-The Times of India VRINDAVAN: They sang and danced, laughed and shed tears. They threw flowers at each other and played with gulal. The widows of Vrindavan celebrated Holi with a riot of colours on Sunday, defying tradition that bids them to stay away from festivities of all kind. These widows of the holy town - tragic icons of institutionalized oppression against women - have been observing Holi for decades. But it...
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Vrindavan widows’ allowance hiked-Aarti Dhar
-The Hindu Sulabh International, a non governmental organisation (NGO), has decided to double the monthly allowance of destitute, widowed women from this month to dissuade them from Begging. The move will benefit 700-odd widows residing in five government-run old age homes here. In addition, the women will be taught Hindi, English and Bengali by trained teachers so that they are able to sign and the money can be directly transferred to their...
More »Face of 2002 riots moves court against Leander Paes starrer film
-The Times of India AHMEDABAD: Qutubuddin Ansari, the face of the Gujarat riots, on Thursday filed a criminal complaint against makers of tennis star Leander Paes' debut movie - 'Rajdhani Express' for using without permission his famous photograph with tears in his eyes and Begging for protection with folded hands during the 2002 riots. Ansari has complained before the metropolitan court that his photograph has been used to "sensationalize the film", but...
More »Childhood interrupted-Nicole Rangel Menezes
-The Hindu The case of the juvenile offender in the Delhi gang rape is a wake-up call for investing more in a protection scheme that will stop children from turning to crime During the 11 years I worked with the emergency helpline service Childline, I have had the opportunity to befriend many children who live on the edge of society. Among them was 11-year-old Arif, who lived with a gang of boys...
More »On ‘mediacracy’ and intellectuals -Sashi Kumar
-Frontline While the broadcast media often arrogates to itself the right to speak in the name of the nation, catering to their “customers” in the process, intellectuals have a duty to question such practices and resist being co-opted by the channels. It may not be far-fetched to speak in terms of a new “mediacracy” riding the airwaves. The movers and shakers perched on the prime time news shows on television seem,...
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