By Tushar Jain 22nd December, 2012, saw one of the biggest protests in the history of modern India. On a cold winter morning, thousands of young boys and girls got together near the India Gate to march up to the Rashtrapati Bhawan via the Raisina Hill. As the morning progressed, they were joined by more people of different age groups. …
Category: Blog
Slim, Fair & Beautiful: How Shallow are Our Definitions of the Ideal Indian Woman?
We’ve all laughed our guts out at those jokes in Indian films about the big, fat, swarthy woman. It seemed like the obvious thing to do then. These people were ‘meant’ to be funny. Watch any of the Indra Kumar/David Dhawan comedies for reference. If they slipped on banana peels or appeared abruptly when you were expecting the slim, beautiful …
Slim, Fair & Beautiful: How Shallow are Our Definitions of the Ideal Indian Woman?
We’ve all laughed our guts out at those jokes in Indian films about the big, fat, swarthy woman. It seemed like the obvious thing to do then. These people were ‘meant’ to be funny. Watch any of the Indra Kumar/David Dhawan comedies for reference. If they slipped on banana peels or appeared abruptly when you were expecting the slim, beautiful …
Why Sayfty?
I was born and raised in a small town in India, called Kanpur. My father, the loving man that he is, is also very protective by nature. Right from the beginning I was sent to an all girls convent school. The idea was to always protect me and provide me with a safe and disciplined environment. Growing up, my parents …
Responsibility and Rationality: The Need for Caution within Peer Groups
It’s sad that the world today has had to compel its females to turn themselves into this over cautious, on the edge species. Because irrespective of whether one is on the streets or at a party, there is always the need to look out for oneself. And that is perhaps ironically what many of us need to spell out a …
It’s Time to Have an Actress in a Lead Role
Indian Cinema may not entirely reflect the Indian society but it certainly works as a powerful tool that shapes social engagements, culture and behavior. For millions of Indians, films have been routes to escape the struggles of their daily life and a source of inspiration where the unreal is possible and dreams achievable. Films not only entertain, but can play …
Violence Against Women is not his/her problem alone, it’s OUR problem!
WHO says ‘Violence against women can and should be Prevented’ (WHO 2013 Report) We regularly hear and read about acts of violence against women (VAW) and many times turn a blind eye to the atrocities thinking something like this happens only amongst communities which are either economically challenged or less educated and not in our neighborhoods. This is a misconception! …
On This Raksha Bandhan, Let Us Become Lesser Brothers
By Nihal Parashar India is celebrating Raksha Bandhan today, a festival that forms an integral part of the culture of India, which we always boast about. Raksha Bandhan or the ‘Tie of Protection’ is thread of love and affection which sisters tie on the hand of brothers, asking to protect her always. My sister has always tied a thread on my …
Do you know about the Two Finger Test?
Before 1979, United Kingdom followed a protocol for medical examination of women who were immigrating to their country to marry their fiancées. This protocol would have gone on forever if an Indian woman hadn’t raised her voice after being examined in a manner which not only breached her privacy but also insulted her dignity. On 24th January, 1979, an Indian woman …
The Aftermath: How difficult it is to ‘Deal’ with Rape
A lot of us talk about how one should ‘deal’ with rape. That it’s traumatizing and one requires courage, strength, some sort of a headlong response and the ability to not give up and make sure justice is sought. What we don’t realize is how easy it is to only say all this. What a rape victim goes through, we …