-The Hindu Freedom of expression will continue to remain under siege unless all groups accept that people can have different opinions and beliefs in a free country “Our tradition teaches tolerance; our philosophy preaches tolerance; our Constitution practises tolerance; let us not dilute it.” These stirring sentiments were expressed by Justice Chinnappa Reddy in a Supreme Court judgment pronounced in August 1986 which invalidated expulsion from school of students belonging to Jehova’s...

-The Indian Express The victim in the Suryanelli rape case tells her story—a nightmare that lasted 40 days and the trauma that stayed with her every day for the past 17 years She is the ‘Suryanelli girl’. “But that’s not my name.” It’s not. It’s the name of the village in Kerala’s Idukki district where she lived a 16-year-old’s life—happy, innocent, smiling easily. She doesn’t smile easily anymore, but then, a lot...

-Open Democracy Were Ram Singh and his cohort simply claiming a notion of masculinity promoted every day by their role models in politics, business and the media? Ruchira Gupta writes of the steady creeping of a rape culture into the fabric of India, and what needs to be done to counter the idea that women are commodities Let us talk about Ram Singh, the chief rapist accused in the case of Damini,...

-Outlook Thiruvananthapuram: Two Malayalam films that focus on the atrocities on women have been exempted from entertainment tax by the Kerala Government as part of the campaign to create public awareness about crimes against women and children. The recently released Lisammayute Veedu, directed by Babu Janardhanan, and Ente by Rajesh Touch River, are the films that received the tax waiver, according to Local Administration Minister D M K Muneer. Lisamma tells the story...

-The Times of India BANGALORE: "Until it happens to their families, they can't understand," the Karnataka High Court said on Wednesday about police attitude towards rape victims and their families. It asked police to file a status report on the recent rape cases in Bangalore. "I never understand why the police always take the side of villains. Whether it is Haryana or Karnataka, it is the same. No sympathy over the plight...