Caste System
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Thormann, J. (2003). The Ethical Subject of The God of Small Things. Journal for the Psychoanalysis of Culture & Society, (2), 299.
In an increasingly global economy the master signifiers of the dominating international regime increasingly infiltrate local cultures and economies, introducing new ideals for identification and new forms of coercion and reinforcing established forms of injustice. It is the radical project of The God of Small Things to undermine the laws of social exchange, what the narrator in a repeated refrain calls “the love laws…That lay down who should be loved. And how. And how much." -
Sekher, A. (2003, August 16). Older than the Church: Christianity and Caste in "The God of Small Things". Economic and Political Weekly, 38(33), 3445-3449. Retrieved from JSTOR.
Despite Christianity that made inroads into Kerala nearly two millennia ago, and communism that emerged as a powerful egalitarian force in the last century, caste continues to exercise an insidious, all-pervasive influence in Kerala.
Virginie Lanes. (2022, Jan 24). Is India's Caste System Still Alive? [Video].YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyCQDIwHlXY
Siddhartha Chabukswar. (2011, July 5). India Untouched: Stories of a People Apart, Feature Documentary by Stalin K. Part 1 of 4 [Video file]. Retrieved June 21, 2015, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM85zVt6xCU
Communism in India
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Ghosh, P. (2013, March 5). Better Red Than Dead? Communism Thriving in Corner of India. Retrieved June 21, 2015, from International Business Times: http://www.ibtimes.com/better-red-dead-communism-thriving-corner-india-1111044
In India, the world’s most populous democracy, Communist politicians still hold considerable power in at least one pocket of the vast country. -
Ghosh, P. (2014, January 24). Hindu Hammer and Sickle: Tripura, the Last Bastion of Communism iIn India. Retrieved June 21, 2015, from International Business Times: http://www.ibtimes.com/hindu-hammer-sickle-tripura-last-bastion-communism-india-1547598
A few months ahead of what is expected to be a challenging national election, India's incumbent Congress Party, widely blamed for corruption and a stalled economy, has commenced its candidate selection process for parliamentary seats in the country's northeast, a region that includes a state where Communists maintain significant political power.
SBS Dateline. (2011, June 19). India's Red Tide [Video file]. Retrieved June 21, 2015, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvUVzvt_jtg
Love Laws
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Biswas, S. (2012, July 30). A Hideaway for India's Rebel Couples. Retrieved June 6, 2015, from BBC News: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19010196
Indian couples that have angered their families by pursuing "forbidden" relationships are increasingly seeking refuge in special shelters run by the police.
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Chandrachud, C. (2014, December 12). Limiting the Impact of Section 377. Retrieved June 6, 2015, from The Hindu: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/limiting-the-impact-of-section-377/article6683396.ece
Two difficult options have been considered so far to nullify the Supreme Court’s decision on Section 377. But there is another, more subtle, option on the table.
Times Now. (2013, September 20). Honour Killing in Rohtak Village [Video file]. Retrieved June 21, 2015, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krWOr4r_uwI
Al Jazeera English. (2010, August 30). 101 East - Caste in Stone [Video file]. Retrieved June 21, 2015, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KS1FXBYNWM
Christianity in India
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Burke, J. (2015, January 29). India Investigates Reports of Mass ‘Reconversion’ of Christians. Retrieved June 21, 2015, from The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/29/india-mass-reconversion-christians-hinduism
Up to 100 Christians ‘welcomed back’ to Hinduism in West Bengal, raising concerns about possible coercion.
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Srivastava, P. (2014, December 19). 'We Will Free India of Muslims and Christians by 2021': DJS Leader Vows to Continue 'Ghar Wapsi' Plans and Restore 'Hindu Glory'. Retrieved June 21, 2015, from Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/
Even as Opposition parties up the ante over alleged incidents of religious reconversion, the Dharm Jagran Samiti has declared that it will ensure India becomes a Hindu Rashtra by 2021.
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Kanaganayakam, C. (2004). Religious Myth and Subversion in The God of Small Things. Contemporary Literary Criticism, 364.
In the following essay, Kanaganayakam examines the treatment of religion in The God of Small Things, arguing that Roy performs a critique of mythmaking belief systems. Kanaganayakam also offers a succinct explanation of the novel’s Syrian-Christian context.