Two Men Stand Up to Village Panchayat in Rajasthan to Protect Trees
Introduction In Udaipur’s Bichawada village, a Rajasthan caste panchayat is punishing two men for standing up to the destruction of trees. Situation The panchayat fined Onad Singh Rs. 45,000 for standing up to the cutting of the trees. His cousin then tried to defend him and he was fined Rs. 21,000. After …
Gujarati Man Breaks Down Taboo with 18,000 Widows
Introduction In India, it is considered a bad omen to have a widow at a wedding, as it is considered to bring the same fate upon the bride. This along with countless other superstitions about widows makes the lives of these women extremely difficult and trying. A businessman in Gujarat, Jitendra …
Where Tradition Supersedes Humaniy: Lifting the Ban on Jallikattu
Introduction With the harvest festival of Pongal drawing closer, villages in Tamil Nadu also brace themselves for ‘Jallikattu’ a sport that involves taming cattle and fighting. Things have turned out to be different ever since the Supreme Court’s decision to ban the sport in 2014 which is undoubtedly in favor …
The Life of a Woman in India, as Determined by the Patriarchy
Introduction There is no denying the fact that this is the era of powerful women. Some of the greatest leaders and change-makers in the world are women. Women have more rights and opportunities than ever before. However, crimes against women are also at an all-time high. In 2013 itself, the …
Dress Codes At Religious Places: Personal Choice or Requirement?
Introduction Recently the Madras High Court passed a verdict that from the year 2016, all temples should have a certain dress code for their devotees. From January 1, all men entering a temple in Tamil Nadu will have to either wear a dhoti and upper clothing or formal pant and shirts, …
Animal Rights: Taking the Bull by the Horns
Kambala Kambala is a traditional festival of buffalo racing, local to the southern coast of Karnataka, India. It is an extremely popular form of entertainment, and attracts many spectators – tourists and locals alike. The races take place on a muddy, slushy 160 metre track, where there are two teams; …
Section 377: How Long Can India Live With This Victorian Age Law?
What is Section 377? Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) is defined as: ‘Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years and should also …
The Juvenile Justice Bill: A Step Towards Justice
The Parliament of India recently passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Bill, 2015 which proposes that the accused between 16-18 years of age, juveniles, be tried as adults in the court of law for the commission of heinous offenses. Earlier, the law (under the 2000 Act) regarding juveniles was …
FDI Reforms: Bane or Boon for ‘Make In India’ ?
Introduction Reform: The oxford dictionary describes it as ‘Making changes in something in order to IMPROVE it’. Certainly, that is what the Modi-led-govt. would have thought while bringing in reforms in 15 sectors under the FDI Policy which include mining, defense, construction, real estate and plantation to name a few. But …
An Enlightening New Year Message
Introduction India is notorious for its prevalence of domestic and sexual abuse of women; it was estimated by The Times of India that ninety-two women are raped everyday in India, with 4 in India’s capital city—a city which has had its name tarnished by several major events that have led …
