Stray thoughts

The spread of infections in monsoons brings a large number of animals to animal welfare centres in Delhi that are finding it increasingly difficult to handle the situation “An animal shelter is a very heartbreaking place,” said Ambika Shukla, Director of the Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre (SGACC), to someone over the phone. We know […]

Why the bill is needed

One man, and three cases of leading people into slavery. one of the reasons why a strong antitrafficking law is essential for the vulnerable The importance of a strong anti-trafficking law can be seen with the recent case of rescued bonded labourers. The recruiter, Ashok Reddy, is a serial offender, with two pending trials against […]

Vicious cycle of life

The death of a rickshaw puller’s three children highlights the failings of a welfare state that lacks the compassion to tackle a family wracked by alcoholism, mental illness and neglect of kids The life of rickshaw pullers is anything but easy. Inclement weather does not deter them from lugging a passenger to their destination, not […]

Go climb a mountain

Living in the city, it is easy to romanticise the adventure sport of climbing mountains. Here’s some advice from those who have been there, done that “My mind is in a state of constant rebellion. I believe that will always be so,” late George Mallory, an English mountaineer, once said. He died at the early […]

What the oddballs do

There are people who devote their lives to the pursuit of records. From sleeping with scorpions to eating glass, they do it all We live in a strange world where eccentrics and oddballs are out to establish new records, not for some glorious individual achievement, but for things which a sensible and level-headed person would […]

Horror tales from shelter homes

Terrifying tales of sexual misconduct from women shelter homes across different states have sent shock waves throughout India The recent rescue of 24 girls from a shelter home in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh amid allegations of a sex racket thriving on its premises has sent shock waves across the state, coming as it does […]

Drowning in blue

With porn addiction spreading like a virus, the industry is also growing, a trend that can only be reversed with better sex education “Addiction isn’t about substance,” said Susan Cheever, “you aren’t addicted to the substance, you are addicted to the alteration of mood the substance brings.” What happens when the solution to addiction stops […]

Age is just a number if you work out

More than all those fancy machines, it’s the personalised attention of the personal trainer and the diet tips you get that make going to the gym so beneficial for health A chat with Sumaya Dalmia, celebrity trainer and founder of a chain of Delhi health clubs branded ‘Sumaya’, reveals many nuances about workouts. For one, […]