Hazardous work, no hazmat suits

There is no protection against Covid-19 infection for those who take the garbage from our doorsteps or those who segregate it to find saleable junk. This, in a city which has a raging pandemic with increasing number of cluster cases Every morning, Sunil would ring doorbells of one section of a DDA apartment in Dwarka. […]

Lakhs of expats face uncertainty

Not only are Indians working in the US and Kuwait suffering as individuals from the clampdown on immigrants, India’s economy will be shaken up as it is the world’s largest recipient of remittances The United States and Kuwait are two countries which have been in the news for adversely affecting the lives of Indians. In […]

Lockdown leaves poor bereft

The Covid-19 crisis has added to the woes of the poor in rural India. Their pitiable condition shows the failure of policy implementation on the ground It was raining outside in Kunwarpur village of Shivpuri district while Barso was preparing an afternoon meal for her family. Her husband Puroshottam Kushwah just returned from a farm […]

A library in your pocket 

During the lockdown and since books in the digital format have done relatively better in India, the format is still in its early days compared to the markets in the West The pandemic has had a profound effect on peoples’ lives and everyone is trying to adjust to the ‘new normal’. People have their own […]

Avoid graphic imagery

The media needs to stop using insensitive or triggering ‘representational images’ and photographs Please note: The images used in this piece include disturbing media depictions of suicide and mental illness. A man huddled in a corner of a room, trying to hide his face. A man with a gun to his head, finger on the […]

In tune with ground realities

Kathak dancer Manjari Chaturvedi is a role model for many. She is supporting dozens of musicians during the time of Coronavirus, service to humanity and performing arts   A good way to judge a nation is to see how artists are treated in the country. In India, they are, apart from few notable exceptions, the worst […]

Working 9 to 5 is also good

Films will have you believe that the ‘free spirits’ are the true heroes. But not everyone has the luxury of indulging in flights of fancy In recent years, the negative portrayal of engineers in India’s popular culture has often acted as a subtext for something else. The larger target is derision towards regular officer-goers, the […]

Commuting woes

Public buses, which are the heart of public transport in Kolkata, have almost stopped plying on city roads, creating worries for passengers Asim Bose, who works in a reputed IT firm, travels every day from Shyambazar in North Kolkata to Sector V, Kolkata’s IT hub. During the lockdown, he worked from home for the next few […]