It's time NLUs also change their logos. Almost each one of them is semiotically communal, casteist and patriarchal and convey structural violence, except NLUJ and NLIU.
Firstly all of them except NLUJ and NLIU have mottos written in Sanskrit, the language of the Brahmins. What's the need to have logos in Sanskrit? Nobody speaks it today anyway.
Secondly many have images that convey messages of Hindu supremacy and patriarchy.
Let's start with NLSIU. The logo has a map showing Kashmir as a part of India. No country in the world uses this map Everyone recognises it as disputed territory. Following the abolition of article 370 this normalises the right-wing agenda. What's the need for a map? Other than the map you have a scale of justice. It would be better to have a blindfolded lady of justice, since the scale has traditionally been associated in India with tarazu and a caste symbol of the Vaishyas. Many other NLUs also have this tarazu symbol, like NUJS, GNLU, HNLU etc.
Some other NLUs also have the map in their logo, like RGNUL and NUALS.
Then we have NALSAR. Whereas NLSIU's logo shows a book normally, NALSAR's logo gives it a Brahmanical connotation by placing it under a religious diya. A law book is a secular book, not a religious book. CNLU also has this diya concept.
Then let's look at DSNLU. It does a good thing by including the lady of justice so that the scale is not like a casteist tarazu, but shockingly a vessel used in Hindu pujas is displayed alongside the book in the logo.
In some ways, the logos of NLIU, NLUD, MNLU-M and NLU Shimla are less problematic as they don't have such images. However, they still have Sanskrit in the logos.
But NLIU and NLUJ are the only ones without Sanskrit and totally secular imagery. The flame in the NLUJ logo does not have a diya, it is more like a torch. So they are the best logos and deserve praise. Other NLUs must get rid of their logos and be inspired by them.
No, merely one who has had enough of the bullshit that passes for comments and threads here nowadays. COVID and WFH have left people with way too much time in their hands it seems.
If only the NLUs paid even 50 rupees for a graphic designer, things would have been better. All NLU logos look like products of the minds of the VCs/EC/GC, which is basically tasteless groupthink at the highest level. These 'authorities' should have nothing to do with design choices.
Oh moderator, you are so innocent. This is not a trolling/satirical post. This is some shit I have actually seen being discussed with passion. I'm an active anti-Sangh and anti-Hindutva woman, yet I fail to see the point of this debate. Cancel culture? Too much time on your hands?
Sanskrit is a dominant classical language of India, a part of some people's culture (I'm not a Brahmin), richly textured and taught at the school level in Catholic schools (such as mine) before the present BJP government even knew what it was, and a part of history we must all be proud of. A normative statement, you are free to disagree. About the allegation that it is a Brahmin language, seriously fuck off. It is widely used by Buddhists, which Ambedkar advocated as a commumity free from Brahminic influence. Don't bring your politics to things you don't understand. About Harvard and hoW mAnY pEoPle SpEaK it, Harvard has a motto in Latin. Which is now mostly spoken at the Vatican. The priestly class and whatnot. Go, go ahead.
The Wire would like you to write a screed on similar lines. Congratulations.
Try what? I'm not stating propaganda here. It is what it is. If you disagree, I'm fine with it. Yes, Prakrit was used along with Sanskrit in some of the prominent sects. Some sects reject Sanskrit, for good reason.
Remember, culture and religion are separate things. You can't reject cultural artifacts for their connection, however intimate, to a religion.
Do you know about the Supreme Court's motto? Sanskrit. For the culture, not the religion. I'd be fine with using Prakrit. But then someone would link it to militant Buddhists in Myanmar for some obscure reason and write up a similar note. How do we engage? Fin.
I am not one of those right-wing fanatics but even to me, it's absurd that we shouldn't put a map on the logo of NLS just because it has Kashmir in it. As much as we hope for Aman ki Asha and we should hope for it, we need to be pragmatic about our neighbours. Pakistanis and Chinese are both good people but both of them are not governed democratically. They are both authoritarian regimes and authoritarian regimes need a boogeyman to justify their existence so till the time they don't become functional democracy, don't expect much change kid.
Nobody cares what nobodies here comment about liking or disliking institutional emblems or anything else. Sab moh maaya hai! By the way, if someone has got a problem with Sanskrit, then they should have a problem with English too. And almost every other language on some ground or another. Of course, maths is an option, but given that the bulk of law grads have problem with handling figures beyond 3 digits, that probably won't work either.
Interestingly, after a bit of digging, it seems that the vessel on the DSNLU logo is the state emblem of the Government of Andhra Pradesh - hence its presence. The lamp on NALSAR and CNLU's logo seems to have no such connection.
Harvard University recently changed its logo to remove the crest of a slave-owning family: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2018/4/24/hls-continues-no-seal/
It's time NLUs also change their logos. Almost each one of them is semiotically communal, casteist and patriarchal and convey structural violence, except NLUJ and NLIU.
Firstly all of them except NLUJ and NLIU have mottos written in Sanskrit, the language of the Brahmins. What's the need to have logos in Sanskrit? Nobody speaks it today anyway.
Secondly many have images that convey messages of Hindu supremacy and patriarchy.
Let's start with NLSIU. The logo has a map showing Kashmir as a part of India. No country in the world uses this map Everyone recognises it as disputed territory. Following the abolition of article 370 this normalises the right-wing agenda. What's the need for a map? Other than the map you have a scale of justice. It would be better to have a blindfolded lady of justice, since the scale has traditionally been associated in India with tarazu and a caste symbol of the Vaishyas. Many other NLUs also have this tarazu symbol, like NUJS, GNLU, HNLU etc.
Some other NLUs also have the map in their logo, like RGNUL and NUALS.
Then we have NALSAR. Whereas NLSIU's logo shows a book normally, NALSAR's logo gives it a Brahmanical connotation by placing it under a religious diya. A law book is a secular book, not a religious book. CNLU also has this diya concept.
Then let's look at DSNLU. It does a good thing by including the lady of justice so that the scale is not like a casteist tarazu, but shockingly a vessel used in Hindu pujas is displayed alongside the book in the logo.
In some ways, the logos of NLIU, NLUD, MNLU-M and NLU Shimla are less problematic as they don't have such images. However, they still have Sanskrit in the logos.
But NLIU and NLUJ are the only ones without Sanskrit and totally secular imagery. The flame in the NLUJ logo does not have a diya, it is more like a torch. So they are the best logos and deserve praise. Other NLUs must get rid of their logos and be inspired by them.
Sanskrit is a dominant classical language of India, a part of some people's culture (I'm not a Brahmin), richly textured and taught at the school level in Catholic schools (such as mine) before the present BJP government even knew what it was, and a part of history we must all be proud of. A normative statement, you are free to disagree. About the allegation that it is a Brahmin language, seriously fuck off. It is widely used by Buddhists, which Ambedkar advocated as a commumity free from Brahminic influence. Don't bring your politics to things you don't understand. About Harvard and hoW mAnY pEoPle SpEaK it, Harvard has a motto in Latin. Which is now mostly spoken at the Vatican. The priestly class and whatnot. Go, go ahead.
The Wire would like you to write a screed on similar lines. Congratulations.
Remember, culture and religion are separate things. You can't reject cultural artifacts for their connection, however intimate, to a religion.
Do you know about the Supreme Court's motto? Sanskrit. For the culture, not the religion. I'd be fine with using Prakrit. But then someone would link it to militant Buddhists in Myanmar for some obscure reason and write up a similar note. How do we engage? Fin.
Can anyone guess who I am taking about? Heh heh ;)
The guy who set up CNLU went from NALSAR. Hence, similar.
You should do yoga.
Banish all RWA type uncles who disturb us young thinkers and space cadets with their Hindutva infused Brahaminical type thinking.
Too many of these type in the armed forces as well - those who survive there to retire start shouting on TV channels owned by the Manoowadees.
Cancel them all, I say!
{Satire}