Harsh Mander on dissent, the ‘partition of hearts’, and why India is apathetic towards its poor
Source: newslaundry
Published on: July 08, 2020
Bio: He talks to Meghnad S about the importance of dissent, the Indian society’s perception of poverty, growing institutional apathy towards the poor in the country, and how the Narendra Modi regime has used the coronavirus lockdown to strengthen its control over the functioning of the society. Speaking about how the lockdown has affected the expression of public dissent, Mander explains that he has “obsessively” written and spoken about pressing matters throughout the lockdown and reached out to people, but “there is a certain energy and passion in a gathering”. The country has recorded so many injustices during the lockdown but the people haven’t hit the streets, he says. However, he adds, “India has sort of not had its George Floyd kind of response.”