LAW

There has been concern and commentary that a public list of alleged sexual harassers maligns them and possibly costs them their jobs & family. It is a valid concern. Even so, here is why #MeToo needs to happen, and happen yesterday. And it doesn’t subvert due process, but actually improves it. 1. Sexual harassment, inside and outside workplaces, is the oldest crime in the book. World over, and in India, we have too many historical evidences of public stripping, buying & selling, stalking, sex without consent with women of all ages, stations in life, much worse with caste & poverty.…

October 2. Apart from being Gandhi Jayanthi, this is also one of the days on which Grama Sabha takes place in the state. Grama Sabha, in which all the voters of a village meet, takes place four times a year (on Jan 6, May 1, Aug 15 and Oct 2), and offers a forum for villagers to raise their voices on matters of village governance in the presence of its representatives and officials from the administration. It is an avenue for community participation in governance, a step towards Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj (Village self-rule). Now, take a step closer home,…

Despite a government order directing State Road Transport Offices (RTO) across India to issue Driving Licences to the hearing-impaired, and court orders to the effect, the ground reality seems to be the exact opposite. RTOs still follow age-old rules to grant (or not grant, in this case) an opportunity to obtain the learners' Licence (LLR) and eventually, a driver's licence to people with hearing challenges. At least that's what my recent experience has shown. RTO apathy I recently accompanied a hearing-impaired person to an RTO in Chennai, hoping for him to obtain a Learner's License (LLR). Here is a brief overview…

This article is part of a special series: Air Quality in our Cities M Karthik, Chennai-based software engineer was mighty pleased when he purchased his 350cc Royal Enfield Classic from a showroom in Anna Nagar. But his excitement was considerably muted when he found out that his make of vehicle was among the highest polluting two-wheelers available. Deeply environmentally conscious, Karthik says, “Had I known that my vehicle emits such a lot of greenhouse gases, I would have changed my decision.” But how would he know? Is there really a way for vehicle owners to gauge the emissions from the…

 போக்குவரத்து காவல் துறை Vs குடிமக்கள் : பொறுப்பு மற்றும் உரிமை சமீபத்தில் போக்குவரத்து காவல் அதிகாரி லஞ்சம் கேட்டு ஒரு இளைஞரை அடித்த சம்பவம் சமூக வலைத்தளத்தில் பரவலாக பகிரப்பட்டு அதன் தொடர்ச்சியாக காவல்துறை ஆணையர் பாதிக்கப்பட்டவரை சந்தித்து ஆறுதல் கூறியது அனைவரும் அறிந்ததே.   போக்குவரத்து அதிகாரிகளுக்கும் ஓட்டுனர்களுக்கும் நடக்கும் இது போல சம்பவங்கள் புதிதல்ல. இதற்கு முன் வலை பதிவில் உலா வந்த வீடியோ ஒன்று, தலைகவசம் அணியாததற்காக காவல் துறை ஒன்று நபரை அடித்து உதைத்த விதத்தை சுட்டி காட்டியது. இது போன்ற தருணத்தை எவ்வாறு எதிர்கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்பதையும், நம் உரிமை மற்றும் பொறுப்பு ஆகியவற்றை அறிந்து கொள்வதன் மூலம் மேலும் இந்த நிகழ்வுகளை இனியும் நடக்காமல் தடுக்க முடியும். என்ன செய்ய வேண்டும்: சரியான அதிகாரியால் தான் நீங்கள் நிறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளீர்களா என்பதை முதலில் அறிந்து கொள்ளுங்கள். அதிகாரிகள் சீருடையில் இருப்பதோடு அவர்களின் பெயர்…

The rainbow is out, and rarely has it been brighter. A landmark Supreme Court verdict, delivered through four separate but concurring and stirring judgments, has decriminalized homosexuality by scrapping certain portions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and also underlined the ‘primary objective’ of the Constitution as one of ‘establishing a dynamic and inclusive society’ that recognizes and grants the rights of all persons who identify themselves as ‘queer’. The mood among members of the community as well as those who work with them has been euphoric, for it has been the culmination of a long and…

The Chennai Corporation has intensified its drive to seize abandoned vehicles from around the city. The operation, which began in March this year, is currently in its third phase with the seizure of a total of 7912 vehicles so far. The list of seized vehicles has been posted on the website of the Chennai Corporation. The first list was published on June 5th and the second list on July 14th. The third list is expected shortly. When is a vehicle deemed abandoned? According to clause 380 of the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Rules,1989, a vehicle is considered abandoned 1) If…

A viral Facebook post narrating assault by the police during a routine traffic stop that took place in Chetpet on July 19th has sent shock waves across the city. Haroon Sait, the victim, spoke out about being slapped and beaten by the police as he refused their demand for a bribe. The sub-inspector in question has since been suspended after a departmental inquiry. Commissioner of Police A.K.Viswanathan called on Haroon at his residence and assured that such incidents will not take place in the future. This is, however, not the first instance of a major altercation between motorists and traffic…

Recently, the virtual abuse of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, for supporting an interfaith couple, drew attention to the chilling phenomenon of 'trolling' that has seen an exponential rise since the advent of social media. The minister suffered not just verbal, but also relentless sociopathic, emotional slander. In a way, it has been a democratising trend. No one is spared. Anyone who holds a point of view that is different from that of the establishment or the troller has been subject to continuous, intense harrassment and verbal assault on online platforms. A number of well-known names such as Barkha Dutt…

When it comes to transparency and providing information to citizens, Tamil Nadu has a rich legacy. The southern state was a front runner in passing the Right To Information (RTI) act in 1997, eight years before the Centre passed it in 2005.  The Act proved to be a game changer. To cite just one example, an RTI activist exposed a scam by the Tamil Nadu Housing Department (TNHB) in December 2010, where selected government servants were provided with houses, under the Government Discretion Quota. Through the RTI reply and further investigation, it was learnt that undeserving people were categorised as social…