Vandals attack Bhandarkar oriental research institute, staff, books and manuscripts.
Category: Latest News
Welcome to our archive of news stories relevant to the project of fighting fashionable nonsense. The stories are drawn from the electronic pages of the world’s media. On this page, you’ll find links to those stories that have been featured on Butterflies and Wheels during the current year. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to separate archives of stories from previous years.
We’re always pleased to hear about news stories that you think should be featured on Butterflies and Wheels. Just send an email here, if you want to point one out to us.
A note about links
Inevitably links go out of date. We suggest, therefore, that you make hard-copies of the stories that particularly interest you.
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Enlightenment Against Empire
Introduction to Sankar Muthu’s book on 18th century anti-imperialism.
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Indian Historians Given Police Protection
OUP withdrew book, author apologized, but protesters attacked anyway.
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The Dangers of Studying Mythology
James Laine on why he wrote about Shivaji.
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Should NGOs be Accountable?
Who decides, and what are the criteria, and who decides that?
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Adonis on the Veil
Arab poet has harsh words for the hijab and its fans.
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Daniel Mendelsohn on Donald Kagan
What does the Peloponnesian War mean in a world with only one superpower?
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Ha’aretz Meets Judith Butler
She’s a celebrity, she exudes charisma, followers line up for her talks. Hmm.
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Anthropocentric Conceit
The creator of the fifteen-billion-year-old, multibillion-star universe thinks we’re just swell. Right?
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Uh, Er, Um, Like, You Know
Disfluency matters, but wait for tenure before studying ‘like.’
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Football Coach Millionaires
‘Many wonder how healthy it is to pay a football coach more than the president of a university.’
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Incautious Precautionary Principle
Philip Stott on morally bankrupt opposition to GM crops in developing world.
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‘Superstars’ at the MLA
English professors used to criticize the Taliban, but that was then.
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What’s Wrong With US Schools?
Three new books examine the problems.
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The ‘Little People’
It’s fashionable to turn down a gong, but what does that say to unfashionable recipients?
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Reports From the MLA
Interviews, paranoia, clothes, panels no one attends – life at an academic convention.
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Washington, Jefferson and Slavery
Gordon Wood reviews Gore Vidal, Garry Wills and others.
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Meera Nanda in Frontline Part II
Postmodernism, Hindu nationalism and `Vedic science’ get together.
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BBC on Bam Earthquake
Authorities blame builders, Iranians blame authorities.
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Why Did Bam’s Houses Fall Down?
‘Iran is still being ruled by a useless, incompetent semi-theocracy…’