Society

COVID-19 has not only affected us humans, but also stray animals in several ways. For one, though the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that animals can't transmit COVID to humans, they are ill-treated and not allowed in residential areas. Another issue is that stray animals, especially dogs, are often dependent on leftover food from street vendors and fast food vendors. But with fewer people and shops, and more restrictions since COVID, strays have been left without enough food. In Bengaluru, many individuals such as Rakesh Shukla and Manjari Chaitanya Colaco have taken steps to provide food, shelter and care…

Even the remover of all obstacles, Lord Ganesha, has not been able to come to the aid of the makers of his idols this year. As Ganesh Chaturthi approaches, traditional Ganesha idol makers like Sanket Kumbhar, Dheeresh Naik, Haresh Mhatre, can only hope that the Lord will make the coming weeks less harsh. Looks unlikely though, especially as the government has restricted all public gatherings and festivities that the city’s various Ganesh mandals, their main customers, would normally organise. The numbers tell the story. “In the years gone by, all my family members would come together and make about 3,000-3500…

ஆடி அழைக்கும், தை விரட்டும் is an adage in Tamil. The essence of the saying is that every year, starting mid-July and for the next six months, it is a festive season, culminating in Pongal that comes in mid-January. This is the time when a range of festivals bring people together in celebration. Festivals revive and reinforce cultural traits. Togetherness with friends and relatives instills a sense of camaraderie, strengthens personal bonds and helps us build a support system for life. The ambience during festivals and the rituals or practices of each vary from one festival to another and adds variety,…

As Tamil Nadu went into a total lockdown on March 24th, many individuals in the city found themselves helpless and in dire need of assistance. From migrant workers looking to get back to their hometowns to senior citizens who resided by themselves, the lockdown impacted scores. The situation would have been several times worse had not NGOs, civil society organisations and some individuals taken it upon themselves to come to the aid of those affected. Thus, when a migrant worker stuck in Chennai with his family and twins, just a few months old, ran out of milk and supplies for…

Yesterday was Janmashtami, a day when residents of Mumbai pour out on the streets to cheer Lord Krishna on his birthday. They dance jubilantly in groups, eat snacks with neighbours and most importantly, compete to break the Dahi Handi. Or the earthen pot filled with curd, young Krishna's favourite. Sadly though, everything mentioned above is impossible to do this year. Crowds are at the top of 'what's prohibited due to COVID-19' list. Let the pandemic not dampen your spirits, we bring you some photos from 2015, which showcase all the fun and joyous celebrations of Dahi Handi. This is what…

உலக வரலாற்றிலேயே கொரோனாவுக்கு முன் (கொ.மு) கொரானாவுக்குப் பின் (கொ.பி) என்று சொல்லக்கூடிய அளவுக்கு நிலைமைகளைப் புரட்டிப் போட்ட இந்த வைரஸ் தாக்கம், சென்னையிலும் இதுவரை  கண்டிராத ஒரு மிகப்பெரிய நிலைமாற்றத்தை உருவாக்கிக் கொண்டிருப்பதன் விளைவாக அதன் அடையாளமான ’வந்தோரை வாழவைக்கும் சென்னை’ என்பதை அது இழந்து கொண்டிருக்கிறதா என்ற ஒரு கேள்வி இன்று நம் முன்னே நிற்கிறது. ’புதிய இயல்பு நிலை’ கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாக உருபெறத் துவங்குகையில் சென்னை இனி முன்பு போல் இருக்கப் போவதில்லை என்ற சமிக்ஞை கிடைக்கிறது. ஆம், அதன் மக்கள் தொகை, பரபரப்பு, ஏதோ ஒன்று செய்து பிழைத்துக் கொள்ளலாம் என்று இங்கு வந்து சேரும் மக்களின் வரத்து என எல்லாமே மாறிவிட்டிருக்கப் போகிறது. சென்னை என்றாலே அனைத்து வித மக்களையும் பாரபட்சமின்றி அரவணைக்கும் அதன் தன்மைக்குப் பெயர் போனது. அதனால் அதன் ஜனத்திரள் தமிழகத்தின் பல மாவட்டங்களிலிருந்தும் பிழைப்புக்காகவும் பல்வேறு துறைகளிலும் ஒரு உச்சத்திற்கு…

The Covid-19 crisis has forced many institutions to up their game and work round the clock. Their resilience and efficiency in crisis management has been thoroughly tested over the past few months. The police is one such institution that has been in the forefront. Pushed as it was, into the frontlines of an unfamiliar task – policing a contagion – the institution received as much flak as praise, in varying degree. Relief volunteers who plunged into food and ration distribution, fund-raising and working with migrant labourers, were possibly at a vantage point to assess the role of the police at the…

Unlike other cities in the country, Mumbai has a complex structure of electricity distribution. To begin with, there are multiple electricity distributors. There is the state owned Bruhanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) and a Public Sector Undertaking, Mahavitaran (MSEDCL). The two major private players are Tata Power and Adani Electricity. In the Western suburbs of the city, customers can choose between the private distributors. So if you are living in an apartment complex, it’s quite possible that you and your next door neighbour receive power from different companies. When customers received their bills in June, they were in for…

Commodification of labour largely ignores the social and domestic life of labourers, treating them as mere cogs in the machine. This oft-repeated saying never came across as starkly as during the country-wide lockdown that was imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While economic activity and its prime drivers – workers – are yet to recover from its effects, several States and cities across the nation, owing to the resurgence of the virus, are continuing to reimpose lockdowns for varying periods. Needless to add that for daily wage workers, the nightmare is unending. The lockdown ordeal left Kotresh Hargondnali, a…

It was just like any other routine bike trip for Madhav (name changed) and his father as they started on their cycles that early Saturday morning. Little did they know how adventurous, and even stressful, the day would turn out to be. Madhav is an autistic teen, who enjoys cycling along with his father. This Saturday, driven by his instinct, he somehow rode away from his regular route while on the way back home after cycling for 2 hours. He had not been going for cycling for more than four months due to the COVID-19 lockdown, and that might have…