Veils emerging from the shadows of men

Very few women from Chandni Chowk can be seen in public spaces, unaccompanied by men. But some of them have broken the shackles to find work and even to go for Haj to Saudi Arabia Chandni Chowk is in shambles, and yet it continues to be as vibrant a shopping centre as ever. Civic works, […]

A tragedy in Mewat

In the aftermath of a Dalit girl’s abduction and rape, rumours and media disinformation plague Haryana’s Nuh At about 6 am on July 7, 12-year-old Aparna (name changed) bicycled to a nearby small dairy farm in the unremarkable town of Nuh in Haryana’s Mewat. A day before, the girl had asked her grandmother to make […]

The trees are gone but not forgotten

The ongoing redevelopment in Sarojini Nagar has brought major changes in the lives of two families whose children spent their entire childhood in the area. Here they revisit the past and tell Patriot how much the area’s trees and plants matter to them The vine from which he used to pluck grapes has disappeared. The […]

Last mile blues

Lack of transport from residences, offices and markets to the nearest Metro station puts women’s safety at risk, especially at night. Solutions are not yet in sight It was around eight in the evening, when Jaya Sudha was walking home from the market she had stopped off at in Dwarka on her way home from […]

Street smart in the monsoon

What are the chances of a restaurant sending you stale food when you order online? More than the chances of a street vendor serving you rotten stuff, apparently It was late in the evening. The menu at home did not seem inspiring. It was, after all, a Monday. The blues had kicked in the previous […]

Cleanup or injustice?

UP Police’s ‘Operation Clean’ in Greater Noida led to the detection of at least 30 Africans illegally overstaying in India. Their deportation and the detention of others in jail raises humanitarian concerns On July 10, Uttar Pradesh Police raided a bunch of apartments in Greater Noida.  This was part of Operation Clean and targeted illegal […]

MJ Akbar vs Priya Ramani

Akbar’s first witness said she was ‘deeply distressed’ when she first learnt about Priya Ramani’s #metoo allegations When the cross-examination of MJ Akbar’s first witness, Ms Veenu Sandal, took place, neither Akbar nor Ramani were present. “I have been working for over 25 years as a journalist,” said Sandal, beginning her deposition in the witness […]

Wake up and smell the danger

The promotion of e-cigarettes as a device to help smokers kick the habit has proved futile. In fact, e-cigs have become a glamorous gateway drug for youngsters Piyush Gulati (name changed), was 16 when he first smoked an e-cigarette. “A friend who went to Melbourne got one. His cousin was studying there, and was above […]