Friends, my short piece in The Hindu in which I argue that in the last two years I have noticed a small, tremulous, change in Punjab given the stereotype in the nations and worlds’ mind – the region has a propensity towards violence. Whether it was the sacrilege incidents of 2015 or the recent Dera Premi fracas, Punjab held its pain in restraint.
That does not mean Punjab has no disquiet. Disquiet is ripe and the region is marked by distrust. Punjab thirsts for justice. Yet, I feel by not giving in to easy violence the region is sending out a different message if we were to listen to it and act on it to resolve many past grievances in this post-conflict land.
Tags: Dear Sacha Sauda, Premi, Punjab, sacrilege, Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insaan
My friend Sreemoyee Piu Kundu has opened a whole discourse on sexuality in Indian literature. I love her writings on issues to do with women. This time she turned her gaze on the unspoken but terrible horrors of violence in the male sexual world. She decided to interview some of her male friends, including me. I feel honoured.
Thank you Piu, a much needed intervention. For until this is addressed we do not deal fully with feminism.
Recently when a woman was chased by two men in Chandigarh, I responded on social media with a post elaborating the stalking culture in Chandigarh and North India. It became a rallying point for activism which led to an uproar by the women against a social horror that is sadly normalized. High time it changed.
The post is here: Geri Route
The activism is here: Deeptha Vivekanand
Read the Hindustan Times report.
Read The Tribune report.
Then there was a satire piece by the Hindustan Times in the voice of one of the Kakaji’s. Read here.
Tags: Chandigarh, Geri Route, North India, Stalking