shikanjis - Tumblr blog

[shikanjis]

i always forget that the vast majority of people on here don't know that hinduism is a uniquely oppressive religion and view it vaguely like some exotic and beautiful brown people spirituality.

no other religion unpersons such a vast swathe of purported adherents textually, maintains practices that make them objects of ritual abjection that are excluded from society thru untouchability, exploits their labour thru customary labour obligations and restrictions on land ownership that increase their material subjection and attempts to deny them even understanding of their own position and the right to organise by making literacy itself an upper caste privilege. and this is all before the hindu fascists even burned down the first mosque and started pogroms and initiatied the process of stripping muslims from citizenship. just because hinduism doesn't have global hegemony never meant that stopped it from violently exercising its hegemony on the subcontinent.

[shikanjis]

Israeli history is a great counterexample for how "nominally leftist policies" doesn't equal "historically progressive"

[shikanjis]

[shikanjis]

“men suck” wow so you’re trying to say men are all biologically predetermined to be evil and bad ?????

“omg yeah I’m totally in the pre-ovulation phase which means I am basically a different person than post- or during I actually have corresponding playlists and a series of different supplements for each—” yaaaasss oh so true girly woman girl feminine energy goddess

[shikanjis]

NGC 6357, Cathedral of the Stars

[shikanjis]

no “carrd.” you learn things about me based on what you can piece together from the vague details of my life I disclose in rare moments of vulnerability

[shikanjis]

Pierre Soulages 1983 165 x 130 cm, 165 x 130 cm

[shikanjis]

[shikanjis]

1973 NASA art by Rick Guidice shows a Pioneer probe using the gravity of Jupiter to slingshot its way to the outer planets.

[shikanjis]

Megan Thee Stallion Mamushi (2024)

[shikanjis]

Source

[shikanjis]

everyday i see clueless westerners (especially white people) reblog thinly veiled hindutva propaganda which they wouldn't know cause they know absolutely nothing about what goes on in india. so here are some signs that that the tumblr user you're interacting with is a hindu nationalist:

they either do not acknowledge casteism or claim that caste is a western construct. my personal favourite however is dismissing anyone bringing up caste discrimination by saying that the indian constitution outlaws untouchability. they may also bring up the fact that the prime minister belongs to an other backwards class (obc) so clearly india has moved on from caste and hindutva isn't only for the upper castes. they possess a shallow understanding of caste

harping on about "islamic colonisation" : no, the mughals did not colonise india. when you point this out, they will immediately assume that you think muslim invaders were innocent beings who did nothing wrong, which is very much not what anyone is claiming here

while we're on the topic of "islamic colonisation" they will also refer to the demolishing of muslim sites of heritage and worship and then building hindu temples over them as "decolonisation" (cough cough ram mandir) the hindu right also goes around pretending that they're indigenous to india. this is false

along a similar vein, they will dismiss islamaphobia by bringing up instances of hindu oppression in countries like pakistan and bangladesh. it is true that hindus are persecuted in these two countries, however they are used to fuel their oppression complex, that their upper caste hindu self is under attack in india of all places (think a white christian in the united states). you should be in solidarity with minorities everywhere. it is neither transactional or conditional (note: they will never bring up sri lanka. persecution of hindus exists only when the oppressors are muslim)

claiming that hindu nationalism and hindutva are not the same because hindutva means "hindu-ness". that is only the literal translation of the term. like it or not, they're the same thing

they support the indian military occupation of kashmir. they will call it an integral part of kashmir, one reason which will be "hinduism is indigenous to kashmir." they will also bring up the last maharaja of kashmir signing the instrument of accession as further proof, as if the consent of the people was taken

they're zionists. do i even need to explain this. hindutva is just zionism for hindus

they refer to buddhism and jainism (sikhism too sometimes) as branches of hinduism rather than separate, distinct religions

they condemn any resistance to the indian govt as a burden or terrorism) (like calling the farmers who are currently protesting a hindrance or terrorists. funny how sikhs are the same as hindus when they support hindu causes but terrorists when they resist oppression...)

they call you a pseudo liberal or a fake leftist. i'm telling you, they don't know jackshit. they can't even tell the difference between a liberal and a leftist and call US unread lmao. bonus points if they call you a liberandu or a sickularist 💀

they call india "bharat" when they talk in english. there are in fact multiple indian languages call india bharat or bharatam, but if they say bharat while talking in english, that is absolutely a hindu nationalist no questions asked

please do your due diligence. read up on hindutva. hindu nationalists have already started making gains in the united states, thanks to rich upper caste nris . do not fall for propaganda

[shikanjis]

[shikanjis]

issok i will never spice something with pepper alone. unlike, say, garlic.

Good evening people what is your opinion on pepper

[shikanjis]

"Surely there was a better way to convey this information" probably! That may be why I'm no longer asked to contribute to our social media page at work!

But its that season again and i want to remind everyone that just because an object is vest-shaped and floats does not make it a lifejacket. Only a Coast Guard approved PFD is tested and rated to save your life. Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

This...thing pops up in searches for "child's inflatable lifejacket" and bills itself as such. But scroll down and we find an explanation:

In contrast to life vests meant to keep your head above water, our vest enables you to swim smoothly with your head in the water. It keeps you buoyant longer for a safe and enjoyable experience - without worry of surprise riptides or fatigue.

Catch that? This thing is not intended to and will not keep your head above water, the single most important thing a personal flotation device should do. What if you are in a riptide and fatigued while wearing this thing and not longer able to keep your breathing hole above the water's surface? You're shit out of luck. You drown.

Consumers may notice that there is a warning notice on the back, but the good people at Amazon have cleverly obscured it. We can still make out "does not protect [...] drowning". If your waterwings, floaties, or vest-shaped inflatable have a disclaimer like this then they are not rated to safe your life, your child's life, your dog's life, whatever!

By contrast, every Coast Guard approved PFD has labeling like this:

It will clearly say USGC approved and have an approval number. It will say WHO it is rated for (infant, child, youth, adult), the size (small, medium large), an upper weight limit, and generally what kind of recreation its approved for (near shore versus offshore etc). It will give you instructions for proper use and signs that your lifejacket is nearing the end of its utility and needs to be replaced.

Not all personal flotation devices are suited for all activities. Whitewater kayaking and deep-sea fishing need more specialized gear than a day at the lake. But you should have, at minimum, a correctly-sized, well-fitting, CG approved PFD in serviceable condition for any kind of activity on or near the water. Have it, but most importantly, wear it!!!!!

[shikanjis]

Because I have already seen a lot of orange bullshit over this already: Bangladesh's quota system is very different and has nothing to do with Indian reservation system.

Caste is institutionalised, systematic violence based on birth and reservations are a safeguard against 2000 years of (still ongoing) discrimination.

Reservations in Bangladesh were made to protect the families of martyrs in the Liberation War, many of whom were left without earning members back then. Now, 2-3 generations down the line it's useless and it comes down to grandchildren and distant grandnephews and nieces of martyrs reaping benefits that they don't need.

So, it's not the same and India should not "learn from Bangladesh" because the situation is different. Stop being deliberately obtuse in favour of your own casteist agendas. If there's anything to learn it's the bravery of Bangladeshi students who are still protesting despite 6 people already shot dead by the police.

[shikanjis]

Two years?! I’m in!