have won 25 of 40 seats for which results have been declared and are leading in 70 out of 122 constituencies. Their leader "Prachanda", which means the fierce one in Nepali, alias Pushpa Kamal Dahal has won his seat with a huge margin and many important candidates of the Nepalese Congress are trailing behind. The interlocutor from the government's side in the talks with the maoists and the home minister of Nepal, a political heavy weight from Nepal congress, Krishna Prasad Sitaula has lost. The communist party of nepal, party of the democracy abiding communists, is in for a resounding defeat. The other parties including the most important one , Nepal Congress, are likely to suffer heavy setbacks. Nepal and India are two nations joined by bonds of blood. The peoples of both the countries belong to one a...

Nation and Nationalism ….what are these concepts? Are they some abstract concepts which do not need any further explanation, thought or analysis? I delved into my conscience. And found some answers. I analyzed it just like I analyze any other feeling or intuition which comes naturally to me. Suppose tomorrow, children are taken from different parts of the world, and are assembled in a hypothetical non-national area, say a hospitable part of Antarctica. They are to lead their lives there. They are provided all facilities there. All the apparatus necessary for the functioning of a STATE such as a judiciary, a constitution, a government, legislature, law enforcement agencies, and army are provided. In schools their teachers, and guardians at dormitories, constantly keep on telling them, that they are a part of a new nation . They are nationals of a newly formed nation with no history whatsoever. Will they develop a feeling of nationalism towards their newly formed nation ? There will ...

Indian culture and civilization have their roots in remote antiquity and so are the Indian traditions related to food and cuisine. India is considered to be the home of spices and hence the concept of taste. India has enjoyed a monopoly in production and trade of spices since the dawn of history. The typical climate of the Indian subcontinent, Monsoon climate, has been instrumental in development and evolution of large number of herbs and shrubs from which various spices are produced. According to ancient Mesopotamian records, the Mesopotamian civilization traded with ancient India which included spices as a commodity of primary importance. Ancient Indian civilization, or more particularly, the Indus-Sarawathi Civilization, traded with the rest of ancient world which included Egypt and Mesopotamia through ports like Lothal (on the coast of present day Gujarat ). Rivers like Indus and Saraswati were also used for navigation of spices from hinterlands to the ports. T...

The recent trail of events which took place in cities across Maharashtra can definitely be categorized as unfortunate not as entirely unexpected। The huge influx of people from northern states especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar was building up resentment among locals and the comments made by Mr। Raj Thackeray, irrespective of the motive, genuine or political, gave vent to it. While the comments by him can be labeled as opportune and politically motivated, the problem itself cannot be ignored. The feelings expressed by him have certainly met with an echo from sections of Marathi populace which testifies the existence of the problem.The problem itself is multifaceted and cannot be stated by making rhetorical remarks or blanket statements. The reaction to Raj Thackeray's remarks has been equally or even more hostile, not only from the expected quarters of political parties but also from self styled human rights activists, armchair social workers and bourgeoisie intelligentsia(likes of...

प्रतिभाताईंच्या उमेदवारीने मराठी माणसापुढे नवीन प्रश्न उभे केले आहेत. प्रांतवाद कि राष्ट्रवाद अशा स्वरूपाचा हा प्रश्न आहे. मराठ्यांच्या राष्ट्रीय कर्तव्याप्रतीच्या भावना आणि योगदान ह्यांनी इतिहासाची पाने पराक्रम, त्याग, बलिदान आणि विजयाने झळाळून टाकली आहेत. सम्राट शालिवाहनाने शक, हूण आणि कुशाणांना पराभूत करून ह्या भूमीला रानटी आक्रमकांपासून मुक्त केले. त्रिसमुद्रतोयपितवाहन ही पदवी सातवाहन राजांनी सिद्ध केली. छत्रपति शिवाजी महाराजांनी मोगलांना पाणी पाजून पराक्रमाची परिसीमा केली आणि राष्ट्रीय स्वाभिमानाची पुनर्स्थापना केली. येथील समाजसुधारकांनी देशाला प्रगतीची नवी दिशा दाखवली. असे असताना एक मराठी माणूस देशाच्या सर्वोच्चपदी बसण्याचा आनन्द मराठी लोकान्ना व्हावा आणि त्यान्नी त्यासाठी प्रयत्न करावा ह्यात गैर असे कहीही नाही. हा काही प्रान्तवाद नाही. प्रान्तवाद तो, जो त्या प्रान्तातील लोकान्ना मूळ राष्ट्रीय प्रवाहापासुन दूर नेण्याचा प्रयत्न करतो, फुटीरतेची आणि वेगळेपणाची भाषा करतो. अशा प्रव्रुत्तीला क्रूरपणे आणि निर्घ्रुणपणे ठेचले पाहीजे. ह्या निमित्ताने मराठी कोण हा प्रश्न ही उभा राहीला आहे. ...

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