Society

Ashwath has continued his family's generational profession. He has been working at the Vyalikaval Dhobi Ghat for nearly 30 years, and his day begins as early as 5 am. He starts work by separating the clothes into two piles: one for manual washing and the other for machine washing. Four dry cleaners give Ashwath clothes to wash. "While towels and bedsheets can be washed in the machine, expensive clothes like sarees and dresses are given to us for washing. We do face a few health issues since we work a lot in water, but we are used to it," says…

Dharavi, Asia's largest slum is in the heart of Mumbai. Spread over 535 acres, approximately 8.5 lakh people live in approximately 55,000 dwelling units in Dharavi with a population density of 3.4 lakh per square km. One of the many communities, living in Dharavi for decades, is the traditional potters community. 'Kumbhar' means pots and 'Wada' means colony. Dharavi's Kumbharwada is where the magic of clay has been happening for decades together. Kumbharwada occupies about 12.5 acres in Dharavi, and is home to 500 potters’ families. A well-settled and internationally famous colony, however, struggles during the rains. Production reduces drastically…

Government-owned built heritage in Chennai seems to have never had it so good. All over the city, many Indo-Saracenic structures are getting much-needed restoration and if not that, at least a facelift. In the last decade or so, there has certainly been a change in attitude as far as the authorities are concerned over the built heritage of the colonial kind. And this is to be welcomed. It is certainly not the happy ending as far as the battle to preserve heritage is concerned but it is undoubtedly progress. The question remains, will this influence private players and more importantly…

Sundaram* and his wife Latha*, senior citizens from Chennai's Ambattur, both over 80 years of age, fell victim to a burglary in broad daylight in November last year.  The couple had only just moved to Ambattur from Thiruvanmiyur a few months before the incident. Their son and daughter live abroad.  On the day of the crime, two women who posed as domestic breeding checkers employed with the Greater Chennai Corporation approached Sundaram's house asking to check their house for points of mosquito breeding if any. Since Sundaram was used to such visits by the Corporation staff in Thiruvanmiyur, he allowed…

Mumbai's monsoon season is a spectacle of natural beauty and vibrant celebrations. As the dark clouds gather overhead and the first droplets of rain descend, the city undergoes a magical transformation. The monsoon showers bring respite from the scorching summer heat, refreshing the city with their cool embrace. Monsoon in Mumbai is not just a season, but a celebration in itself. Mumbaikars eagerly wait for the arrival of rains. Children are the most excited to drench themselves in the drizzle, their laughter blending with the sound of the rhythmic pitter-patter. "Clouds bring with them a lot of rain and I…

It has been just over a month. The incident at an educational institute in NOIDA where a young boy killed his girlfriend, and then killed himself, sent shockwaves through the city. Unfortunately, this is no isolated case. Deaths by suicide or criminal acts involving young adults are being reported with alarming frequency. Incidents like the NOIDA one is just another stark reminder of the grave mental health issues among a high proportion of our adolescent and youth population. Especially post-COVID. It is by now well known that certain behavioural trends among children are tell-tale signs of underlying mental health issues…

“I had sleepless nights for months, even now when I recall those days, I feel uneasy,” says Neelam Lilaramani, a senior citizen residing in Goregaon - a suburb of Mumbai. Last year, as she was scrolling through her Facebook app, she stumbled upon an advertisement for a dress that she liked. She added her address, checked for payment details, and chose the ‘cash on delivery’ option to avoid any unwanted online scams - and then clicked ‘buy’. A few days later, when the parcel arrived, she wasn't at home. On his third attempt, the delivery person handed the parcel, Neelam…

Akkai Padmashali is a pioneer in trans rights activism, from being the first transgender person to register her marriage in Karnataka to being a member of the drafting committee in the 2017 state policy for transgender people. Akkai started the human rights organisation, Ondede, which means ‘convergence’ in Kannada. She aspires to bring about ground-level changes in policies to be more inclusive.  In an exclusive interview with Citizen Matters, Akkai spoke about her views on the implementation of the reservation of jobs in public employment for the transgender community (Karnataka is the first state to provide 1% horizontal reservations in…

On a sunny Sunday morning, May 28th, a group of enthusiastic citizens gathered at Cubbon Park for a community meet-up, organised by Jhatkaa.org, a digital campaigning organisation that empowers citizens using technology to take action on issues that matter to them. The community included individuals who had signed up to volunteer with Jhatkaa in verticals, such as air pollution, gender, sexuality, and policy making. The common goal was to address various pressing issues in Bengaluru, such as street lights, traffic management, and conserving the environment. Over 20 people came together to share their concerns and discuss solutions. The event not…

For two years, Usha Thopna’s day started at 5 am. After waking up, she would cook and clean for her new employers in Bengaluru - Mr. and Mrs. Vatsa. Barely an adult herself, she had to look after their child too, and do various chores demanded of her at their whim. During her 18-hour long work day, she would additionally have to face her employers' verbal and physical violence: she was beaten with cricket bats, injured by scissors to her neck, not given proper food, and burnt by the iron box.  Usha hails from a remote village in Tejpur, Assam.…