Okay, it's been a while. Let's seriously dissect the inner workings of #BJP and #TVK through Bonhoeffer.

#Bonhoeffer wrote it from a Nazi prison cell and it still cuts closer than anything written since: stupidity is a greater enemy to the good than malice.

You can argue with a bad man. You can expose him, protest him, out-organise him. Against stupidity, you have no weapon. Facts bounce off it. 1/12 He wasn't talking about IQ. He was clear about that. This is a moral failure, not an intellectual one. And it has a structure, not just a symptom.

Three moves:
1. You outsource your judgment to someone else.
2. You reject facts that threaten the story you've chosen.
3. You mistake repeating the slogan for thinking at all. 2/12

#CMVijay keeping a cross with Jesus on his official desk is not just a photo to argue over. It is a question that needs two investigations at once: one constitutional, one sociological.

This🧵does both, because many (even senior politicians) not getting it. 1/14 First, let us be clear about what nobody is saying.

Nobody is asking the #CMVijay to give up his faith.

Article 25 fully protects his right to believe, pray and practise his religion as a person. That right is not in question. 2/14

My thread on #SingappenSpecialForce got pushback saying, 'This is a prevention initiative, not a prosecution one.' As if I don't know that!

Then let us measure it as one. A rigorous effectiveness framework requires defining the right metric, establishing a baseline & being honest about when evidence can realistically appear. 1/10 Start with the data.

#NCRB figures (2015-2024) for #TamilNadu show combined incidence of crimes against women & children climbing from 8464 in 2015 to 21409 in 2024.

A near-tripling over a decade. But this number, taken in isolation, is a misleading foundation for evaluation. 2/10

#SingappenSpecialForce (SSF) was launched yesterday with 354 crore and a stadium ceremony.

As a criminologist who studies policing, I want to explain using the actual GO why this is likely a visible policing theatre, not a crime reduction initiative! 1/11

https://twitter.com/shankarprakasha/status/2064336492466671747

G.O.(Ms) No.193 dated 09.06.2026 sanctions 270 field units, each with just 2 Women SIs + 6 constables = 8 personnel per sub-division.

Each sub-division typically have 3 to 8 jurisdictional police stations. Running round-the-clock shifts, roughly 2 to 3 personnel are on duty at any given time across that entire jurisdiction.

Effectively this is a symbolic presence! 2/11

This🧵says leftists are "completely rattled" by #Dhurandhar and Dharmics must "sustain this momentum".

Let us take that claim seriously. Because when you look at what this momentum actually is and what it requires to sustain, the argument exposes itself. 1/14

https://twitter.com/labstamil/status/2038142992637468768

First, the "rattled" framing. Critics called #Dhurandhar well-made & ideologically dishonest at the same time. That is not being rattled. That is how film criticism works. Calling criticism "rattled" is a way of saying: disagreement itself is proof that we are winning. That is not an argument. That is a closed loop. 2/14

The Supreme Court blacklisted experts, gagged #NCERT, ordered social media surveillance & made itself guardian of how children learn about courts.

All in one hearing. This is not judicial dignity. It is constitutional overreach. 1/8
barandbench.com/news/disturbin… Audi alteram partem. Hear the other side. Danino, Diwakar & Kumar were not heard once. Yet barred from all public-funded work nationwide. The Court that enforces due process for others denied it entirely to three scholars. 2/8

#Vachathi, 1992. Tamil Nadu.

269 forest, police & revenue officials raided a tribal village, claiming to search for smuggled sandalwood & track Veerappan.

They ransacked homes, slaughtered cattle, contaminated wells & assaulted over 100 villagers. 1/n
18 women, including a 13-year-old girl, were gang-raped.

The victims were then arrested, photographed next to sandalwood piles & jailed on fabricated smuggling charges.

No FIR against the officials. A fake FIR was filed against the victims instead. 2/n

BREAKING DOWN THE #UGC EQUITY REGULATIONS CONTROVERSY: Why the protests against anti-discrimination rules reveal deep casteist resistance to constitutional equality.

A thread based on Justice K. Chandru's analysis. 1/10
theleaflet.in/equality/majes… The SC stayed the UGC Equity Regulations 2026 before they could even be implemented, citing "reverse discrimination" concerns. But here's what's conveniently forgotten: These regulations emerged from the tragic suicides of Rohith Vemula & Dr. Payal Tadvi due to caste persecution. 2/10

A recent study just exposed how India investigates its #police killings.
->Fabricated evidence.
->Dead victims named as "accused."
->Investigations lasting ≈7 years that go nowhere.
This is what encounter justice looks like.🧵1/15
👍🏽to @pranavverma17 @ManglaVerma @amrshasng Here's the criminological truth most won't say: high encounter rates don't signal effective policing. They expose investigative failure. When police can't solve crimes scientifically, they resort to bullets as shortcuts. 2/15

THE IRONY IS PAINFUL!

People celebrate the fictionalised fiery student movements in #Parasakthi, reliving 1960s anti-Hindi agitations on screen.

As an alumnus of age-old TN state university, I pity the ignorant: they cheer the fire while ignoring today's zero space for real movements in public institutions! 1/8 In 1965, students marched, protested & sacrificed lives to defend #Tamil pride against #Hindi imposition, igniting a political revolution that propelled the #DMK to power on student idealism.

Yet fans glorify this fictionalised fire on screen, leaving behind the reality where rapid growth of deemed-to-be & private universities sidelines public ones, snuffing out that spirit of student movement.

The irony is painful! 2/8

Albert Einstein in 1949: “Is it OK for a non-economist like me to speak on socialism?” Yes, because economic “laws” are mixed with conquest, class and priesthood, not pure science. Today’s economics still reflects humanity’s predatory phase. 1/10 Current economic science tells us little about a future socialist society. Socialism aims to overcome the predatory stage of human development that Veblen described. Today’s “laws” only apply inside that stage. 2/10
monthlyreview.org/articles/why-s…

US investigators solve 8-year-old double murder of Indian mother & son through DNA from suspect's laptop. Nazeer Hameed charged after years of refusing DNA samples. This case exemplifies investigative persistence & scientific rigor. 1/9
ndtv.com/world-news/201… The victim, Sasikala Narra (38) from Vijayawada & her 6-year-old son Anish, were brutally murdered in New Jersey in 2017. The suspect, a colleague of the victim's husband, fled to India immediately after. But justice has a long memory. 2/9

Tamil Nadu’s withdrawal of general consent to CBI restricts Union’s interference in regular matters, but it doesn’t curtail constitutional oversight. The higher judiciary, under Articles 32 and 142, remains empowered to act when justice and citizen rights demand intervention. (1/15)

https://x.com/ENV_ASP/status/1979797010447303068

Labeling this as “judge-made law” misconstrues constitutional tradition. Judicial review is part of India’s basic structure. Courts interpret where statutes fall silent, bridging legislative gaps to preserve liberty. That’s constitutional guardianship, not judicial overreach. (2/15)

The Hindu’s “Flawed Order” editorial misreads what the SC actually said about the #KarurStampede probe. Let’s look at how the SC’s observations have been twisted into claims the Court never made. 🧵1/10

❗️Before reading this 🧵, YOU SHOULD READ @the_hindu’s editorial 👇🏽 The editorial calls SC’s reasoning amounts a “gag order” on officials. FALSE.

The Court never barred statements, it said cops’ & senior officials’ media remarks could create doubt about probe fairness. That’s caution, not censorship.

Anyone familiar with how justice works knows that conclusive public remarks by a senior police officer can compromise the integrity of an ongoing investigation. 2/10

Govt knew the risks but failed in their diligence. Police saw violations in past Vijay rallies - no helmets, triple riding, rash driving (all documented). If they'd issued challans for 80% of cases, crowds would've reduced. Without enforcement, advisories are just paper tigers. 1/6 Govt should've used Disaster Management Dept to discourage people from attending, especially vulnerable groups. Run visual campaigns on social media showing dangers of overcrowding. Their job includes man-made disasters too. 2/6

41 people died in Karur. 19 women, 14 men, 8 children including a 2-year-old. Many blame attendees (the usual victim blaming) for ignoring advisories. But this fundamentally misunderstands the social contract between citizens and the state. 1/9
#KarurTragedy Under social contract, citizens surrender certain freedoms and rights to the state in exchange for protection, security and order. We cannot individually ensure our safety at mass gatherings. We delegate that responsibility to government. That's the foundational bargain. 2/9

முனைவர். திருமாவளவன் அவர்கள் மீது எனக்கு மதிப்புண்டு. ஆனால் தூய்மைப் பணியாளர்களின் போராட்டம், அவர்களின் கோரிக்கைகள் பற்றிய அவரின் சமீபத்திய கருத்தில் என்னால் உடன்பட முடியவில்லை. அவர் நோக்கம் உயர்வானது, ஆனால் அவர் பரிந்துரைக்கும் வழி தவறானது. 1/10

https://twitter.com/ENV_ASP/status/1956985172517163201

போராட்டக்காரர்களோ, அவர்களை ஆதரிப்பவர்களோ, ஒரு போதும் ஒடுக்கப்பட்ட சமுதாயம், என்றும் தூய்மைப் பணியில் ஈடுபடுபவர்களாக இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று நினைக்கவில்லை. சாதியவாதிகளுக்கு அப்படியான எண்ணம் இருப்பதையும் நாம் மறுக்கவில்லை. ஆனால், தகுந்த ஊதியமும், பணிப்பாதுகாப்பும், அரசுப் பணி மூலம் மட்டுமே சாத்தியம்! 2/10

A Counter-Perspective on Dr. Thirumavalavan's Stance
Whilst I deeply respect Dr. @thirumaofficial, I must respectfully dissent from his recent observations on the sanitary workers' protest. His position, though well-intentioned, is actually counterproductive to breaking stereotypes and promoting upward mobility for marginalised communities. 1/14 The protesters or their supporters aren't asking for marginalised communities to remain trapped in sanitation work forever. They're demanding permanent public employment status. This is the KEY to breaking the cycle of stereotyping that Dr. Thiruma wants to address. 2/14

The coordinated effort to discredit scholars who critically examine entrenched social hierarchies, particularly those interrogating Brahmanical dominance in fields like wildlife conservation and cultural studies, reflects a broader discomfort with academic inquiry that challenges the status quo. (1/11)
thesouthfirst.com/opinion/resist… Dr. Aiyadurai's research, including her seminar on "Intersecting Dalit and Cultural Studies: De-brahmanising the Disciplinary Space" and her book "Beings and Beasts," represents legitimate and necessary scholarly pursuit that academia desperately needs. 2/11

As a Criminologist, the Ajith Kumar custodial murder deeply disturbed me. Personal commitments caused a delay in writing this thread, but the systemic issues it exposes demand attention. This is a long thread, but I believe it offers crucial insights into police reform you might not have heard anywhere until now! 1/17 Ajith Kumar's horrific custodial murder in Tamil Nadu isn't isolated. It's a painful symptom of a fundamental flaw in our police force's training and professionalisation. Urgent, systemic reform, starting at the ground level, is desperately needed. 2/17

🧵 THREAD: An unexpected research methodology lesson today. Was on a hunt (not wildlife!) when heavy rain forced me to shelter in a tiny 9x5ft roadside shop.

What happened next became a perfect demonstration of mixed-methods research! 🌧️ #ResearchMethodology 1/10 The shopkeeper kindly let me stay. Shop sold tobacco products, snacks, soft drinks.

But what caught my eye: 22 different pan/tobacco brands! Kuber, Cash Gold, Vimal, Pan Bahar, Rajnighanda, S-7... incredible variety in such a small space 📦 2/10