Society

This article is part of a special series: Safety of women in Indian cities In December 2012, it felt like the ground under my feet was shaking. An upheaval seemed underway. True to the sensation, the world around me also began to show signs of an epoch-making era ahead of it: one that would call out the lackadaisical approach to violence against women, one that would witness radical changes in the laws and the security sector in ways that would prioritise justice for survivors of violence.  In December 2019, it felt like nothing had changed. Seven years had passed since…

This article is part of a special series: Safety of women in Indian cities An alarming number of women have been subjected to violence and abuse in the private and public sphere over the ages, and the incidents reported are on the rise. Survivors of such trauma often require assistance on multiple fronts,  seeking medical, legal and emotional support.  State-operated emergency helplines that women can dial in times of crisis have been set up at various levels over the years, providing emergency services, police intervention, medical and legal assistance.  In addition to this, Chennai is home to various non-profit organisations…

This article is part of a special series: Safety of women in Indian cities In 2018 alone, there were 53 dowry deaths in Bengaluru, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Bengaluru was also the metro with the highest number of dowry deaths in south India that year, and the city where the highest number of dowry harassment cases were filed. If you suffer dowry harassment, sexual abuse, or other forms of violence within or outside your home, what options do you have? There are many helplines in Bengaluru that offer services like shelter, counselling, legal support, help securing employment…

In a recently-released popular Bengali flick Gotro (The clan), a prisoner who had spent nine years in jail is eventually accepted and welcomed into society, wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, real life is vastly different from such portrayals. Ask people like Aparajita Ganguly Bose, who shudder to think of the time spent in prison. Aparajita had been convicted on charges of murdering her husband and the 50-year-old can never stop lamenting the loss of several years in her prime, for a crime she didn’t commit.  Aparajita’s husband Kunal Bose, whom she married in 1992 after a brief love affair, went missing on May…

Using discarded refrigerators as pots, a group of high-school children of Ullal in Mangalore now grow organic farm produce to meet their daily vegetable requirements. Once lying discarded on the streets, the ‘thermally insulated’ compartments of unused refrigerators act as eco-friendly pots for growing a variety of vegetables on the ‘rooftop garden’ of Sayyed Madani Urdu Higher Primary School (SMUHGPS), located in Halekote within the Ullal City Municipality. Over the last two years, the students of this co-educational school, along with the management, have sown and tended to almost 10 varieties of vegetation and have successfully harvested paddy for consumption.…

Ten days ago, some miscreant children battered seven tiny puppies at Nagaraj Layout in Whitefield. The puppies, stoned and beaten with iron rods, were taken to the hospital by residents nearby. Five of the puppies died, and another one died today. As of now only one survives, Mintu. The incident was reported in newspapers and shared on social media. When students from Parikrma Humanity Foundation - aged between 6 and 16 years - came to know of this, they were very upset and decided to do something for the puppies. They made paintings, and have been holding a fundraiser since Thursday for the…

The fuel tank of a two-wheeler, the body of an auto-rickshaw, wheels of a cycle and engine parts of a car. Did you ever think that these parts of a discarded vehicle could be shaped into a work of art? That vehicle scrap could actually have some aesthetic value?  Students of the Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Guindy are moulding metal waste into beautiful works of sculpture while Zone 13 of Greater Chennai Corporation is doing the same with scrap from two-wheelers. Known as junk art, this art form could be an ideal solution for scrap waste management and can…

For the transpeople of Pune, November 20 was an important day. “We have come here for all the transpeople who lost their lives to transphobia,” said Rishi, a trans-rights activist, on this “Trans Remembrance Day”. “We want to observe this in public, these tragedies took place in public and it is only right that we are here and we are being seen”.  If you have lived or travelled around Pune you will have heard of and visited the shopping area of Tulsi Baugh, just four minutes’ walk north of Budhwar Peth, the city’s red light district. Many transwomen have their…

The "spring" of good times Of all the things that Besant Nagar beach is known for, Spring Potato (also known as Tornado Potato) seems to be the one that has witnessed the most phenomenal growth. A spring potato is a snack where  a single potato is sliced continuously into a spiral, fried and served with spices, on a sharp skewer. Over a 100 spring potato shops lined up next to each other, compete for 5000+ customers every month. "Business is dull these days due to the monsoon," says a stall owner. "We get 100+ customers in a single evening but…

Translated by Sandhya Raju தமிழகத்தில் தற்போது பெண்கள் மேம்பாட்டை குறிக்கும் நிறம் பிங்க் என்று தான் சொல்ல வேண்டும். சென்னையின் பல்வேறு பகுதியில் பிங்க் நிற காவல் ரோந்து வாகனங்களை பார்த்திருப்பீர்கள். கடந்த ஜூன் மாதம், பெண்கள் மற்றும் குழந்தைகளுக்கு எதிராக அரங்கேறும் குற்றங்களை தடுக்கும் முயற்சியாக தமிழக அரசால், அம்மா ரோந்து வாகனங்கள் அறிமுகப்படுத்தப்பட்டன.  பெண்கள் காவல் நிலையங்கள், குழந்தை கடத்தல் தடுப்பு பிரிவுகள், சிறார் போலீஸ் பிரிவுகள் போன்ற அனைத்து பிரிவுகளையும் இந்த CWC (Crime against Women and Children) ஒருங்கிணைக்கிறது. இந்த அம்மா ரோந்து வாகனங்களின் பணி என்ன? இந்த வாகனங்களில் அதி நவீன தொழில்நுட்பம் கொண்ட கேமரா மற்றும் ஜிபிஎஸ் வசதி பொருத்துப்பட்டுள்ளது. இக்கட்டான சூழலில் உள்ள பெண்கள் -1091 என்ற எண்ணையும், குழந்தைகள் 1098 என்ற எண்ணையும் அழைக்கலாம், இந்த தகவலை காவல் கட்டுப்பாட்டு மையம் அருகில் உள்ள அம்மா ரோந்து…