#desi liberal

[ayowotsdis]

THE STUDENTS OF BANGLADESH ARE DYING.

The so called students league called BCL or Bangladesh Chatro league, who are basically the rabid dogs of the rolling government of Bangladesh are attacking, assaulting and killing the students protesting against the Quota system that gives off government jobs for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters of the liberation war. Our own prime minister called us rajakar (traitor who betrayed Bangladesh to Pakistan in 1971) and said anyone who isn't the child of declared freedom fighter is a child of a rajakar. So the students created a slogan "who am I? Who are you? Rajakar, rajakar!" Ignoring the irony of the slogan, the pm set her rabid dogs on the students, my people are dying because she (pm) refuses to let go of nepotism. We can't use our freedom of speech. Please help us.

Our Internet is being cut off, our accounts are being hacked, our electricity is said to be gone soon. SPREAD THE WORD.

[eclecticwordblender]

istg women from my grandmother's generation who do not even have the vocabulary to identify feminism have a better grasp of feminist thought and action than liberal feminists.

[peanut-studies-psych]

it's barely been a week since the new semester has started and there's SO MUCH work

meetings are endless and workload is piling up im trying to get ahead of tasks but staying motivated is difficult :/

also, happy new year to everyone (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)

[papenathys]

Also while we are it, can Tumblr PLEASE stop putting Arundhati Roy on my dash like I don't know what Indian leftist echo chambers have told you but that woman is the poster girl of savarna liberal activism!!! STOP putting her on my fucking dash because she put together a couple of sentences about how she hates Gandhi!!! She literally said she doesn't benefit from being upper caste AND she supports the Two State Solution like can you guys stop idolizing her for that one mediocre book and because she looks cool and quirky in academia blogs like goddamn.

[yato-dharmastato-jayah]

At this point I have to laugh at the people calling the Ram Mandir an ugly building and a waste of financial resources of the government, as if it wasn't made from the voluntary donations given by Ram devotees... as if it wasn't designed in the famous Nagara style of temple architecture.

It's sad that some of these people are plagued with internalized hinduphobia.

Imagine, 20 generations of Hindus had to live with the humiliation of seeing a mosque in the place of their destroyed temple. A 500 yrs long struggle that culminated in the reclamation of the birthplace of an important figure in your religion and history. So many people sacrificed their lives for it.

And you just hate it.

Why? Because it's cool?

Or are you just disinclined to learn your history and respect your civilizational heritage?

[whitejelly3]

not even been 5 days and I'm already swamped with work. yeh kyu kiya maine apne saath🤦‍♀️

[quietafternoonrush]

one of the most profound thoughts i ever had was "you wouldn't consume poison if it came with a pretty cover, so why would you go back to a toxic person just because you love them"

[curiouscrowcounseling]

Ah!!! My FIRST WORKSHOP!! It's Happening!!

& On one of my special interests (non traditional relationship structures).

This Valentine’s Day I’m hosting a workshop for those interested in transforming the way they think about relationships. In this workshop we will learn about the values and beliefs we’ve been taught about relationships, how these impact us today, and how we can liberate ourselves from rigid and limiting definitions of relationships and expand our minds toward a freer and more fluid understanding of connection and intimacy. In this 90 minute workshop - I will support participants in reflecting on how they’d like to build their own relationships through a mindset of abundance and creativity.

Join me and learn to create relationships that align with your values and suit your needs rather than defaulting to what you've been taught is a "real" and "successful" relationship. 

Who is this for? Anyone over the age of 18 who is interested in transforming how they engage in and think about relationships. If you're LGBTQIA+ South Asian this space is DEFINITELY for you!

Date: February 13th 8-9:30PM IST 

Location: Online/ Google Meet 

Cost: INR 2,222 / USD 25 

Facilitator: Akshita Vaidyanathan (she/they) , MSW, LICSW is a queer, Tamilian, neurodivergent polyamorous relationship anarchist and owner of Curious Crow Counseling - a private practice rooted in soul-centered, liberation oriented healing. She is a social worker, therapist and tarot reader as well as a survivor, cat mom, podcaster and dancer. They have a strong special interest in non traditional relationships and have previously led multiple workshops and support groups on attachment and relationships.

SIGN UP IF YOU'RE INTERESTED AND SHARE AMONGST YOUR COMMUNITY!

[queer-red-panda]

The Talking Walls

SUMMARY

Anushka Nayar. The most rebellious out of King Ismail's three other daughters. Or atleast that's how society labelled her. A young woman with a passion for music, for strategy, and for war, Anushka was one of a kind.

Amrita Joshi. The ghost of Safed Mahal (White Palace), or as it was otherwise called, Bhoot Mahal (Ghost Palace). A girl who died young, whose death remained shrouded with mystery. Anushka's closest friend.

In order to restore peace and harmony in the clashing forces of the kingdom, of peasant against army, Anushka had to find a way to topple the oppressive regime of her father. Dethrone him one way or another.

Amidst the hunt for answers, for support and for liberation, Anushka and Amrita reveal secrets and scandals which are far scarier than ghosts...

---

Trying out an original story which is 1. desi-themed, 2. sapphic, annd 3. random <3 i'm pretty excited so show this some love and please do support me on this &lt;3 thanks!

tags: @justsomesapphicbimbo, @desi-girll, @bidisha2812

[sudamaniparva]

It’s so fucked that we inherit the bigotry of caste both literally with our last names and figuratively through our upbringing.

[ayowotsdis]

[eclecticwordblender]

friends i’m afraid the brain dead "free thinking" liberals have found my account and have misconstrued my critique of objectifying humans as resources and the consequence of reproduction on women’s liberation to be a criticism of capitalism 😭😭😭

[peanut-studies-psych]

finished today's classes(⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

i love my social psychology professor, she's so funny and GENUINELY loves the field

[burst-of-iridescent]

South Asian and Hindu Influences in ATLA (Part 2)

disclaimer: i was raised culturally and religiously hindu, and though i've tried to do my research for this post and pair it with my own cultural knowledge, i'm not an expert on hinduism by any means. should i mess up, please let me know.

please also be aware that many of the concepts discussed in this post overlap heavily with religions such as buddhism and jainism, which might have different interpretations and representations. as i'm not from those religions or cultures, i don't want to speak on them, but if anyone with that knowledge wishes to add on, please feel free.

Part 1

In the previous post, I discussed some of the things ATLA got right in its depictions of desi and hindu cultures. unfortunately, they also got plenty of things wrong - often in ways that leaned towards racist caricatures - so let's break them down, starting with...

Guru Pathik

both the word "guru" and name "pathik" come from sanskrit. pathik means "traveler" or "he who knows the way" while guru is a term for a guide or mentor, similar to a teacher.

gurus were responsible for the very first education systems in ancient india, setting up institutions called gurukuls. students, referred to as disciples, would often spend years living with and learning from their gurus in these gurukuls, studying vedic and buddhist texts, philosophy, music and even martial arts.

however, their learning was not limited merely to academic study, as gurus were also responsible for guiding the spiritual evolution of their disciples. it was common for disciples to meditate, practice yoga, fast for days or weeks, and complete mundane household chores every day in order to instill them with self-discipline and help them achieve enlightenment and spiritual awareness. the relationship between a guru and his disciple was considered a sacred, holy bond, far exceeding that of a mere teacher and student.

aang's training with guru pathik mirrors some of these elements. similar to real gurus, pathik takes on the role of aang's spiritual mentor. he guides aang in unblocking his chakras and mastering the avatar state through meditation, fasting, and self-reflection - all of which are practices that would have likely been encouraged in disciples by their gurus.

pathik's design also takes inspiration from sadhus, holy men who renounced their worldly ties to follow a path of spiritual discipline. the guru's simple, nondescript clothing and hair are reflective of the ascetic lifestyle sadhus are expected to lead, giving up material belongings and desires in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and, ultimately, liberation from the reincarnation cycle.

unfortunately, this is where the respectful references end because everything else about guru pathik was insensitive at best and stereotypical at worst.

it is extremely distasteful that the guru speaks with an overexaggerated indian accent, even though the iranian-indian actor who plays him has a naturally british accent. why not just hire an actual indian voice actor if the intention was to make pathik sound authentic? besides, i doubt authenticity was the sole intention, given that the purposeful distortion of indian accents was a common racist trope played for comedy in early 2000s children's media (see: phineas and ferb, diary of a wimpy kid, jessie... the list goes on).

furthermore, while pathik is presented a wise and respected figure within this episode, his next (and last) appearance in the show is entirely the opposite.

in the episode nightmares and daydreams, pathik appears in aang's nightmare with six hands, holding what appears to be a veena (a classical indian music instrument). this references the iconography of the hindu deity Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. the embodiment of divine enlightenment, learning, insight and truth, Saraswati is a member of the Tridevi (the female version of the Trimurti), one of the most respected and revered goddesses in the Hindu pantheon... and her likeness is used for a cheap laugh on a character who's already treated as a caricature.

that's bad enough on its own, but when you consider that guru pathik is the only explicitly south asian coded character in the entire show, it's downright insulting. for a show that took so many of its foundational concepts from south asia and hinduism and yet provided almost no desi representation in return, this is just rubbing salt in the wound.

Chakras

"chakra", meaning "circle" or "wheel of life" in sanskrit, refers to sources of energy found in the human body. chakra points are aligned along the spine, with energy flowing from the lowest to the highest point. the energy pooled at the lowest chakra is called kundalini, and the aim is to release this energy to the highest chakra in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and consciousness.

the number of chakras varies in different religions, with buddhism referencing five chakras while hinduism has seven. atla draws from the latter influence, so let's take a look at the seven chakras:

Muladhara (the Root Chakra). located at the base of the spine, this chakra deals with our basest instincts and is linked to the element of earth.

Swadhisthana (the Sacral Chakra). located just below the navel, this chakra deals with emotional intensity and pleasure and is linked to the element of water.

Manipura (the Solar Plexus Chakra). located in the stomach, this chakra deals with willpower and self-acceptance and is linked to the element of fire.

Anahata (the Heart Chakra). located in the heart, this chakra deals with love, compassion and forgiveness and is linked to the element of air. in the show, this chakra is blocked by aang's grief over the loss of the air nomads, which is a nice elemental allusion.

Vishudda (the Throat Chakra). located at the base of the throat, this chakra deals with communication and honesty and is linked to the fifth classical element of space. the show calls this the Sound Chakra, though i'm unsure where they got that from.

Ajna (the Third Eye Chakra). located in the centre of the forehead, this chakra deals with spirituality and insight and is also linked to the element of space. the show calls it the Light Chakra, which is fairly close.

Sahasrara (the Crown Chakra). located at the very top of the head, this chakra deals with pure cosmic consciousness and is also linked to the element of space. it makes perfect sense that this would be the final chakra aang has to unblock in order to connect with the avatar spirit, since the crown chakra is meant to be the point of communion with one's deepest, truest self.

the show follows these associations and descriptions almost verbatim, and does a good job linking the individual chakras to their associated struggles in aang's arc.

Cosmic Energy

the idea of chakras is associated with the concept of shakti, which refers to the life-giving energy that flows throughout the universe and within every individual.

the idea of shakti is a fundamentally unifying one, stating that all living beings are connected to one another and the universe through the cosmic energy that flows through us all. this philosophy is referenced both in the swamp episode and in guru pathik telling aang that the greatest illusion in the world is that of separation - after all, how can there be any real separation when every life is sustained by the same force?

this is also why aang needing to let go of katara did not, as he mistakenly assumed, mean he had to stop loving her. rather, the point of shedding earthly attachment is to allow one to become more attuned to shakti, both within oneself and others. ironically, in letting go of katara and allowing himself to commune with the divine energy of the universe instead, aang would have been more connected to her - not less.

The Avatar State

according to hinduism, there are five classical elements known as pancha bhuta that form the foundations of all creation: air, water, earth, fire, and space/atmosphere.

obviously, atla borrows this concept in making a world entirely based on the four classical elements. but looking at how the avatar spirit is portrayed as a giant version of aang suspended in mid-air, far above the earth, it's possible that this could reference the fifth liminal element of space as well.

admittedly this might be a bit of a reach, but personally i find it a neat piece of worldbuilding that could further explain the power of the avatar. compared to anyone else who might be able to master only one element, mastering all five means having control of every building block of the world. this would allow the avatar to be far more attuned to the spiritual energy within the universe - and themselves - as a result, setting in motion the endless cycle of death and rebirth that would connect their soul even across lifetimes.

[whitejelly3]

no backlogs this sem. such an accomplishment after the past few months I've had lmao. bas abb exams clear ho jaaye 🙏🙏🤞🤞

[moonlightsapphic]

Look, I just need you guys to understand how important queer coming-of-age forbidden romances on internationally accessible platforms like Netflix is, especially to youth in countries where homosexuality still hasn't been legally decriminalised or socially accepted.

That was a mouthful, so let me explain. You, a white American adult with a liberal family, may not relate to a fictional anxious teen Swedish prince grappling with strict familial and societal expectations versus his first love. You may not find anything special in a bunch of queer British teens discovering themselves and figuring out complex relationships that are honestly rather simplistic, in retrospect. It might be a little too trite for you. Like, just a little vanilla without any extra drama. Perhaps corny—cringe, even. Too wholesome.

But you know what that is to me, a desi queer young adult? It's representation, in an unlikely place. My country certainly isn't making movies or shows where I see my secret relationship between me and my girlfriend portrayed. I don't see that happening in the next couple of decades, either, sadly. But you know who’s telling our stories? Alice Oseman. Lisa Ambjörn, Lars Beckung and Camilla Holter. Through fictional storylines that might seem kind of boring to you, I am finally able watch my lived experiences play out on screen.

American media has done such a disservice to queer coming-of-age stories. I want to scream this from the rooftops. Y’all, I’m glad to see more out quirky queer side-characters—I can’t get enough of them—but why is it so rarely their story, in sharp focus, about how they found themselves? I want to know how they overcame internalised homophobia. When was the moment they knew? What is the cost they have to pay for being out? For not being out?

And no, I don’t want it to be dramatic. I don’t need to see violence or betrayals or victorious kisses in public, really. I’m happiest with the teenagers behaving like real teenagers. Innocent, vulnerable, nervous. I want it to be heartfelt, and excruciatingly slow, and authentic. I want to see the small wins and the subtle losses. The quiet mental toll of how much you have to give to a queer relationship—especially your first queer relationship—and how hard that can be to separate from your Identity itself.

Give me that "am I gay?" quiz and genuinely crying at 3:00 AM because you're in a rabbit hole about LGBTQ+ rights in a country where you actually don’t want to be gay and you don’t even know if you “count” anyway. Show me that moment where you're going back and forth from forbidding yourself from seeing the one person that sees and understands you and it's to protect your mental and physical well-being but it's driving you insane. Give me ALL THE YOUNG ADULT BI+ AWAKENINGS where one person strolls into your life and changes everything. No, it’s really not the same as most cis-heterosexual insta-love movies out there, even if it looks that way to you. It doesn’t even cut it close.

The happy ending, the acceptance is only what I can dream of, not what I can expect. The wholesomeness is actually radical to me.

No, we’re not past the need for basic star-crossed queer romances. For most countries in the world (including for many white American teenagers!), we need them as much as ever.