Anuraag is a 'Contributing Writer' at The ArmChair Journal. Official info- A student pursuing PhD in International Politics (IP), School of International Studies (SIS), Central University of Gujarat (CUG) Unofficial 'True' intro -A Homo Sapien from Guwahati trying to jot down a few lines on history, politics, international relations and short stories. Sometimes likes to rant like a frustrated millenial of the climate change and n- COVID world.
The ‘missing’ joy of Research
Research in India has become ‘joyless’ because of 3 factors- oversaturation of PhD applicants, ignorance about opportunities and orthodoxy of universities.
The parochial Indian campus
The Indian university campuses have instead transformed into hotbeds of parochialism with groupings along caste, religious, ethnic, linguistic and regional lines as well as ideological affiliation.
Elections and Foreign Policy – A tightrope walk?
2024 election season saw the BJP highlighting Indian leadership of the G20, success of Operation Ganga, evacuation of Indians from war-torn Ukraine with the Opposition criticizing the incumbent on the stand-off in Galwan as well as the alleged occupation of around 2000 sq km of Indian territory by China (a claim disputed by the current government).
I Miss Sparta
I miss Sparta Though born 750 years post the Magna Carta Engulfed in the humdrum of Consumerist life I long when sparkles from dories fly Hopping for groceries on my old rusty car How wonderful it would be to rein in Pegasus and fly off to adventures afar Following the same old daily routine What…
Letter to Japan from a frustrated Indian PhD scholar
An Indian PhD scholar shares about his loneliness and proposes a strategic relationship with Japan to open Okiya-Geisha branches in India
Om Sai Ram- A fool’s thoughts on sai bhajan tradition in Assam
While in a Sai mandir, the author shares observations based on congregations, bhajans, and visual appearances of Sai tradition as practiced in Assam
Valhalla – A rant for the 21st century millennial
21st-century millennials are burdened with the challenges of pursuing a passion, amidst a lack of adequate jobs, and cutthroat competition. They lead very pessimistic lives.
Religion, Faith and Cancer
The trick that life plays when you are on the edge is confusing. This is an excerpt from a chapter written by Anuraag Khaund for the book ‘Adulting with Cancer’
THE RETURN OF GAIA IN OUR TIMES
Book- The Nutmeg’s Curse (Parables for a Planet in Crisis) Author- Amitav Ghosh Publisher- Penguin Random House, India Although the name of Amitav Ghosh evokes memories of surreal novels like The Glass Palace or the renowned Ibis Trilogy, yet The Nutmeg’s Curse brings in a box full of surprise for Ghosh’s fans. Here, Ghosh takes…
Hirodhya and Nagashmir
History was shamed in 1945;
‘History was corrected’ in 2019-2020;
Nations heal after a nuclear holocaust;
But is healing possible when jubilation is achieved at humanity’s cost?
Poem: Endia and Porkistan
‘Why does the other behave that way? Are we wrong on our part?’
‘Nah, it flows in their blood. After all they bow to the crescent-Green flag’
‘All of them are the same. Beasts and oppressors in tri-colour. Nothing else’
Like NRC, what if endangered species thought like humans
(This is the second in a two part fictional series. First part of this article is already published here) “Sapiens perceive spaces such as oceanic water and space as international spaces. Till now, the atrocities recollected were done by Sapiens within lands, which they perceive as sovereign and national. International spaces are, according to Sapiens…
National Register of Species (NRS)- What if other species thought like humans?
(This article is the first in a two part series. The second part is published here) As the Homo Sapiens of India was gearing up for the National Register of Citizens (NRC), it occurred to the august minds of their winged, scaly, four-legged co-inhabitants of the earth to have a similar exercise. This was especially…
New India: The insecure Rashtra
Firstly, the author of this piece does not claim to be an expert in political science, philosophy, or political psychoanalysis. He is a typical, run-in-the mill student who loves to think and reflect. The current circumstances forced me to play out the following thoughts in my mind. These thoughts, to quote Bhagat Singh, have not…
Why the world needs a new non-aligned movement
In the current age of International Relations and the global world order, the idea of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) exists only in name. At the very outset, I would be mocked for even daring to imagine a NAMic world. With the resurgence of three superpowers in the international scenario- US, Russia and China, and followed by…
Samvaad- A lost art of dialogue and a need of the moment
At the very outset, I would like to inform the reader that the piece is not an academic intellectual work. Neither is the author equipped enough to write academic articles on acclaimed or intellectually popular topics in contemporary news. The piece is a result of observation and self-realization, which has happened in the course of…