Associate Editor at Down To Earth (Web). His main interests include history, wildlife, culture, cuisine, theology and indigenous peoples
Of Saint Patrick and the serpents
As the Irish celebrate the feast day of their patron saint globally, some insights into why the Emerald Isle is ‘snake-less’ and how …
Vaitarna river attack: Why the bull shark is among the most dangerous animals in the world
Its large size, proclivity for freshwater, abundance and proximity to human populations, particularly in the tropics, makes it more of a …
A tale for Christmas: Here is why the Apostle Bartholomew is associated with agriculture in Goa
Bartholomew or Nathaniel is believed to have visited India in 55 AD, like his fellow Apostle, Thomas before him
Are langurs and rhesus macaques really sworn enemies of each other?
Science does not see this relationship in terms of black-and-white
The importance (and baggage) of ghee
The social standing of ghee is heavier than the health one
World Snow Leopard Day 2023: Time for the enigmatic cat to be recognised as climate adaptation mascot in the Third Pole?
The snow leopard is a resident of High Asia. Its imagery can appeal not just to people there but to those dependent on the cryosphere that the …
Is it time to rethink the definition & concept of ‘genocide’?
Why are some conflicts termed as ‘genocide’ and some as ‘crimes against humanity’, ‘political violence’ or &…
Boomerangs, spears and rocks: The story of Pemulwuy who challenged colonial Sydney
As Australia’s First Nations reflect after a bruising ‘Voice To Parliament’ referendum, they can take heart from the Bidjigal …
International Tiger Day 2023: Yes, tigers did roam Sindh and Bahawalpur once
The tiger is of course extinct in Pakistan but it should be a sobering thought that it has only become so within the last 100 years
International Tiger Day 2023: Just when and how did today’s big cats evolve
Big cats have been associated with human history since our inception. But where do their origins lie?
Rivers have always been a part of Punjabi and Sikh identity, memory
For 5,000 years, the five ‘torrents of water’ that flow through its plains, have fashioned Punjabi life and character
Pongal 2023: Indigenous cattle, prized in Tamil Nadu, are on the decline; can they be saved
Whether or not Jallikattu helps conserve Tamil Nadu’s indigenous breeds of cattle, the fact remains that these breeds are in peril like …
Gregory XIII: How religious need spurred the reformist pope to recalculate time 440 years ago
The early arrival of Easter because of the long Julian Calendar necessitated the formation of a new calendar
Philosopher Martha Nussbaum’s new book takes hard positions on animal rights, predation
In an interview with the New York Times (NYT) December 6, 2022, Nussbaum made an implicit equivalence of predation with rape
The earth now has 8 billion humans; is the notion of a ‘finite planet’ a myth?
More than numbers, humanity needs to consider how resources are produced and distributed, what is consumed, by whom, and how much
Cheetah: Did India’s erstwhile nobility cause its wildlife’s downfall? Apply nuance, some say
The common perception that the princes along with the British obliterated much of India’s wildlife needs to be qualified, say descendants …
Elizabeth II may have passed away but memories of Empire will always linger
The flow of Indian wealth to Britain and the ‘civilising mission’ of Empire may perhaps never find closure
Ganesh Chaturthi: The modak’s history reflects its strong ties to the land; here is how
The sweet and some of the recipes used in making it are quite old; its ingredients include some of the Deccan’s famous crops like ambemohur rice
The big transition that was Project Tiger
The landmark programme marked the transition from a very big game-centred view of nature, prevalent among imperial British officials, Indian …
Sikhs of Lakhimpur-Kheri: How India has to discover itself everyday because of its education system
The elevation of Charanjit Channi to chief ministership and the tragic deaths of Sikh farmers in Lakhimpur-Kheri show us just what exactly is …
How ‘Golden Boy’ Neeraj Chopra got caught in India’s caste cauldron
A number of caste groups have tried to claim Neeraj Chopra as their own ever since he won the gold medal at Tokyo; the cancer of caste is alive …
Sherni: A Bollywood film that knows its environmentalism well
Every scene is finely etched in this very accurate portrayal of how India’s forest service actually works
Why I remember DN Jha as an exemplary food historian
His defining work was about a food item whose reality is markedly different from the narrative that has been built around it
Farmers at Singhu and Tikri have a host of global peasant revolts to look up to
As the farmer protests continue in Delhi, we examine other instances in world history when cultivators have rebelled
The ‘qissa’ of Basmati
As the European Union gets set to pronounce whether to give a GI tag to India’s Basmati rice, we explore the history of a grain that …