March 21

Manabendra Nath Roy began his political activism in British India before emigrating to Mexico and co-founding the Mexican Communist Party in 1919. He later represented India at the Comintern and helped establish the Communist Party of India in 1925. After breaking with Soviet orthodoxy, Roy developed his philosophy of Radical Humanism, advocating individual liberty and democratic socialism. He authored several works on political theory and India's path to independence. His evolving thought influenced debates on colonialism, nationalism, and human rights. Roy's legacy extends across political movements in both India and the international socialist movement.

Born in Ljubljana in 1949, Žižek began his academic career at the University of Ljubljana, earning a doctorate in philosophy. He gained international recognition in the 1990s with English translations of his works, including 'The Sublime Object of Ideology'. Žižek combines Lacanian psychoanalysis, Hegelian dialectics, and Marxist theory to critique ideology and contemporary culture. He has authored over fifty books and remains a prolific lecturer and public intellectual worldwide. Known for his provocative style, he often draws on film, literature, and pop culture to illustrate complex ideas. He is a senior researcher at the Institute for Sociology and Philosophy in Ljubljana and has held visiting professorships at numerous universities. His thought continues to shape debates in critical theory, politics, and cultural studies.