Gagged by the majority 

Anxious, leaderless and scared to voice their views – the Muslim youth in today’s India are facing an existential crisis “If I get an opportunity, and as soon as I get one, I will leave this country for good. Such is the level of anxiety I feel under the current regime, I am worried about […]

Toxic culture is universal

The tendency to identify ‘toxic families’ and locate them in a region is rooted in the hostility with which group-identity-obsessed commentariat views the strong glue of family  “Baap mar gelan anhariya mein, aau beta ke naam powerhouse.” This one-liner, which translates to “father died in darkness, but the son is called powerhouse”, is a punchline […]

Confusion worse confounded

How Republic passed off a muddle of contradictions as ‘news’ about Disha Salian’s death The front page of the Indian Express had a short piece on August 13 on how after questioning actor Rhea Chakraborty for almost 18 hours, the Enforcement Directorate did not find “any substantial transfers” to her from the bank account of actor Sushant Singh […]

Boom goes the cycle!

The Covid-19 lockdown has seen restrictions on public life and transport. Hence, people are preferring cycles as mode of transport or a way to keep fit The telephone in Tarun Gupta’s bicycle shop in South Delhi has been ringing non-stop all day. As he deals with customers, a line forms outside. “Business is booming, but […]

​​Daredevil Women Reporters

Women field reporters, unlike their male counterparts, suffer sexual harassment while operating in a misogynist environment. They feel their own organisations should offer better support On August 11, three journalists of Caravan magazine– assistant photo editor Shahid Tantray, contributor to the magazine Prabhjit Singh, and a staffer, a woman—were mobbed by a group of about […]

The road from schools to factories

The lifting of the lockdown has revived the vile business of child trafficking, especially since their parents are jobless and willing to give them up on the assurance that their education will continue The common fear that instances of child trafficking in the country will increase during the pandemic and the lockdown which rendered millions […]

Jobs lost as fabric of a lucrative industry is torn

The garment industry, mostly geared to exports to the West, has laid off most of its employees. They now face an uncertain future as business will be slow to take off even after the pandemic By the end of May, Anjali had informed her office – a garment export house situated in Delhi, boasting an […]

Covid pandemic is hitting lower castes the hardest

The lockdown resulted in loss of livelihood for migrant labour as well as self-employed artisans like potters, tailors and barbers, much more than Brahmin priests and other upper castes. On top of that, they were disadvantaged when it came to online classes, as they did not have smartphones to give their children. The social evil […]