Eight thousand feet and climbing To the music of falling rain, Past rolling green meadows. Through clouds that brush my face, Cool, cotton-like, Like the soft creamy fabric on their back. I watch them in wonder Tall, proud, chiselled faces Walk rhythmically to the beat of nature. Some sharp and young, Ready to set out… Continue reading To Addis, Differently
Author: maya mirchandani
How Breastfeeding Women Are Abused In Bastar – And Other Horror Stories
"Without emotion, as though she were talking about the weather, Manju (name changed) tells us how she and six other women in her village (Kunna in Bastar’s Sukma district) were subjected to “inspection” by a police party that came through their hamlet chasing a group of Naxals. Fearing harassment, torture, arrest or death, each time forces approach,… Continue reading How Breastfeeding Women Are Abused In Bastar – And Other Horror Stories
The Teesta River Dispute: Geopolitics, Myth and Economics.
For all interested in rivers, legends, water and food security & South Asia- my paper for the Observer Research Foundation on the Teesta river dispute. I travelled down the river from Sikkim to the Bangladesh border at the end 2011 after the agreement between India and Bangladesh on water sharing fell by the wayside of… Continue reading The Teesta River Dispute: Geopolitics, Myth and Economics.
Monk Ki Baat In Haryana Assembly: Sexist And Misogynist?
In Haryana, a controversy brewed over the Assembly's invitation to Jain monk Tarun Sagar to give an address. While much of the outrage over his speech is around him doing so in the nude, his comments were even more controversial - on the fact that religion and politics have the relationship of a husband and… Continue reading Monk Ki Baat In Haryana Assembly: Sexist And Misogynist?
Kashmir: Behind the Rage
Over a month after Burhan Wani’s killing in an encounter by security forces, the question of whether the ongoing protests are about glorifying a terrorist or whether his death was simply a trigger for simmering rage to boil over is moot. As ‘Azadi’ protests pierce the silence of curfew, and the stillness of strikes brings… Continue reading Kashmir: Behind the Rage
As Gurgaon Drowns, Haryana Searches For Mythical River Saraswati
The project's supporters say it is about more than providing water for a parched state - it is steeped in the search for culture and heritage. Appropriately, it is not the water ministry, but the culture ministry that's in charge of it. As questions arise over whether the state government is using a Vedic legend for… Continue reading As Gurgaon Drowns, Haryana Searches For Mythical River Saraswati
Should India Have Voted For LGBT Rights At UN?
In a week when five gay Indians went to the Supreme Court seeking protection of their fundamental right to personal safety and liberty under the constitution, making the case that Section 377 violated them, they were referred to the Chief Justice of India to decide the validity of the petition. India has decided to once… Continue reading Should India Have Voted For LGBT Rights At UN?
A Tehran Diary (Outlook Magazine)
The change in Iran's capital, Tehran between my last visit in August 2012, and this May seemed dramatic in many ways. In a post sanctions world, the economy needs help, but Iran’s people are hungry for the comforts of our times—fast cars, fine foods, designer clothes and travel. Read here
With Sanctions Gone, Iran’s Contemporary Art Scene Takes Flight
Like everywhere else in the world, in Iran too, art is a reflection of society and politics of the times. Small new galleries are cropping up in Tehran's downtown cultural hub every day - reflecting the desires of a society governed by rigid religious constructs to push boundaries. They want to make the most of… Continue reading With Sanctions Gone, Iran’s Contemporary Art Scene Takes Flight
Blog From Iran: PM Modi Cinches Game-Changer Deal On Chabahar Port
The collaboration on Chabahar, on Iran’s southern coast, was first agreed on 13 years ago. But sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme, lifted only recently, meant a long wait for India to get what it needs – a foothold in Iran and much easier access to central Asia and Afghanistan. Read my report from Tehran here… Continue reading Blog From Iran: PM Modi Cinches Game-Changer Deal On Chabahar Port
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