Politics & Society

Sotomayor’s Sutra and Believable Change

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Judge Sotomayor has demonstrated to us the power of sticking to scripts. And, she did it in a robustly intellectual manner. The rituals (a term that anthropologists use very seriously and devoid of negative connotations of superficiality) of confirmation do follow a publicly recognized patterned performance that reinforces what and who the group is. Or, as anthropologist Clifford Geertz told us long ago, rituals are like stories that people tell about themselves to themselves. And the story here was of course that established precedence in judging and in confirming was sacrosanct. And Judge Sotomayor came off as Supremely qualified for this kind of action through her application of a beautifully crafted sutra (a rule or aphorism, from Sanskrit): To be the best judge, one must not pre-judge.

Gender and Sexuality

Of Independence and Freedom

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As US Americans prepare to celebrate the 233rd anniversary of the nation’s independence from the British, we would do well to remember that political independence does not easily or readily translate into the freedom or dignity of all citizens. Right from the time of the Declaration of Independence to more than two centuries later, Americans are still witness to the struggles of many “minorities” against discriminatory practices in society and in law. The same holds true for a much more recently independent and younger democracy, India, whose constitution-makers drew inspiration from the US American constitution and the French Revolution.