CATEGORY: Society

Mumbai recently witnessed unprecedented protests that brought its road and rail services to a standstill, disrupting daily life. Around 60,000 protesters from across Maharashtra converged in the city between August 29 and September 2, demanding Maratha caste reservations under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category. For five days, protestors blocked trains and roads, affecting lives and livelihoods across the metropolis. As the capital and political nerve centre of Maharashtra, Mumbai regularly draws protestors from all corners of the state. This is especially true around Azad Maidan, the city’s designated protest site. Those residing and working in South Mumbai, where the…

For 17-year-old Jareen Saifi, school is the highlight of her day. Born with multiple disabilities including speech impairment, she eagerly signs to her mother asking if they can go to school. For the past five years, she has been attending the Girls Senior Secondary School in New Delhi’s New Friends Colony — a mainstream institution with a relatively high proportion of children with disabilities. The school offers a special educator, resource room and speech therapy, all of which are crucial for her. The school’s playground is close to her classroom and that is where she truly lights up.  But the…