The constitution as a living document; the power of dissent and the silence within; and more

[View this email in your browser]( Top Story [The Constitution as a Living Document]( Nandini Sundar [The republic has never felt more endangered than it does at 69. When Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde let slip the public secret that the BJP/RSS government is here to change the constitution, the problem is not that the constitution cannot and should not be changed, but what direction that change will take, and whether it will destroy the very basis of the republic or strengthen it. Justice, liberty, equality, fraternity – these progressive values in the constitution are the last defence of the republic. It is clear, however, that these are not values shared by the RSS from the moment of its inception and that indeed, the RSS regards these as an obstacle to realising its own vision of the country.]( [‘At The End of Your Magnum Opus, I Felt Reduced to a Vagina – Only’]( Swara Bhaskar [In an open letter to Padmaavat director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, actor Swara Bhaskar decries glorification of Sati and Jauhar which deny women the right to live.]( [Karni Sena Has Powerful Patrons, and We Are Defenceless]( Suvojit Chattopadhyay [The reason why the likes of Karni Sena are running amok is the assurance that their actions have the blessings of senior leaders of the establishment.]( [The Power of Dissent And the Silence Within]( Avani Bansal [The fate of the judiciary as an institution, and our fate as a democratic nation, hinges on whether we, as a people speak out, or watch passively.]( [Is Mamata Banerjee Willing to Do What It Takes to Keep BJP Out of Bengal?]( Shikha Mukerjee [In the fevered imagination of the Sangh parivar, West Bengal is a low-hanging ripe fruit ready for plucking.]( [As Virtual Foreign Policy Advisor to PM, Was Jaishankar Left With Enough Time For His MEA Tasks?]( Vivek Katju [It is upto Vijay Gokhale, who succeeds Jaishankar, to go back to tradition and impart stability to the external affairs ministry by pushing for formal structures.]( [Patna Museum Being Eclipsed by Swankier Bihar Museum]( Titash Sen [The 100-year-old Patna Museum is being made to part with rare artefacts to grace the posh behemoth, Bihar Museum, in order to display the “glory of Bihar”.]( [Would a Rationalist Like Ruchi Ram Sahni Have Survived Today?]( Neera Burra [Teacher, scientist and science educator Ruchi Ram Sahni had many confrontations with orthodox Hinduism, and his liberal values led at times to social ostracism.]( Copyright © 2018 The Wire, All rights reserved. You're getting this email because you recently subscribed to receive email digests from The Wire via our website. Our mailing address is: The Wire 13, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg Gole MarketNew Delhi 110001 India [Add us to your address book](//thewire.us11.list-manage.com/vcard?u=6b988b13445248b1268a308f2&id=4808224841) Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](