Lockdown fallout: Despair and poverty

From Chennai to Gurugram, migrants tell a similar story of poverty, desperation, and a government that left them in the lurch The one who came back “My hope is that the government does not impose another lockdown or we will perish,” says an anguished Shakoor Ahmed as he adjusts the mask on his face. He’s […]

No monitoring the Monitor 

With myths and misconceptions surrounding it, the Indian Monitor lizard often becomes the target of scared locals who see it as a threat  Last week, a Chandan Goira (Indian Monitor lizard) entered a house in Sesaipura village of Madhya Pradesh. Panicked villagers contacted the rescue team which took away the reptile . However, the time […]

Hindi through the backdoor

The NEP seeks to promote Hindi and vernacular languages at a time when English is the aspirational language of the poor and Dalits are using it to escape discrimination The New Education Policy (NEP), recently approved by the Union Cabinet, proposes to bring some radical changes in the Indian education system. While the policy has […]

When rescue is a tweet away

During the lockdown, social media emerged as an effective tool to move authorities to help bonded labour, especially when migrants themselves made videos about their predicament   An owner of a brick kiln in UP’s Azamgarh intercepted his labourers as they walked to another site. The five labourers, including a woman, had been demanding to be […]

Treading cautiously on Eid

Amidst the rising number of Coronavirus cases in the country, Muslims in India celebrated Eid-ul Adha while trying stick to the government guidelines which often differed from state to state As the Coronavirus pandemic keeps unfolding, the very definition of a normal life has been changing. For as long as there is no viable treatment […]

Coming of age in Ayodhya

As innocent kids, we brought back home a brick from the demolished mosque. Now, I remember the agony both communities suffered Disclaimer: The author is associated with the Indian National Congress. In 1989, I was five when, for the first time, I went to the Ram Temple which resided inside the Babri Mosque. This was […]

TV’s black magic woman

Post Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, while Arnab Goswami started the circus, every other channel is scrambling to catch up If there’s anything that competes with the tragedy of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, it is the media coverage that has followed since. When the news first broke, we saw reporters rush to the actor’s home in Bihar, […]

Innovative marketing to woo shoppers 

To combat the slowdown due to lockdowns and the pandemic, brands across different segments are coming up with innovative ways to connect with their customer base and boost sales As the world learns to cope with the challenges posed by the Coronavirus, unlockdowns are being announced in India. These relaxations in the movement of people […]