The Hindutva template of hegemony

The controversy over Bhanubhakta’s statue shows the emancipation of the subaltern is a long process.

Janakpur wears its identity of being the capital of Madhesh Pradesh on its sleeve. Appreciators insist that the condition of the city has visibly improved. Their assessment isn’t without some merit. The physical infrastructure in the long-neglected town has indeed gotten better. The main thoroughfares have been recently widened and freshly paved. The drains don’t overflow on to the pavement as regularly as before. Garbage is collected more often even though it still gets piled up in some of the backstreets. The ubiquitous e-rickshaws have largely replaced slow-moving pedal ones that once clogged its roads. Many shiny automobiles and fancy motorbikes create occasional traffic snarls, prompting drivers to honk merrily as if to announce that they have arrived in life.