Upfront

Posts

Postmodernism: When Nothing is Certain

When we didn't get 1st place in class, we were judged as not very intelligent. And if the rank was in double digits, our intelligence was questioned fundamentally. This is what modernization did — it categorized knowledge in a binary and hierarchical manner. A child not getting the 1st rank does not necessarily mean that he is not intelligent. Maybe his intelligence lies in something other than studies. Postmodernism leaves room for multiple realities rather than a single universal reality, which Lyotard calls a meta-narrative or grand theory . It also challenges the idea of language. In the words of Derrida , if we deconstruct language, we find power dynamics. For instance, if someone says the word “black,” it automatically generates a negative connotation in our mind. It carries the historical baggage of how colonialists used it in a value-laden way to establish fair skin as superior and justify their colonialism. A similar argument applies to caste in India. Foucault uses the...

Positivism and Post-positivism: Between Numbers and Meaning

Suppose you want to understand why a child does not do her homework. There can be many reasons for it. For example, she spends three hours daily watching Instagram reels , sleeps for ten hours, doesn’t have a pen or notebook, and studies for only one hour. These reasons are objective – they are the same for you and me, and they can be measured. Screen time can be tracked using a digital activity app, and study hours can also be recorded. From this, we may conclude that she doesn’t study because she lacks discipline or is careless. This is called positivism . Auguste Comte is known as the father of positivism. Positivism stands for the objective analysis of things that can be empirically proven - that is, supported by evidence and perceived through our senses. It is similar to the idea of pratyaksham kim pramanam (what is seen is the proof). But the reasons discussed above might not be the only ones. Maybe she doesn’t like studying, doesn’t enjoy the subject, or fears scoring l...

Losing unlearning and learning

You lose money. Then you realise what you shouldn’t have done. You have to unlearn what you did because, at that time, you thought it was right. Now you must learn from what you shouldn’t have done. But that is easier said than done. You lose money, you lose people, you fail to clear an exam. No matter what you lose, losing is important for both unlearning and learning. Losing humbles you. I know many people who became grounded after failing to clear an exam. I am one of them. But it also happens that after many failures, when people finally succeed, they start taking pride in those failures. No matter how much pride they take, the fact that they finally succeeded shows they unlearnt and learnt something. This process of unlearning and learning is very personal. No one can, or rather, no one would teach you how to do it. Maybe someone will tell you what you need to improve. But how is to be figured out by oneself. Self-improvement is the hardest thing to do. Changing your real se...

Why politics matters?

We all know that politics runs through every segment of human life - be it food, health, education, entertainment, marriage, or even me writing this. The food we eat is taxed by the government. Health and education standards are set by the government. The money collected through taxes is spent on these services. Marriage-related provisions are also regulated by the government - the Hindu Marriage Act and the Special Marriage Act are examples. Whatever we buy, we pay tax. Whatever we earn, we pay tax. Taxes are imposed and collected by the government to provide services and security to the people. Despite that, we refuse to actively participate in politics. Hannah Arendt even goes to the extent of saying that the rise of leaders like Hitler and Mussolini happened because people stopped engaging in politics. It’s true - if you don’t tame the lion when it’s small, it becomes very difficult to handle when it grows big. Therefore, small checks are necessary for the government to function pr...

Decline of political parties

BJP, Congress, CPI, Samajwadi Party, and BSP are the political parties we come across every day. Edmund Burke defines a political party as “a body of men united for promoting by their joint endeavours the national interest upon some particular principle in which they are all agreed.” Article 1 of the Constitution of the Indian National Congress defines its objective as the establishment of a socialist state. On the other hand, the BJP’s constitution identifies Integral Humanism as its guiding philosophy. However, people are often mobilized under the idea of Hindutva . Traditionally, political parties used to have an ideology through which they mobilized people. But why do we need them? We do not have enough time to constantly push for our demands. For example, one can either keep protesting and demanding jobs from the government or focus on studying. Therefore, we support political parties that recognize our cause and work on our behalf. Now, what are the primary goals of these ...

Political Sociology: The Dance of Society and Politics

Do you know why some people support Narendra Modi, some support Rahul Gandhi, and some support no one? Or why some support Trump while others don’t? This happens due to many factors. People's behaviour towards a leader or a political system depends on factors such as caste, income, age, education, region, religion, colour, and gender etc. These are known as social factors. For instance, today, the Prime Ministers of Japan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal are women. This wasn’t the case a few decades ago, because the idea of gender equality has gained prominence only in recent times. This happened because women have been continuously asserting themselves as equals in society. Back then, this was not the case. Hence, when we try to understand politics through society and society through politics, we call it the political sociology approach. Earlier, only the impact of politics on society used to be studied. For example, the ban on untouchability through the Constitution reflects the impact of...

Political Modernisation: The Politics of Change

The police are the ones we go to for security. The MPs or MLAs are the ones we demand development from. The court is where we go to resolve our disputes. All of this did not exist a few centuries ago. There was no clear distinction between these roles. The king would go to war and also dispense justice. Hence, it is a modern phenomenon. “Modern” means something of recent origin - something distinct from the past. This transition is not sharply defined; there wasn’t a single day when modernity suddenly arrived. Just as we grow but cannot point out the exact moment when we grew up, modernity too evolved gradually. However, certain historical moments such as the Scientific Revolution, the Renaissance, and decolonization acted like the “puberty” of modernity - phases when change became more visible. The theory of political modernization was developed by Lucian Pye and Samuel P. Huntington, though the American Political Science Association largely led the movement. Political moderniza...

Political Economy: The Interplay of Economics and Politics

The mobile phone on which you are reading this piece is manufactured by some company. In reality, the company hired workers, workers manufactured the phone. By selling the phone company made some profit. This makes it a purely economic activity. However, how many hours the workers will work or what the minimum wage they are entitled to get is decided by the government. Not only this, but how much tax will be levied on the product, e.g., 5% or 12% GST or the income tax on the employees, is also decided by the government. This makes it a political activity. Now, suppose China, a major producer of rare earth elements, limits its imports, making it vulnerable to international politics also. It will raise the cost of production. So the phone or any product that you use is a result of political and economic activity. Therefore, politics and economics are interrelated, and the political economy approach aims to understand and explain this relationship. Adam Smith is kno...

Systems approach: How Political Systems Work

Ever wonder how and why the brick or kuchha roads in front of your house got converted into pukka concrete roads? And when they broke, why was patching done? There must have been a whole process in between that we often miss. It’s similar to eating food: we get energy, but only after the food goes through a process in our body to produce that energy. David Easton proposed a theory called the systems approach to explain this process. He sees politics as a living system. A system contains many interdependent elements that perform certain functions, much like the digestive or nervous system in our body. Easton would explain the example above as follows: the transition from kuchha to pukka roads happened because a demand was raised for it. Easton calls this demand an input . When this demand reaches the respective institutions, such as the legislature, executive, judiciary, or local bodies, it is fulfilled. Easton calls this the output . It is similar to when we eat something: it...

Structual functional approach: Politics in Action

The society we live in is a part of a larger political system. A political system can be understood as something like a human body, with many organs - each interdependent on the other. Any impact on one part is felt by the rest. The structural-functional approach provides an explanation to understand the existence and working of a political system. According to this approach, there are many structures (institutions and organizations) in society that perform specific functions. Together, these functions maintain the stability of the system. But how does anyone even know about politics or develop a political orientation? It happens through agents like the family, media, political parties, and religious bodies. For instance, during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, even children used to say “Abki Baar Modi Sarkar.” This happened through the media and advertising. Structural functionalists call this process political socialization . Some of these politically socialized individuals migh...

Exclusion

The very foundation of some of the major problems that persist in our society is built on the bedrock of exclusion - be it biases, stereotypes, discrimination, or any other practice that degrades others. This makes it important for us to question: why do people exclude in the first place? The idea of exclusion often germinates from the desire to stand out or appear unique. We crave being seen as distinct, not just like any other person. For instance, when we go shopping for clothes, we consciously avoid those that are widely sold. We often say, “everyone wears that.” Maybe we’re comfortable with the broader pattern but not the exact color or design - because we want to stand apart. Hence, we exclude certain colors or styles to create our own distinct identity. While this kind of exclusion in fashion may seem harmless, it reveals a deeper psychological pattern that, when applied to social groups, becomes dangerous. Over time, we begin to associate certain styles with people we don...

Escape

The word escape doesn’t seem to have a very negative origin. It originally meant to set oneself free. It should not be seen as an act of cowardice. The qualitative aspect of escape should inform our judgment. In moments of mental crisis, someone’s escape might be spirituality; for someone else, it could be alcohol. These patterns of escape slowly become habits. With repeated events, our body naturally starts craving the same escape in moments of discomfort. For instance, if someone has chosen isolation as an escape, then whenever a crisis occurs, the body automatically starts demanding isolation. This is why such patterns are difficult to break–because escape sets one free. It provides an alternative way out. The body doesn’t perceive escape as an end in itself; it sees it merely as a means to get away from the current situation. I believe this is the reason behind large-scale alcohol addiction in Indian villages. Based on my limited understanding of Indian villages–especially those in...

सावन

आषाढ़ बीतने को है और सावन चौखट पर खड़ा है। कितना कुछ था बरसने को, पर सब खाली रह गया। कितनी अजीब विडंबना है कि जो पानी हमारे जीवन का मूल है, वही उसकी समाप्ति का कारण भी हो सकता है। रो पाना या न रो पाना - दोनों ही अलग-अलग परिप्रेक्ष्य में आंतरिक शांति के सार्थक उपादान हो सकते हैं। मसलन, किसी संबंध के ख़त्म हो जाने या किसी के दुनिया से गुज़र जाने पर आँसू विषाद को कम कर सकते हैं। इसके विपरीत, आंसुओं का भीतर ही जम जाना, साँस को बोझिल बना देता है। इसलिए जैसे उमड़ते सैलाब को बाँधने की कोशिश व्यर्थ ही नहीं, घातक भी है वैसे ही भीतरी सैलाब की निकास बहुत आवश्यक है। ऐसी विषमता जीवन में ही संभव है - जिससे हमें नुकसान पहुँच सकता है, वही हमारे लिए आवश्यक भी होता है। या यूं कहें कि जो आवश्यक होता है, वही कभी-कभी नुकसान भी पहुँचा सकता है। इसका अर्थ यह हुआ कि हित और अहित एक ही में व्याप्त हैं। यह बात इंसानों पर भी लागू हो सकती है - कोई व्यक्ति हमारे लिए सही न होते हुए भी आवश्यक हो सकता है। वह व्यक्ति कुछ परिस्थितियों में "गलत" है, जैसे बाढ़ में पानी या और अधिक वर्षा। पर वही व्यक्ति जीवन के अन्...

सहनशीलता

सहन करना इतना मुश्किल भी नहीं है। शुरुआती समस्याएँ छाती पर पहाड़ बनकर बैठ जाती हैं, जिसके नीचे हमारी छाती दब जाती है और साँस छोटी हो जाती है। पेट भी अपने स्तर पर ऐंठन दिखा ही देता है, फिर चाहे वह समस्या कितनी ही छोटी क्यों न हो। परंतु एक बार जब हम अभ्यस्त हो जाते हैं, तब नित नई समस्याओं को पार करते हुए इस निष्कर्ष पर निरंतर पहुँचते ही रहते हैं कि पिछली समस्या कितनी महत्वहीन थी। और फिर, हममें से कौन है जो अपने हिस्से की तृष्णा लिए नहीं भटक रहा? कौन है जिसे आँधियाँ उधेड़ नहीं डाल रहीं? कौन है जिसकी खुली आँखों के सामने अंधकार नहीं है? हम सब में ऐसा कौन है जिसकी साँसों के बीच एक निर्वात नहीं है? अभ्यस्तता हमारा ध्यान उधर जाने ही नहीं देती। सहनशीलता व्यर्थ के प्रश्नों-'मैं ही क्यों?' 'मैंने क्या किया?'-को उड़ती धूल पर गिरती बारिश की बूँदों की तरह शांत कर देती है। वास्तव में, सहनशीलता सहनशीलता को ही जन्म देती है, जैसे धैर्य धैर्य को। सहन करने की क्रिया में हम सिमटते भी जाते हैं। सिमटना बहुत ज़रूरी है। जैसे ठंड में परमाणु समीप आ जाते हैं। ठंड में शरीर भी सिकुड़ जाता है-यह उसक...

Words and language

What recently caught my attention is the Deepseek founder's idea that language is the fundamental component of human thought. In other words, human thinking is essentially a linguistic process. What differentiates us from animals or other species is our ability to read, write, speak (words), and process information. Hence, the development of formal language is an essential component of human civilization. It is largely through this process that we come to understand reality. Let's say I have to devise a solution for the existing problem of poverty. We understand that something like poverty exists because the word poverty exists. The word poverty doesn't just describe a state of lacking; it inherently creates a division, a stark contrast against those we label rich or well-off . This linguistic separation then fuels our efforts to bridge that gap. Once we have the word poverty, we begin to analyze its causes: lack of access to education, systemic inequalities, or limited e...

Documenting Resilience

Documenting the truth is important, but why don’t we document individual resilience? Life is brutal. Every person’s life is a battle-what doesn't life throw at us? Some succumb to it, while others stand tall like an oak tree amid a storm. This resilience is truly commendable and deserves to be documented. Just like we assess the pace of a river by tracing its origin, its path, and the distance it covers, your resilience also results from the course your life has taken. If a child's formative years go off track, the effects will likely manifest in many ways later on. Therefore what we are today is a result of many years and that makes judging someone a complex task. I write this because I want you to understand that what you’ve endured is not everyone’s cup of tea. And perhaps it's also because I am so incredibly proud of you. One challenge after another, you faced them head-on. From childhood to adulthood, those challenges have made you stronger, smarter, and more resilient...

A land of overthinkers

Source- istock A land of overthinkers By Satyansh Verma The potential of the human brain can be assessed by the level of development humans have made, specifically the technological advancements and the ocean of literature written but sometimes they are ready to take their own lives. This sums up the possibilities of the human brain. Hence, thinking in itself is not a bad thing. In fact, had I not had the capability to think I would not have been writing this essay. It is the extent that matters. Sliding on the extremes is always dangerous for anything. That is the reason it is always suggested to make a balance. Someone who learned the art of making a balance has learned how to live a life. Overthinking is developing into a very serious problem. However, it has always been a problem. That is why it is always told to live in the present because that won’t give enough space to our mind to overthink. Overthinking also shows us the capability of the human brain and the wonders it could do...