Bharat Rakshak

With over 705 unique tribal groups making up 8.6% of its population, India is home to a vibrant heritage of unique traditional arts and handicrafts preserved by these communities.



At the 44th India International Trade Fair in New Delhi, India’s rich tribal artforms are being honoured to commemorate ‘Ek Bharat: Shrestha Bharat’ (‘One India: Great India’).

At the Fair, tribal groups from across the country are exhibiting their work to a wider audience, supported by the Government of India and state governments.

Promotion of India’s tribal art and handicrafts ensures that these age-old traditions survive the test of time and contribute to the inclusive socio-economic development of India, as the country positions itself to be a $5 trillion economy by 2047.

India will see a plethora of judicial reforms after November 2026.

Please note that I do not target (or intend to target) the judiciary in this tweet.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it will consider a plea to revive the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) to replace the current collegium system for appointment of judges in the higher judiciary.
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The Supreme Court in 2015 had rejected the NJAC Act and the 99th Constitutional amendment, which sought to give politicians and civil society a final say in the appointment of judges to the higher courts.

My 3 day stay at Sadhguru's Isha Foundation in Coimbatore. Thread:

1. Day 1. I had expected it to be a quiet place with maybe some traffic. But I wasn't prepared for what seemed like a mini Kumbh Mela. I reached in the night and cars and buses were coming in at the rate of one every 30 seconds. There were literally hundreds of buses from all over India parked there. And the cars were beyond count.

2. The moment I stepped into the ashram premises, it felt like I was transported to a different world. The architecture, the materiald used and the absolute cleanliness of the place were impressive. Coimbatore is a pretty liveable city, quite green and much cleaner than most Indian cities, yet the contrast between the inside of Isha Foundation and the outside is unmissable.

3. Now add Indian spirituality into it, and the aura of the place is lifted. Once you are in, it's like living in a mini self-contained city with almost everything provided for. Sadhguru has done an immense service to India by developing this ashram.

4. The first stop is the evening sound and light show at the Adiyogi statue. The massive statue dominates the grounds. I'm not much of a sound and light person but Sadhguru's commentary is spellbinding.

5. Morning, Day 2. The ashram feels like a buzzing, busy, happening place with people from all over India and perhaps 10% from overseas. And unlike the images of Europeans chanting slokas in Iskcon or Osho, at Isha most of the foreigners are East Asian. Indresha, my point of contact at Isha, said pre-Covid, there were literally thousands of visitors from China. I felt the foreigners had more bhakti compared with the Indian visitors. This could be because we Indians are more touristy whereas the Chinese, Vietnamese and Cambodians came here specifically to seek peace.

6. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Isha is the young crowd. The average age of the ashram residents couldn't be more than 25. These youth don't come here to network or hook up; their gaze isn't wandering but instead fixed inwards. I felt most of them were greatly in turmoil and had found peace here. There was a sense of contentment on their faces. I'm sure, had they not come to Isha, many of them may have taken to drugs. This is why I thank Sadhguru from the bottom of my heart for saving the our young people - whether they be Indians or foreigners.

7. Food. All meals are free for those attending the various programmes. It's simple, healthy, sattvic and tasty vegetarian fare. Plus, it’s all you can eat. If you want something different, there are a couple of restaurants that offer tea, coffee, snacks and Indian and Western cuisine.

8. Isha School. If Sadhguru had only established the school and nothing more, I would still be eternally grateful to him. The school, attended mostly by tribal children, is located in a tranquil village a few km away from Isha. It's surrounded by trees and has a peaceful ambience. The best part is that the education is completely in English like any school in Delhi or Chennai. It blows your mind to see little tribal children speaking in perfect English like any Delhi kid (minus the fake accent and uppity attitude). All children are given wholesome, tasty food daily by the school free of cost. There are computer classes and science labs that are as good as any quality school in India. The red brick building is well maintained like a private school.

9. Shopping. I like that Isha doesn't act like a tourist trap that rips you off. Everything that I bought (saffron dhoti-pant, sukku coffee, copper bracelet) was reasonably priced and of a superior quality.

10. Accommodation. I chose the Nalanda rooms which are located in a beautiful garden/cove like space. The rooms are as good or better than 4 star quality. The ambience is unmistakably superior.

11. Day 3. Pre-dawn group meditation. You can come in and join the chanting or you can sit quietly and soak in the spirituality. It was amazing, but for me, the most unique and uplifting experience was the evening aarti which was held in a giant space age rotunda built entirely of stone. You can feel the energy there. There are several sessions of around 30 minutes each but it's best to be early and be in the first session which begins around 7pm.

12. The ashram has a gaushala where abandoned, old and sick cows are cared for. There is also a handsome bull who was once reportedly quite hot tempered and unruly but became gentle as a fawn in Sadhguru’s presence. I fed the bull and he seemed quite friendly.

13. Leaving was hard. A deep feeling of homesickness hit me in the tummy. In just three days, I had got attached to a place where I have no family or friends.

14. Even as I write this, I'm feeling nostalgic and want to visit again. The place has a strong pull - it's sattvic and I envy the volunteers who live there full time and are lucky to be part of a mini paradise. Although I had to get up at 4.00 am daily, I was full of energy all day. I guess, it's when we encounter such places as Isha that we realise what we are missing in our lives.

Sadhguru:

Sunday holiday does not work for Hindus in India. It is a hangover from the British colonial era.
For a long time, India had a 3 day holiday on Purnami and a 2 day holiday on Amavasya. The British changed it to Sunday.
If the Govt can't reinstate the ancient holidays, at least declare Guru Purnima as a national holiday.
I will make sure Guru Purnima is celebrated across this country with great fervour.

P. C. Saidalavi's Seeking Allah's Hierarchy: Caste, Labour, and Islam in India (Nov 2025, Penn Press) is an ethnographic study of Muslim barbers in South India, revealing how they navigate religious ideals of equality with lived hierarchies, challenging notions that Muslim hierarchy merely mirrors Hindu caste by showing its unique Islamic framework and transformation through labor unionization and market forces, arguing for understanding Islam as a "lived tradition".

Key Themes & Arguments:

Muslim Hierarchy is Distinct: Saidalavi argues against viewing Muslim social hierarchy as a watered-down version of Hindu caste; instead, it operates on its own Islamic terms, using piety, genealogy, morality, and wealth, while influenced by broader culture.

Lived Tradition: The book emphasizes that Islam isn't just abstract rules but a lived experience where Muslims negotiate status and identity through daily practices, infusing Islamic values into their work and lives.

Labor & Dignity: It explores how barbers transformed their traditional, often devalued, labor (haircutting) from a patronage system into market-based relations, challenging perceptions of inferiority and gaining dignity through unionization and economic self-sufficiency.

Challenging Norms: The barbers' efforts, including forming unions and demanding fair payment, were seen as radical, disrupting traditional power structures and allowing some to attain political positions, notes the journal article.

Author: P. C. Saidalavi is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Shiv Nadar University.