The Polis Project
@thepolisproject.bsky.social
NY-based digital magazine documenting communities in resistance at the intersection of politics, art & culture. 501(c)(3)
Similarly, Qatar brokered the recent peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC, which includes a minerals-for-security deal that links economic access to resources with security cooperation. Private security providers is playing a key role in protecting Silicon Valley-backed mining interests.
November 14, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Similarly, Qatar brokered the recent peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC, which includes a minerals-for-security deal that links economic access to resources with security cooperation. Private security providers is playing a key role in protecting Silicon Valley-backed mining interests.
Rwanda plays a pivotal role in the exploitation of minerals in eastern DRC. The M23 controls large territories rich in coltan, gold, and cobalt. Rwanda’s official exports of minerals far exceed what the country can produce domestically: “Exports are listed that geology cannot justify.”
November 14, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Rwanda plays a pivotal role in the exploitation of minerals in eastern DRC. The M23 controls large territories rich in coltan, gold, and cobalt. Rwanda’s official exports of minerals far exceed what the country can produce domestically: “Exports are listed that geology cannot justify.”
DRC has witnessed multiple cycles of mass and genocidal violence for over a hundred years. DRC’s minerals are extracted at the cost of human lives. Halakhe notes: “For a very long time, exploration and exploitation have gone hand in hand in Congo.”
November 14, 2025 at 1:06 PM
DRC has witnessed multiple cycles of mass and genocidal violence for over a hundred years. DRC’s minerals are extracted at the cost of human lives. Halakhe notes: “For a very long time, exploration and exploitation have gone hand in hand in Congo.”
The deliberate erasure of such sacred spaces fragments the community’s religious collective memory. The systematic targeting of mosques and mazars is about memory. The Hindutva project accelerates the erasure of Muslims in an effort to rewrite the nation’s past to secure its majoritarian future.
November 14, 2025 at 11:24 AM
The deliberate erasure of such sacred spaces fragments the community’s religious collective memory. The systematic targeting of mosques and mazars is about memory. The Hindutva project accelerates the erasure of Muslims in an effort to rewrite the nation’s past to secure its majoritarian future.
The fate of mazars and dargahs are worse, demolished by vigilantes or “anti-encroachment drives”. A demolition drive in Delhi between 2023 and 2024 razed more than 15 dargahs. While, the Uttarakhand government bulldozed more than 300 mazars. Historian Rana Safvi calls this an “erasure of history”.
November 14, 2025 at 11:24 AM
The fate of mazars and dargahs are worse, demolished by vigilantes or “anti-encroachment drives”. A demolition drive in Delhi between 2023 and 2024 razed more than 15 dargahs. While, the Uttarakhand government bulldozed more than 300 mazars. Historian Rana Safvi calls this an “erasure of history”.
According to official documents till early 2025, 58 mosques were under dispute. Supreme Court Advocate Ali Zaidi said that the loophole left by former Chief Justice DY Chandrachud is being used by these groups to file civil suits and make these sites disputed property.
November 14, 2025 at 11:24 AM
According to official documents till early 2025, 58 mosques were under dispute. Supreme Court Advocate Ali Zaidi said that the loophole left by former Chief Justice DY Chandrachud is being used by these groups to file civil suits and make these sites disputed property.
What is lost are places of traditions and cultural gatherings. In Delhi, the Mandi House mazar, which was demolished by civic authorities in April 2023, was where the theatre scene buzzed. Now, instead, there is a piece of modern architecture blending the space into generic urban scenery.
November 14, 2025 at 11:24 AM
What is lost are places of traditions and cultural gatherings. In Delhi, the Mandi House mazar, which was demolished by civic authorities in April 2023, was where the theatre scene buzzed. Now, instead, there is a piece of modern architecture blending the space into generic urban scenery.
The pattern of demanding erasures of mosques based on contested history can be traced back to the Ram Janambhoomi movement, led by late BJP bigwig LK Advani. The campaign sought to generate support for a proposed Ram Temple at the site of the Babri Mosque.
November 14, 2025 at 11:24 AM
The pattern of demanding erasures of mosques based on contested history can be traced back to the Ram Janambhoomi movement, led by late BJP bigwig LK Advani. The campaign sought to generate support for a proposed Ram Temple at the site of the Babri Mosque.
Field reportage and research by The Polis Project reveal the patterns underlying the campaign to erase India’s Islamic sites under the Bharatiya Janata Party’s rule.
Mosques, madrassas, tombs, and mazars—shrines built over graves of Muslim saints—are razed, fenced off, or dragged to court.
Mosques, madrassas, tombs, and mazars—shrines built over graves of Muslim saints—are razed, fenced off, or dragged to court.
November 14, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Field reportage and research by The Polis Project reveal the patterns underlying the campaign to erase India’s Islamic sites under the Bharatiya Janata Party’s rule.
Mosques, madrassas, tombs, and mazars—shrines built over graves of Muslim saints—are razed, fenced off, or dragged to court.
Mosques, madrassas, tombs, and mazars—shrines built over graves of Muslim saints—are razed, fenced off, or dragged to court.
Similarly, the protagonists who populate his novels are invisible citizens—working-class, disenfranchized—eking out a living away from centers of power, living out each day as it comes. There’s compassion in his words for the forgotten, but never melodrama or trite existential ruminations.
November 14, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Similarly, the protagonists who populate his novels are invisible citizens—working-class, disenfranchized—eking out a living away from centers of power, living out each day as it comes. There’s compassion in his words for the forgotten, but never melodrama or trite existential ruminations.
Shukla’s refusal to say more than necessary, has earned him the label of an undescriptive poet. Yet, the simplicity is deceptive, for Shukla is also a strikingly visual poet, adept at turning words into an optical illusion.
November 14, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Shukla’s refusal to say more than necessary, has earned him the label of an undescriptive poet. Yet, the simplicity is deceptive, for Shukla is also a strikingly visual poet, adept at turning words into an optical illusion.
Poet and novelist Vinod Kumar Shukla is widely regarded as one of the greatest living writers in the Hindi language. His refusal to relocate from Raipur, to write in English, or to self-mythologize within the circuits of Delhi and Mumbai has long become an act of dissent.
November 14, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Poet and novelist Vinod Kumar Shukla is widely regarded as one of the greatest living writers in the Hindi language. His refusal to relocate from Raipur, to write in English, or to self-mythologize within the circuits of Delhi and Mumbai has long become an act of dissent.
And yet, there is an unease that lingers: are we to consume this suffering as tragic inspiration, a tale of human endurance to marvel at? Or must her words stir something deeper—an anger, an urgency, a demand for action to end the brutalities that make such records necessary in the first place?
November 14, 2025 at 11:11 AM
And yet, there is an unease that lingers: are we to consume this suffering as tragic inspiration, a tale of human endurance to marvel at? Or must her words stir something deeper—an anger, an urgency, a demand for action to end the brutalities that make such records necessary in the first place?
One cannot help but admire the tenacity with which Alaqad fulfills her dual roles: that of a journalist committed to telling the truth to a world that has chosen not to see; and that of a young woman determined to preserve her own private world in the face of its disintegration.
November 14, 2025 at 11:11 AM
One cannot help but admire the tenacity with which Alaqad fulfills her dual roles: that of a journalist committed to telling the truth to a world that has chosen not to see; and that of a young woman determined to preserve her own private world in the face of its disintegration.
'The Eyes of Gaza: A Diary of Resilience' is a first-hand account of life during the genocide in Gaza, narrated through the diary entries of Plestia Alaqad, a journalist and author. Alaqad brought the daily realities of the genocide to a global stage on her social media platforms.
November 14, 2025 at 11:11 AM
'The Eyes of Gaza: A Diary of Resilience' is a first-hand account of life during the genocide in Gaza, narrated through the diary entries of Plestia Alaqad, a journalist and author. Alaqad brought the daily realities of the genocide to a global stage on her social media platforms.
Kuttavum Shikshayum begins with a jolt from the unconscious: CI Sajan Philip (Asif Ali) is haunted by a dream where he shoots a protester. Yet, Sajan’s grief does not lead to rupture; instead, it becomes a private burden that lets him continue working. The protestor is not remembered or named.
November 5, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Kuttavum Shikshayum begins with a jolt from the unconscious: CI Sajan Philip (Asif Ali) is haunted by a dream where he shoots a protester. Yet, Sajan’s grief does not lead to rupture; instead, it becomes a private burden that lets him continue working. The protestor is not remembered or named.
Anjaam Pathiraa shifts this function to the outsourced consultant—still individualized, but mediated through investigative expertise of Anwar Hussain. The labor of the psychologist appears autonomous, but is structurally in service of reimposing order and bypassing democratic frameworks.
November 5, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Anjaam Pathiraa shifts this function to the outsourced consultant—still individualized, but mediated through investigative expertise of Anwar Hussain. The labor of the psychologist appears autonomous, but is structurally in service of reimposing order and bypassing democratic frameworks.
Action Hero Biju presents a disturbing vision of a society where institutions create a void that is filled by a singular, authoritarian figure. Biju's role as a self-appointed protector valorizes individual heroism to mask state withdrawal — masculinity holds together the illusion of order.
November 5, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Action Hero Biju presents a disturbing vision of a society where institutions create a void that is filled by a singular, authoritarian figure. Biju's role as a self-appointed protector valorizes individual heroism to mask state withdrawal — masculinity holds together the illusion of order.
The story of Kerala is often narrated through numbers: 100% literacy, less than 0.5% absolute poverty, the highest life expectancy in the country, and the lowest infant mortality rate. But these numbers conceal rising inequality, debt-led consumption, mass internal migration, ecological precarity.
November 5, 2025 at 9:52 AM
The story of Kerala is often narrated through numbers: 100% literacy, less than 0.5% absolute poverty, the highest life expectancy in the country, and the lowest infant mortality rate. But these numbers conceal rising inequality, debt-led consumption, mass internal migration, ecological precarity.
Mumbai, pull up! In his new book, scholar-activist Anand Teltumbde turns 31 months behind bars into a searing account of caste, class, cruelty, and the human bonds within India’s broken prison system.
Join us for the book launch.
Join us for the book launch.
October 22, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Mumbai, pull up! In his new book, scholar-activist Anand Teltumbde turns 31 months behind bars into a searing account of caste, class, cruelty, and the human bonds within India’s broken prison system.
Join us for the book launch.
Join us for the book launch.
In an increasingly militarized and unequal Europe, Italy’s strikes have demonstrated that workers still have power. Whether they can wield it decisively enough to change the course of war and empire remains an open question, one that resonates far beyond Italy’s borders.
October 21, 2025 at 10:33 AM
In an increasingly militarized and unequal Europe, Italy’s strikes have demonstrated that workers still have power. Whether they can wield it decisively enough to change the course of war and empire remains an open question, one that resonates far beyond Italy’s borders.
Italy is trying to play both sides. At the United Nations, Prime Minister Meloni condemned Hamas’s October 7 attack and Israel’s “disproportionate” military response. Italy has voted for UN resolutions supporting a two-state solution.
October 21, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Italy is trying to play both sides. At the United Nations, Prime Minister Meloni condemned Hamas’s October 7 attack and Israel’s “disproportionate” military response. Italy has voted for UN resolutions supporting a two-state solution.
The strike’s power stemmed from its sectoral composition. “Port workers and the logistics sector are the strategic chokepoints,” USB’s De Angelis explained. “When you block the ports, you’re actually interrupting the flow of goods, including military equipment.”
October 21, 2025 at 10:33 AM
The strike’s power stemmed from its sectoral composition. “Port workers and the logistics sector are the strategic chokepoints,” USB’s De Angelis explained. “When you block the ports, you’re actually interrupting the flow of goods, including military equipment.”
Italy’s general strike offers a model in which organized labor leads the charge. Solidarity with Palestine is inseparable from the opposition to austerity, low wages, and the military-industrial complex.
October 21, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Italy’s general strike offers a model in which organized labor leads the charge. Solidarity with Palestine is inseparable from the opposition to austerity, low wages, and the military-industrial complex.
On October 3, 2025, Italy shut down. Trains stopped running, ports closed, and highways were blocked as 2 million people joined the largest general strike in recent history. The following day, more than a million marched in Rome. The reason was Palestine.
October 21, 2025 at 10:33 AM
On October 3, 2025, Italy shut down. Trains stopped running, ports closed, and highways were blocked as 2 million people joined the largest general strike in recent history. The following day, more than a million marched in Rome. The reason was Palestine.