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From Vidya Kashi to a Graveyard of Knowledge: Politics and Ideology at Mysore University
This essay examines the University of Mysore’s founding ideal—Na hi jñānena sadṛśam—and contrasts it with the institutional decay chronicled in B.G.L. Swamy’s Mysore Diary (1979–80). Drawing on primary testimony and corroboration from S.L. Bhyrappa’s autobiography, it maps how caste-based mobilizations, ideological capture (including Communist-aligned activism), and party patronage (notably tied to the Congress party’s local…
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Rajaji versus Nehru: Recovering Political Decency in Post-Independence India
Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) embodied the rare scholar-statesman who coupled statecraft with civilisational wisdom. Drawing on contemporaneous reports and editorials from 1947–1952, this analysis maps how scarcity, discretionary controls, and weak accountability enabled a new political class and normalised black money in politics. It highlights internal voices of conscience—Konda Venkatappaiah, K.G. Mashruwala—and external critics like Sarat Chandra…
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What D.V. Gundappa’s 1959 Letters Reveal: Protocol, Federalism, and Public Decency
Archival letters written by D.V. Gundappa in January 1959, following the death of Sir Mirza Ismail, open a window into the administrative culture of post-Independence India. The correspondence probes how states should register public sentiment, the extent of central guidance on official holidays, and the federal balance between Delhi and state capitals. By foregrounding courtesy…
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Discover the Complete, Untold Case of K V S Manian and a Post‑Independence Due‑Process Breakdown
This post explores the untold case of stenographer K V S Manian, whose livelihood was jeopardized in the immediate post-independence period amid the ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). It situates the episode within the Jawaharlal Nehru–led government’s early security priorities and examines how administrative zeal can undermine due process. Readers gain a clear…
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“We have been ruling the Deccan for the last 800 years!”- Excerpts from Kasim Razvi’s 1948 Speech
The excerpt captures the fervent speech of Kasim Razvi, depicting the tumultuous period during Hyderabad’s integration into India in 1947-48. Razvi’s inflammatory rhetoric, emphasizing an Islamic state and inciting violence against Hindus, underscores the atmosphere of fear and division orchestrated by the Razakars, his militant group. The speech not only reflects a deep-seated religious animosity…