Few but pious

Navroz, or the Parsi New Year, was celebrated quietly on August 17, the day all attention was on Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s last rites. That’s how Delhi’s tiny minorities always celebrate their festivals, away from the public eye With Hinduism, Islam and Christianity constantly dominating the conversation about religion, the other religious communities that have thrived […]

Fitful sleep at the Ghat

While Delhiites are sympathetic to the homeless during winter, and often distribute blankets, the monsoon brings challenges the authorities don’t recognise “Most of the people sleep in fear. Many a time we’re afraid of cars driving over the footpath,” says Rajkumar, 38, a construction worker. Rajkumar is one of the many people who sleep on […]

Low rent, no control

Landlords have been appealing for amendments to the Delhi Rent Control ACT, which in its present form is not only outdated but also acts against the interests of the middle class and the poor Rajesh Kumar has been paralysed on his left side since 2011. His three-floor home which could have acted as a source […]

Poor makers, rich buyers

Weavers are facing marketing and financial problems. Ironically, hand-woven textiles continue to be the prerogative of the elite despite initiatives to make it a product for the masses This year on National Handloom Day — observed on August 7every year — a team of the Indian designer label Raw Mango took to the streets of […]

Malayalam media shows the way

Both TV and print ceaselessly covered the floods and helped with rescue efforts, sans sensationalism Malayala Manorama, the Malayalam daily, lowered its masthead twice last week. The newspaper, perhaps overwhelmed by the humanitarian crisis at hand, seemed to bow in acknowledgement. Entire towns, hill stations, highways, bridges and hundreds of people of Kerala were submerged […]

Trans identity crises

Officialdom treats transgender requests with scant regard for the laws which have been put in place to ensure they do not suffer any discrimination “To introduce myself and explain that this is my previous identity and this is my current identity is painful task,” says Ritwik, 22, a BTech student and a trans man while […]

That monthly syndrome

Pre-menstrual syndrome doesn’t just affect the mood and performance of women in those difficult days, it can lead to crime. A recent High Court judgement even accepted it as a precipitating factor for crime Anita has lost all hope of normalcy. It has been five years since she started suffering this syndrome. Every month, one […]

Stories of abuse

The TISS team that exposed exploitation in Bihar homes for children was engaged in a social audit in a non–threatening but non-compromising manner On July 29, Newslaundry published a story about a social audit of children homes in Bihar. The audit, done by the Koshish unit of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), had revealed […]