Society

Launched 15 years ago, Mumbai Mirror reportedly had a circulation of about 7,00,000 copies. The tabloid, which started as a daily, stopped publishing this month. It is all set to be re-launched as a weekly. Media observers and readers of the newspaper lamented this shift especially because Mumbai Mirror had a rather excellent coverage of a complex city. Officially Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited (BCCL), which owns the newspaper, blamed the losses on the pandemic. They even announced the closure of Pune Mirror. Curiously though, there was no mention of the status of Ahmedabad Mirror or Bangalore Mirror. A report…

The Special Marriage Act, 1954, which replaced the Special Marriage Act of 1872, is a civil law that provides for marriages of persons irrespective of faith or religion. The law allows the parties to observe any ceremonies for the solemnisation of their marriage and also permits persons who are already married under other forms of marriage to register their marriages under the Act.  The law was brought in to ensure that religion and caste do not come in the way of people choosing their partners. In fact, the fundamental requirement under this Act, for a valid marriage, is the consent…

I love the smell of the morning air and the quiet that allows the chirping of the birds to filter through. A morning walk is the best way to start the day "they" say. Exercising in the morning is good for the body's metabolism, makes you feel happy and energised, and ensures that you've got the exercise you need before you get busy with your daily chores. However, over the last few years, I return home after my morning walk, very disturbed by some of the sights around the neighbourhood. Statues and pictures of Gods and Goddesses, lie abandoned under…

There is enough tragedy in the human lives lost due to accidents in India's roads. But there’s little guilt, and no penalties, when it comes to the many animals that suffer a similar fate. We believe that as non-humans, this is their fate, or that they deserve less. But whatever the individual attitude, it's necessary that human societies at large acknowledge such suffering endured by animals as important. So let's talk about how we can make this happen. Chutki. This beloved Cubbon Park puppy was killed in a hit-and-run at 4 pm on December 1. Not even 10 months old,…

We, at Citizen Matters, are doing a survey of Managing Committees (MCs) in apartments/residential societies in Bengaluru. MCs have a critical role in smooth functioning of apartments. They have significant responsibilities, managing all common resources and facilities like electricity, water, common areas, etc. They are also responsible for judicious spending of maintenance charges paid by the residents, for both operational and capital expenses. If you currently are or have been an MC member at your apartment/society in Bengaluru, please participate in our survey. It will take only 5-10 minutes. Responses will be aggregated, so your confidentiality is assured. We will…

Sanvidhan Pracharak, a Mumbai-based group has 20+ volunteers across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) who conduct workshops, camps, and one-on-one sessions to propagate Constitutional values among residents in their neighbourhoods. “A sovereign socialist secular democratic republic?” Asmita Sharma, a volunteer with Sanvidhan Pracharak, asks. “Do most of us know what this means?” It’s the second line in the Preamble to the Constitution of India, but Sharma says that the words are lost on many.  The Indian Constitution lays down the framework of the country’s political procedures, powers and structures. It also sets out the directive principles, citizens’ duties as well…

2020 is almost nearing its end. It has been a most unpredictable year for almost everyone across the globe. What COVID-19 has taught the masses over the past year can be summed up as “life is unpredictable, be mindful of what matters the most”.  When everything begins at home, cultivating mindfulness in children through the actions of their parents is crucial for strengthening the bonds of love and respect.  While parents relentlessly uphold the cause of their children’s future and happiness, they must also pause and ask if they have totally forgotten to live and revel in the present? Being…

Bengaluru has seen its share of mobilised violence. Mobilised violence refers to violence perpetrated by a group of people to achieve an identified objective. There are significant socio-political, historic and economic factors that engender mobilised violence, but the inadequacy of the legal system and absence of sensible policing also play a role in preventing it. Existing legal approaches have failed to curb mobilised violence. While some laws aim to address it by imposing restrictions on hate speech and the formation of associations or assemblies, they are often broadly constructed, vague and invariably misused. The discretion conferred by these laws to…

On October 13, Tanishq withdrew an advertisement – featuring a Hindu daughter-in-law and her Muslim mother-in-law – in response to widespread trolling on social media that the company was promoting ‘love jihad’. A couple of months earlier, on August 11, even as the country was emerging from the Covid-19 lockdown, Bengaluru witnessed communal violence.  We are living in a communally charged atmosphere where anything and everything seems to be susceptible to becoming a source of religious polarisation. It is in times like this that initiatives, both at the interpersonal and institutional levels, that encourage tolerance and co-operation between religious communities,…

வெள்ளிக்கிழமை என்றவுடன் கோயில், பூஜை என உங்கள் மனதிற்குத் தோன்றினால் நீங்கள் ஒரு பக்தர், வாரத்தின் இறுதி வேலை நாள் என்று தோன்றினால் நீங்கள் ஒரு வேளை ஒரு ஐ.டி. நிறுவன ஊழியராக இருக்கலாம். ஆனால், புதுப்பட ரிலீஸ் பற்றிய சிந்தனையில் இருந்தால் கண்டிப்பாக நீங்கள் ஒரு சினிமா ரசிகர்தான். ஒரு தீவிர சினிமா ரசிகனுக்கு வெள்ளிக்கிழமை என்பது புதுப்படங்கள் ரிலீசாகும் நாள் என்றுதான் தெரியும், அவ்வாறு வெளியாகும் புதுப்படங்களைத் தன் நண்பர்களுடன் தியேட்டருக்குச் சென்று ஆரவாரத்துடன் கண்டுகளிப்பதில் அலாதி இன்பம். அதுவும் தன்னுடைய ஆதர்ச நாயகன் நடித்த படமென்றால், கேட்கவே வேண்டாம். தோரணம், பட்டாசு, கட்அவுட்டுகள் பாலாபிஷேகம் என களைகட்டும். பெரிய கதாநாயகர்களின் படங்கள் பெரும்பாலும் முக்கியமான பண்டிகைகளையொட்டியே வெளியிடப்படும் என்பதும் அது பண்டிகைக்கால உற்சாகத்தை மேலும் அதிகரிக்கச் செய்யும் அம்சமாகவும் இருந்து வருகிறது. இத்தகைய பண்டிகை நாள்களில், குடும்பங்களாகவும், நண்பர்கள் கூட்டமாகவும் தியேட்டர்களை நோக்கி படையெடுப்பதும், அந்நிகழ்வு பண்டிகைக்…