From Naad-Brahman to Noise-Brahman: The Invisible Acoustics of Caste in India

Introduction In the Ancient texts of the Vedas and Upanishads, Hindu cosmological thought advocates the theory of Naad-Brahman, translated as the Sound of Brahman. It posits that the universe originated from a primordial sound or naad––a divine vibration from which all forms of existence, both living and nonliving, have emerged. However, this Brahmanical theory has …

The Lion’s War: Life Histories, Forgotten Art and Alternative Geographies. An Interview with Paolo Israel

I Interviewed Paolo Israel on December 10, 2020, via Zoom, as has become the norm during the pandemic. Our conversation revolved around war and violence in Mozambique, especially the insurgency that is currently raging in Cabo Delgado province. In our conversation we looked critically at Harry West’s take on witchcraft, the limitations of Marxist and …