The brides, veiled and dressed nearly identically in red, have been swapped. And what seems to be the starting premise of a wholesome comedy is actually a portrait of women in search of themselves. The first word of the title Laapataa Ladies translates both as lost and missing, the word chosen by Amartya Sen to talk about […]
Where have all the women gone? A film offers answers Read More »
In a post AI world, rarely have images mattered as much as they do now. An innocuous-enough photograph of a mother and her three children has created a stir that is bouncing off our planet as if the first bugle of armageddon has been sounded. Kate Middleton, on track to be the future queen of
Laapataa lady: The world has gone bonkers over the ‘disappearance’ of Kate Middleton Read More »
Just as surely as the seasons change, our angst at the state of our cities will pass. The capital’s toxic air will cede to other crises. Again.
In Chennai and Mumbai, the annual rite of monsoon flooding will hold sway, then the rains will cease and we’ll move on. Again.
Every season, we reignite the same debates, ask the same questions and read the same analyses.
Take the zeitgeist, air pollution and its unwavering script: Children and seniors advised to remain indoors; schools shut, construction stopped, traffic rationed. Relax, says our environment minister, this isn’t the Bhopal gas tragedy. How reassuring. When the weather changes, the haze will lift and all will be forgotten.
An article in The Washington Post notes that pollution levels are usually lower in (a) democracies, (b) rich and affluent areas and (c) countries in line with international agreements — as India is with the Paris Agreement.
We, the elite of India, are to blame for the state of our cities Read More »
How do you continue to hold out hope with the weight of the State’s boot on your neck? The message is clear: In their quest for justice, women are unequal citizens, some more unequal than others. The men were garlanded and feted at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) office in an utterly obscene display of
Are some women in India more unequal than others Read More »
How do you continue to hold out hope with the weight of the State’s boot on your neck? The message is clear: In their quest for justice, women are unequal citizens, some more unequal than others. The men were garlanded and feted at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) office in an utterly obscene display of
Are some women in India more unequal than others? Read More »
She puts her career before her only child. “I’m sorry kid. I really want to come. But something’s come up at work.” The disappointed 10-year-old shoots back: “You’re working every day. You don’t like to do anything else.” That’s the script for when Jagruti Phatak, single mom and investigative journalist, tells her son she can’t
Dear ladies, your ambition is showing (gasp) Read More »
You’ve heard the story. That amazing woman who has it all, does it all – and always with a smile. Kids homework. Check. Taking mom for her doctor’s appointment. Check. Employee of the month. Check. Home-cooked nutritious meals. Check. Partner’s go-to shoulder to lean on. Check. Mentor to younger women at work. Check, check, check.
Busting the myth of the “superwoman” Read More »
Picture credits: @yolandayoungesq/ The Guardian Early in February, Sidra Aziz tweeted: “I am 31 years old and over the last few years I have very consciously chosen not to have children ever. Marriage, maybe. Children, no.” It was an innocuous enough tweet but the 31-year-old data product manager was taken aback by the response. Within
The question to ask five months after India’s most celebrated wrestlers began their unprecedented protest is: What does it take to ensure justice for women? What does it take to ensure justice for women?(Hindustan Times) Perhaps the question to ask now, five months after India’s most celebrated wrestlers began their unprecedented protest against Wrestling India
What does it take to take down patriarchy? Read More »
In today’s connected world where figures, images and voices are a click of the mouse away, do we really expect the world to believe that India is all malls, highways and high-rises. Namita Bhandare writes. HT Image Of all the madcap ideas to come out of the Commonwealth Games, possibly the worst is the one
India must stop living in denial Read More »
Can we reimagine ways in which the humble bicycle can improve mobility for older women? India’s heaving metropolises are simply not designed for women. The focus on multi-lane highways and flyovers ignores women—and the differently abled and elderly. The metro rail does provide a speedy commute; what’s lacking is last-mile connectivity and affordability (HT PHOTO)
Freewheeling women Read More »
In the patriarchal dustbowl of India, sport has been the key to transforming the lives of girls. Now, a generation of girls stands to lose what their predecessors laid out for them A prolonged protest could derail the progress of the past few years. The website Scroll reports that the wrestlers’ agitation has already resulted
The wrestlers’ protests can save the akhada Read More »