CATEGORIES

What Does Ram Mandir Mean to an Ordinary Indian?

It's a moment in history that shows that, as a country, we have faith in our institutions

Eye on Polls?

The Ram temple inauguration may certainly influence the processes and outcomes of the upcoming General Elections

A Paper City

The contemporary Ram Janmbhoomi politics that began in the 20th century can be broadly categorised into three periods1949, 1980s and post-2014

December 23, 1949: Abdul Sees Divine Ram Lalla

Global history is replete with instances where faith has overshadowed all other considerations

Ramaisation Of Indian Politics

Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram's idol in Ayodhya has transformed the political landscape.Following Hindu tradition is the new buzz in governance but its foundation was laid in 1986

'I Was Told Don't Object as Elections are Near': Joshimath Shankaracharya

Joshimath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, who came into the limelight for his decision to not attend the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya on January 22, in an exclusive interview with Outlook, says that the religious scriptures are not being followed. He also accuses the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust secretary, Champat Rai, of dividing Hindu society in the name of sects. Excerpts:

Mapping the March

A look at a decade of the Hindu Rashtra conferences in Goa reveals which of their targets have been achieved and what remains

A Temple Triumphs

Ayodhya is all decked up, having undergone a rapid transformation in the recent past. Its residents are torn between the temple town then and now

Sheher-e-Paighambar

Muslims in Ayodhya brace for the Ram Mandir inauguration 31 years after the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Their only wish Is to be allowed to live in peace

Temple town, Tinseltown

The new Ayodhya, remodelled as a glitzy temple town, exudes celebratory spirit and promises limitless development. But a closer look reveals its contradictions and discontent

Gaza's Truth-Tellers

Thanks to the voices of intrepid young journalists in Gaza, the world now knows the stories of its people by heart

"A Fleeting Feeling of Freedom"

Mohammed Ayman, co-founder of the Free Gaza Circus, is determined to entertain Gaza's kids

"I Yearn For a Moment of Boredom of the Lady with Hearing Loss”

She is a Gaza-based poet and cultural activist, who wrote this on Facebook on December 13

Stubborn Survival

Musings on the Palestinians' struggle to be heard

"Dancers are at Constant Risk of Being Arrested"

A 22-year-old Dabke dancer, who wishes to remain unnamed, says Palestinian artists are trying to send out a strong message to the world, that is silently watching the Gaza genocide

"Crazy and Unprecedented"

Haneen Harara, a Palestinian journalist based in Gaza, says it is really hard to tell the world how bad the situation is

"We are the People of Truth"

The last words of Gaza poet Heba Abu Nada

No Country for Coriander

In a longstanding game of one-upmanship, Israel keeps banning harmless goods, snatching away the simple wants of Palestinians

"I Don't Know How I Made it Out Alive"

Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad has been sharing the everyday struggle for survival in the ravaged city of Gaza

"Everyone is a Target"

Journalist Shatha Hanaysha missed death by a whisker last year during an Israeli raid, which killed a fellow scribe she had admired. But that has not stopped her

"Women are Suffering Because They are Women"

Twenty-five-year-old Gazan journalist Bisan Owda’s social media posts capture the everyday struggles of Gazans and the horrific impact of Israeli attacks

"We Did Not Expect the War to Go on for So Long"

Adel Al-Hawajri, a journalist from Gaza, says people are mentally and emotionally drained because this war is very different from the previous rounds of violence

"They Didn't Even Let Us Say Goodbye To Him"

West Bank-based journalist Fayha Shalash recounts her family's harrowing ordeal

"In Gaza, Death is Safer than Life"

Mosab Abu Toha, a poet, recounts his struggle to stay alive in war-torn Gaza

Where is She?

Batool Abu Akleen, a teenage poet from Gaza, last posted on October 23. Her social media handles went silent after that

"I Use Art to Convey What Cannot be Expressed in Words"

Artists expressing solidarity with Palestine are struggling to find space on mainstream platforms

"Gaza is our Home"

Researcher, writer and translator Yousef Aljamal highlights the human impact of the political situation through his mother’s and sister's stories

"I Let my Art be a Testament to my Political Identity"

Heba Haji is a Kuwaiti-Palestinian artist settled in Kuwait. She traces her ancestry to Palestine through the words of her grandparents

"I am Ready to Die, Here in Gaza"

She is a 21-year-old student in Gaza. She has survived many Israeli military attacks. The Israeli army assassinated two of her uncles and two of her cousins. This is her story

"We Need More Medicines"

Chris Hook has been working with Médecins Sans Frontieres MSF)/Doctors Without Borders since 2015. He was recently the Head of Medical Teams in Gaza and describes what it’s like to do care work in a city under siege