Tweeples report of a tweetup from Lucknow.
Now Lucknow, to be honest is really not one of those cites where social networking sites are used by a large part of the population no it is not that way at all. I was not able to convince many people to come to a tweetup and had almost [...]
Archive for the 'Society' Category
Stop calling someone a retard
Published by January 26th, 2010 in Art, Health, Prejudice and Society. 3 CommentsMeera thinks that calling someone a “retard” is not so funny when you are at the receiving end, and it constitutes insensitive humour. There is a nice comic on her blog as well!
‘Retardation’ is a condition that people are born with and hence cannot help.
According to me, any casual use of and jokes involving terms [...]
After marriage, should you quit your career?
Published by January 21st, 2010 in Personal, Society and Women. 0 CommentsSania Mirza is planning to quit her career after she marries. And Priya questions this:
Why do Indian women even bother starting a career if it’s something they plan to do only until they get married? There are a million other ways women can spend their pre-marriage years—they could volunteer, learn music, start a home business, [...]
Jyoti Basu…. A trend setter in death
Published by January 19th, 2010 in Health, India and Society. 0 CommentsStates usually would spend tons and tons of money on their politicians, just to keep them “alive”. But he went one step ahead, in his death he has shown us all a path towards immortality. He decided to donate his body for a very noble cause – medical research.
Bibilophile pays a an apolitical tribute to [...]
Atul takes a Lakhnavi look (in Hindi) to our attitude towards giving. Read to find out what happens in the story.
Fishermen and their Lawyer
Published by January 17th, 2010 in India, Justice and Society. 0 CommentsSanand talks about a gift he got for representing a fishing community in Maharashtra.
On behalf of the fishing community, we filed a suit for injunction before the city civil court in Mumbai. It was fully granted (with respect to 2 pumps and 2 connecting tanks). Then, the other side went to the High Court in [...]
New perspectives on 3 Idiots
Published by January 12th, 2010 in Cinema, Personal and Society. 0 CommentsId critiques some of the stereotypes propagated in the movie, and also ponders if the actual impact of a review of the education system will ever happen:
Are Indian parents that heartless/naive to drive their children into depression?
Do Indian youngsters never challenge their parents?
Why is no action taken against students who cheat on exams or violate [...]
2009 : A few days more…..
Published by December 23rd, 2009 in India, Misc, Politics and Society. 0 CommentsAditya sums up 2009 and is generally unhappy about how thing have turned out to be :
Well, its been very normal this year, & hence it is special.
As soon as i look back at the proceedings of this year, there’s nothing that i can recall to remember this year for an event or two. India [...]
Parul remembers about her old friends from textbooks by Russian authors, and specifically Arkadi Gaidar. It is fascinating to read how some stories set in far-off lands like Moscow can affect a child’s psychology:
For a young, impressionable mind, the ideals of socialism and the inherent flaws of communism were all things for much later (like [...]
The other Mumbai
Published by December 15th, 2009 in Gender & Sexuality, Media and Society. 0 CommentsMetallica Bhakt is making a documentary film on “Homosexuality in Urban Mumbai”. Read on as she describes her visit to the “Red Light” areas of Mumbai as part of her research. Yes, that Mumbai also exists:
After the interview, we left the place and were waiting for a cab. I managed to peep into one of [...]
So what if someone is a Ghar-Jawai?
Published by December 13th, 2009 in Gender & Sexuality, Personal, Prejudice and Society. 2 CommentsAnju Gandhi thinks the term “ghar-jamai” and its negative connotation is an anachronism in a so-called gender-equal society:
I think I am drifting from my topic of GHAR JAWAI so coming back to it once again, why not treat the son in law as part of your own, like your son ? Treat him like one [...]
The jury bench determines the death penalty
Published by December 4th, 2009 in Justice, Law and order and Society. 1 CommentSwaroop thinks “Revenge cannot justify our criminal punishments anymore, surely”:
There remains, today, no justification for the death penalty. We’re talking of a state taking someone’s life – something it theoretically, politically, morally has no right to do. As pure retribution, the death penalty is uncivilised and retrograde; studies have shown that its claims as a [...]
Defending our policemen
Published by December 2nd, 2009 in 26/11, Government and Society. 0 CommentsWith the anniversary of the Mumbai terrorist attacks all over the media, Omkar thinks we ought to give all policemen more credit than we normally do:
Yes, there are Police Officials who create conspiracies, who fail to realize their duties, who act for their own good rather than that of a common man. But then one [...]
Assimilate or leave
Published by November 12th, 2009 in Human Rights, India, Politics and Society. 0 CommentsThe Mad Momma profiles the various forms of intolerance in the world today :
Be it the injured Marathi manoos Raj Thackeray who considers everyone else a threat to the Maharashtrian ‘culture’ and langauge – never mind what they contribute to the state.
Or the French burqa ban earlier in schools. And now objecting to it on [...]
‘They’re human, just like anyone else.’
Published by November 3rd, 2009 in Media, Society and Women. 0 CommentsAditi objects to the media targeting size-zero models:
To me what’s more disturbing than the fact that so many women suffer from eating disorders is that the mainstream media have begun to treat them with scorn. There’s this strange binary created: ‘real’ women vs models.It’s true that models have a particular body type that isn’t quite [...]
An incident makes Ugich Konitari rethink about the meaning of the term ’spirit of Mumbai’ :
Because it was Mumbai’s finest at work. I am tempted to use the word “spirit”, but ever since politicians used it to justify their own non performance, it raises hackles.
Because at the end of the day, no one who went [...]
A very though-provoking article on the Foreign Policy blog about how (or does) writing an article, a short story or a novel in English about India and Indians actually water down the “Indian-ness” of the content:
But the tension has taken on a new form amid the growing appeal of the “global novel” — a story [...]
Justifying reservations
Published by October 15th, 2009 in Adivasi, Caste, Dalit, Democracy, Human Rights, India, Justice, Politics and Society. 2 CommentsWinnowed argues for caste-based reservations:
In my opinion, purely caste-based reservations do perpetuate caste divisions in the short term. However, they also uplift untouchable and backward castes, to a large extent, though it is at the expense of the upper castes. If (social and economic) upliftment of the lower castes is the sole objective behind reservations, [...]
The hurt within
Published by October 15th, 2009 in Feminism, Fiction, Human Rights, Society and Women. 0 CommentsRohini narrates what a woman might be thinking as she goes through her day after being a victim of abuse and harassment:
She stopped in front of the police station but found herself unable to go in and lodge a complaint. She knew that all those who were in there to ‘protect society’ were men. Men [...]
Big Boss 3- Viewers and Disabled Friendly in the Same Breath
Published by October 5th, 2009 in India, Media and Society. 40 CommentsAmrit wonders what would happen if the viewer to participate in the Big Boss 3 was differently able?
It took a Stephen Hawking to visit India and sensitize the government about making Taj Mahal wheelchair accessible, although of late some NGOs have been doing stellar job at making other tourist places accessible, including Qutub Minar.
Coming back [...]
On Smiles and Interpretations
Published by October 1st, 2009 in Activism, Feminism, Society and Women. 0 CommentsBlank Noise conducted a small project on the busy city streets where their volunteers did nothing but Smile at the passers by. All you need is love, is it?
Neha Bhat:
Madam, kitna charge karega?” ( “how much will you charge?”)
This is was my first experience of being mistaken for a sex worker and being approached [...]
Rocksea posts some pictures of elephants and mahouts when it is bath time. However he has a lot of sobering elephant facts in the same post-
Cruel treatment by the mahouts. A recent article published in Kerala Kaumudi points out that around 90% of domesticated elephants in Kerala are made blind or partially blind, so that they can be [...]
Deranged (or arranged) marriage ?
Published by September 13th, 2009 in Culture, India, Society and Women. 2 CommentsNamrata feels that arranged marriages are not the way to go :
If having children,going to movies on weekends and having dinner together is all that is required then our country is an example nation. Unfortunately for many women even this is not a reality. They are trapped in marriages where all they are required to [...]
Where’s the Indian people ?
Published by September 10th, 2009 in Culture, India and Society. 0 CommentsApu wonders why images of “white” people feature in websites directed towards an Indian audience :
I am reluctant to attribute it to a lingering worshipfulness of white skin. Ah, if the white man likes it, it must be good! Can it really be that? I hope not.
Unmana recently offered in-law advice for husbands. Now she has some for the wives :
Let him know if there’s any specific behaviour of theirs that hurts you. “I know Mamma means well, but when she asks me how often I make halwa and then looks at you like she’s sorry for you…”
That one had me nodding [...]
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