Pondy Lit Fest

#PLF2024 Sri Aurobindo says India has endured centuries of conquest due to its deep spiritual core. In The Foundations of Indian Culture, he asserts that true national unity can emerge only by reconnecting with the wisdom of our scriptures —the timeless source of our oneness.

#PLF2024 @6amiji challenges the modern "woke" lens and identity politics surrounding Karna's portrayal. Often seen as a hero of the marginalized, Karna in the Mahabharata actually expresses deeply casteist view. #Mahabharat #Karna #Hero #IndianEpic #History #castepolitics

#PLF2024 @ShivAroor asserts that #Jammu is proof Article 370’s abrogation has worked, citing a clear drop in terror activities —from infiltrations to grenade attacks. #Pakistan’s once-thriving #terror network struggles and #Violence across #Kashmir declines.

.For those who may be interested this pictute was taken after a fabulous session I had the privilege to moderate for @PondyLitFest where Meenakshi ji and Vishu ji discussed the historical and legal aspect of Mathura and Kashi. youtu.be/jh4Ut53zDRI?si…

Where Shiv (@ShivAroor) speaks to #plf2024 last September about the blood thirst of Pakistani terror camps, given the significant reduction in all forms of terror in J&K, post dilution of Article 370. @PondyLitFest Devastatingly prescient instagram.com/reel/DMEp6h_B2…

#PLF2024 Adv @Vishnu_Jain1 raises concerns over the film #Maharaj, claiming it distorts #historicalfacts about Karsandas. He says the portrayal of a fictional fiancée and misrepresented practices undermines documented #History, including the 1862 judgment & Saurabh Shah’s book

#PLF2024 @ARanganathan72 explains how India’s #pensionreforms were reversed for political gain. What began as an economic necessity under Manmohan Singh was undone in Himachal — costing the state over 77% of its tax revenue just to fund pensions #economicpolicy #HimachalPradesh

#PLF2024 @vikramsampath likens #biography writing to falling in love—driven by passion, curiosity, and connection. Yet, when it's time to write, the biographer must step back and stay objective. Without that distance, it risks becoming a hagiography, not #History.

Grp Capt Shukla's space journey is imp to India in many ways. A human space mission is unlike any other space mission and it sets new constraints on engineering. In the age of AI, human space missions still remain extremely relevant n challenging. We talk about this n more 👇

Watch a riveting interview with Gp Capt. Angad Pratap, designated astronaut for the #GaganyaanMission (@isro), & @aalokelab from IISc, as they explore India’s space journey — from the 2008 discovery of water on the Moon to bold visions of off-Earth living youtu.be/3ORr91hZGeo?si…

#PLF2024 @AloPal shares how her understanding of #jauhar changed. What she once saw as a defeatist act, she now sees as a tragic but powerful form of resistance against the horrors of #enslavement — especially for women. #feminism #indianwomen #culturalunderstanding #women

#PLF2024 @6amiji explains that while multiple Ramayanas have coexisted, they were written with shraddha & bhakti. But reducing it to an #Aryan vs #Dravidian conflict distorts its essence. Call it fiction if you must — but don’t claim it as history. #Ramayana #Indianepic #Hindu

Where I state how I changed my views on the act of Jauhar once I learnt of the criminally suppressed cult ordained truth of Islamic sex slavery. @PondyLitFest #PLF2024 instagram.com/reel/DLKPwQAyW…

#PLF2024 @ShivAroor shares a stunning insight: for every Indian soldier lost to high-altitude conditions, 15 Chinese soldiers perish. China’s one-child soldiers, unfit for the terrain, are facing a silent, punishing front in #Ladakh. #indianarmy #highaltitudewar #indiachina

For every one soldier India loses in high altitude warfare the Chinese lose 15! Something a Chinese soldier and product of their one child policy finds insufferable. Shiv (@ShivAroor) at @PondyLitFest #Galwan5Years youtube.com/shorts/SeQ1hOV…

Where Shiv (@ShivAroor) tells you that just because the Chinese don't acknowledge it ever does not mean the Indian Armed forces forces are "damsels in the forest". Our forces too go into Chinese territory and hit measure for measure #plf2024 @PondyLitFest instagram.com/reel/DK1wzGzyz…

#PLF2024 @ShivAroor busts the one-sided narrative— Indian soldiers do cross over and give China sleepless nights. The border is a two-way game, not a one-sided story. #Indiavschina #ladakhborder #indiandefence #borderreality #IndianArmy

#PLF2024 Why did Bengal’s refugees turn to the Communists? With no support from the state, they survived on leftover rice water and built colonies on occupied land—rebuilding lives the only way they could. #refugeeresilience #indianhistory #partitionstories @KanchanGupta

#PLF2024 @ShamikaRavi explains how data reveals a clear media bias—most negative news on India and most positive news on China come from unknown sources, highlighting the need for a counter-strategy. #indiavschina #informationwarfare #fakenews #datainsights #democracy