Category: Gender

  • Our Chief Ray Of Hope

    As the Indian society lurches into chaos after chaos, in this poem, I will explain why Dr. Meena Kandasamy, prolific novelist, poet, translator of the “Thirukkural”, academic and anti-caste activist; is our chief ray of hope: Nobody has made me feel the way you do The very soul of resistance, are you Your Gryffindor courage…

  • Thanks To You, Never Do I Give Up

    I hope you are not getting heartily bored, but this will be yet another poem dedicated to the amazing Dr. Meena Kandasamy – author, poet, translator, academic, intersectional feminist and anti-caste activist extraordinaire! Here is the content: Thanks to you, never do I give up And for you, will I forever clap Because you are…

  • The Allrounder Who Has Stolen My Heart

    One of many poems I take pleasure in writing; about the amazing author, poet, translator, academic, intersectional feminist and anti-caste activist, Dr. Meena Kandasamy. Here goes the content: You are like a breath of fresh air In a toxic concrete jungle Never, do you bungle Because, you are the star Which lights up an otherwise…

  • Women’s Day Special Poem 2023

    Poem dedicated to all the women in my life. Here is the content: Today is a very very special day Because it belongs to women and girls Without whom I would be a nobody A person whose existence would be forgotten As quickly as a politician forgets his/her promises to the public After winning the…

  • You have endured so much

    You have endured so much You have braved so much As a village girl In the clutches of poverty Studying, cooking, washing As a city girl In the murky waters Of office politics and gossip Tears well up in your eyes As a colleague revels in his sport Of cracking jokes at your expense You…

  • A short response to Nivedita Menon’s blog on Raya Sarkar’s List

    This is my shortest blog post ever. It is also very late. The reason why I am posting it is because my comment on the Kafila blog (of which renown Savarna feminist Professor Nivedita Menon is a member and co-Founder) is waiting for moderation – and I have doubts on whether it will be posted…

  • Liberals and the complicity in casteism – Part 2

    This is a continuation of my rant about the casual casteism of liberals from Part 1 https://ashwinkumar1989.online/2017/12/12/liberals-and-the-complicity-in-casteism-part-1/ . I am sorry for the long gap in between, but well; I was busy with work – to compensate for the end-of-the-year vacation that I am gonna take. Like I mentioned earlier, I am an ex-liberal. Like most…

  • Liberals and the complicity in casteism – Part 1

    I am from a conservative Tamil Brahmin family, which has always leaned to the right (supporting BJP, RSS etc.). I  am privileged in four ways – gender (male), religion (Hindu), caste (Brahmin) and class (upper middle – class). I have been blind to most of these privileges. Because of the patriarchal structure of my family…

  • Anatomy of a chat: What is wrong with Indian men? – Part 2

    Here I am, to continue my rant about the bewildering attitude of the savarna liberal elite; especially men – continuing from where I left out – the response to Bollywood actress Vidya Balan speaking about sexual harassment, involving an Army Jawan staring at her breasts https://ashwinkumar1989.online/2017/11/12/anatomy-of-a-chat-what-is-wrong-with-indian-men-part-1/ . Asit Misra, the OP who brazenly admitted to staring…

  • Anatomy of a chat: What is wrong with Indian men? – Part 1

    Many of you may not be knowing that popular Bollywood actress Vidya Balan recently spoke on the viral #MeToo campaign, regarding her experience of being stared at by a soldier during her college days https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mglQoWeKlc . When asked about sexual harassment under the #MeToo Campaign, she said that sexual abuse has always been happening. Vidya said, referring to…