There is an article in a blog dedicated to Dalit rights activism titled “How should a Brahmin-Savarna respond to a Dalit voice?” I took exception to it on Twitter and ended up breaking India’s “laws” on how Dalits should be spoken to. This apparently means I am a Brahmin supremacist. Some things upfront. I have …
Inciting contempt for identities as human rights activism Read More »
Porn has come under extensive criticism from feminists as well. I find this scary. Accusations vary from porn resulting in rape to porn being born from an exploitation of women. I disagree with a lot of these accusations and agree with a few, but do not see blocking of porn as an answer. More importantly, I …
The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread. ~ Anatole France Rights, like laws are determined by the powerful to address problems they face or allow actions they prefer and apply “equally” to all. These also happen …
BJP leader OP Dhankar made a sensation when he promised the men of Haryana that if BJP came to power, it would get girls from Bihar for men in Haryana to marry. Finding women to marry is a big problem in Haryana with its bad and deteriorating sex ratio, with over a hundred and fifty …
What really gets my goat these days is the bull in china shop approach to women’s rights, which has a male dominated state and society trying to fix everything (sexual assault) – for women. I am a woman and I agree that there is vast gender inequality in India. I believe that women need to be empowered. I don’t …
If there is anything and anyone the Hindu fanatics in India owes allegiance to, it is a fantasy nation that Hindutva wants to build on the carcass of a diverse and vibrant India. That Hindu Rashtra, the Utopia where every human failing ceases to exist right along with diversity, which embarrasses supremacists. In the meanwhile, they will …
Dear media, India is witnessing an unprecedented event. It is the largest election to date in the world. We have them every five years, but our population has grown since our own previous record. So has the reach of mass media and social media and mobile phones. Recent developments in the country have raised the …
Open letter to Indian media about Lok Sabha Elections Read More »
My rift with what passes off for the voice of Indian feminists in public space grows. This time, over reckless grandstanding with LGBT rights. It has come to my attention that India’s feminists have made LGBT rights an election issue. It is unclear how many of these feminists belong to the LGBT community (I don’t …
LGBT rights and Womanifesto and Bubblegum Feminists Read More »
News Laundry published an aggressive, confrontational letter to the woman allegedly assaulted by Tarun Tejpal. Pandemonium ensued. Having written extensively about the other side of media reporting on the Tejpal case, I want to put my views on record, mostly to prevent defending them over and over in 140 letter tweets. Is it right to …
Thoughts on “Letter To Ms Tehelka-Assault-Victim” at @newslaundry Read More »