Is activism a moral duty? Ash Sarkar is a brilliantly articulate spokesperson for the Left, but now believes that it took a wrong turn in embracing identity politics.
The writer called ‘Queen of the Woke’
Controversial: Sarkar, above, insists she is a "conflict-averse person" — despite regularly arguing with right-wing figures in the public sphere. Glossary
Piers Morgan - The British journalist was sacked as editor of the Daily Mirror for running fake photographs of alleged torture by British soldiers in Iraq, and resigned from Good Morning Britain after making disparaging remarks about the Duchess of Sussex.
Communist - An economic system entailing collective ownership of all means of production in contrast with capitalism, which holds that industry and businesses are controlled and run for profit by private owners rather than by the government.
Bengali - The sixth most-spoken language in the world. In 1952, Bangladesh was part of Pakistan and the government tried to impose Urdu as the national language.
Social worker - Someone whose job it is to help people who have social disadvantages or problems in their life.
Colonialism - This refers not only to the material realities of colonial rule, but also to the mindset of the colonising powers and their ways of justifying empire. Most Europeans believed that empire was a moral good, because it imparted 'civilisation' to 'primitive' cultures and so helped them to develop.
Transgender - Someone whose gender identity (what they feel inside) does not match the gender identity they were assigned at birth (based on their biology).
Fascist - Following fascism, a set of ideologies that advocates dictatorial power, political violence, suppression of opposition, traditional gender roles, and official racism.
Jeremy Corbyn - A British politician who served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020.
Woke - Awareness of injustice in society, particularly related to sexism and racism.
Right-wing - Sometimes referred to as 'conservative', this is a range of political beliefs that emphasise the value of tradition, individual freedom and responsibility, low taxes and a hands-off approach to government.