"Gandi Baat" serves as a microcosm of a larger issue within popular culture, normalizing the silencing of female voices and perpetuating harmful behaviors.
When festivals become tools of hatred not harmony
What needs to be understood for prevention is that most of the time these processions, which are well armed, deliberately decide to pass through Muslim majority areas, with loud music and provocative and abusive slogans. It has become a pattern that someone will climb over the mosque and replace the green flag with saffron flag and the crowds down below dance and give a big applause.
'Blasphemy' fears threaten centuries-old interfaith harmony in historic Pakistan district on India border
"Hindus and Muslims are one Sindhi nation. No extremist can divide us. We Hindus do not show disrespect towards the Kaaba," said Hindu teacher Khushal Premee. “We do not even sleep with our feet pointed in that direction,” he said, listing other ways in which his community shows respect to their Muslim neighbours in Umerkot
Ratan Tata: Business with a gentlemanly grace
Minus any of the JRD charisma, and in fact distinctly uncharismatic as he was, Ratan Tata still stood out as a gentlemanly leader who kept a sense of grace and an understated manner in a business world that has gotten all too loud and flamboyant
Ratan Tata: A business legend who set an example in humility and altruism
To my mind Ratan Tata’s greatest gift to the group was that he consolidated all the Tata companies under one umbrella with tighter control and mandated them to do more social work.
More on Medley
What the Jamnagar 'pre-wedding' gala tells us about Indian society
The postcards from Jamnagar frame some other stories that have emerged as a theme in the 'New India'. These are stories of unrivalled pomp and power, of material riches beyond compare, of an elite space where forces work differently from the way they work elsewhere on the planet.
A Sri Lanka-Pakistan people-to-people journey: An island man’s mountain quest with a larger cause
Everywhere I went I was greeted with great warmth and hospitality. It is a symbol of the decades-long ‘Enduring Friendship’ between the peoples of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh, SAARC and a chequered history
My passion was to strengthen SAARC, and I strongly felt that Rao’s decision was not appropriate.
Ghazal king Pankaj Udhas: A soft, reassuring emblem of diaspora yearning
For diaspora Indians around the world, Udhas became an emblem of their pining for their home back in India with his 1986 raging hit “Chitthi Aayi Hai” from the movie ‘Naam’, written by Anand Bakshi and composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal.
Nationalism a dominant frame in global media narratives; India no exception
The mainstream Indian media, a section of which has mostly been a subject of the nationalist government’s monopolistic control, has often served the ends of the dominant elite
Macbeth on the banks of the Sabarmati
Sharply directed by Massimiliano Troiani, Sarabhai’s ‘Macbeth’ is an allegorical musical interpretation of this Shakespearean classic about power at any cost.
Who is afraid of AI? It will always be a slave rather than a master
There is no feeling or empathy in AI. It can churn huge numbers and will be able to analyze, “think” and react to external inputs but has no wisdom and feelings. Till that happens humans will always have an upper hand.
Ameen Sayani: The father of radio entertainment in the Indian subcontinent
Since his was the only hit parade of its kind for at least two and half decades, Sayani became a formidable name within the Hindi cinema industry.
Ekushey February: Embodying a nation's zeal for its culture and heritage
The whole world now recognizes the spirit and zeal for our culture and heritage. Bangladesh's people's sacrifices will be truly appreciated and commemorated when every nation imbibes the sense to pay proper homage to their linguistic heritage.
The ubiquitous influence of social media and rise of unsocial beings
Facebook has become a tool for spreading hatred, sexual perversion and extremism. When people comment on sensitive topics like religion and gender, many cross the line of decency.
Studying the science of migratory birds - and what they tell us about the state of the environment
Keeping track of the migratory birds visiting the university campus, and how the impact of climate change would impact the migration of migratory birds, are among the subjects being promoted for research in universities across the globe. These include Beijing University, Royal University of Bhutan, University of SJP in Sri Lanka, HNB Garhwal University in India which are in the network of the Green TERRE Foundation.
Dhaka's hazardous air quality: Official indifference aggravating public health crisis
In response to public interest litigation filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), Bangladesh's High Court recently issued a nine-point directive to authorities to tackle the capital's life-threatening air pollution.
Nepali journalists express solidarity with Gaza colleagues; Hindutva influence questioned
During the conversations that took place afterward, the journalists discussed why Nepal’s government, press, and civil society have not been more vocal about what they termed as a genocide being enacted by Israel in Gaza.
Midnight's Third Child: Stories of Bengal that evoke a sense of yearning and connectedness
The essays cover distinct areas, exploring minority experiences and a wider Bengal, including, inevitably, West Bengal.
