The Womb

Manipur – Will the Central Government Stand In the Witness-Box Please?

Avani Bansal16/12/20240165 views

A victim in a Meitei relief camp in Imphal, who lost her family members during the ethnic tensions between Meiteis and Kukis in Manipur, that has lasted for 18 months since May, 2023 told me – “Imagine two kids fighting, will the father or mother not step-in to stop the fight? Now imagine the children actually killing each other – will the parents still not step-in to prevent the violence? Then why is the Central government not stepping in to stop Manipur state from burning?”

Missing Manipur, Dead Democracy: An Account of Government Failure & People’s Misery

Kashish Singh08/12/20240122 views

Manipur: Silence is the loudest sound. As we entered Imphal Valley, the capital city of Manipur, I felt an eerie silence that couldn’t be mistaken for peace. The beautiful northeastern state is missing from the Map of India. It has become a forgotten state.

All one could see while traveling in Manipur right now are scenes of people being hounded out of their lives, rounded up, and herded into camps bifurcated based on community. When we visited the relief camps of both the major communities, Kuki and Meitei, all I could spot was helplessness. Zoned-out faces were looking at the sky remembering their murdered family members, their teary eyes filled with the willingness to return to their homes that now are being burnt and vandalized by an angry mob.

Live-in in Love: Juggling Tradition and Modernity in Small-Town India

Guest Author08/12/20240131 views

A few years ago, at a family gathering my aunt casually dropped a comment that left everyone momentarily stunned. She proclaimed, “I’ll ask my daughter to live with the guy she wants to marry before they tie the knot. Just to be sure.” It was a bold statement, especially in a family where traditions have often guided major life choices, even though daily life is governed by a fairly progressive mindset. To my shock, my grandmother nodded in agreement and said, “Yes, that makes sense. Times are different now.”

Marital Rape Jurisprudence: Inconsistencies Reaffirming Cruelty Based on Age

Guest Author08/12/2024042 views

Cruelty anywhere is sickening, but cruelty within marriage is ironic and sickening! Marital rape has been a contested issue since time immemorial. The issue resurfaced after the recent Bombay High Court’s ruling on 12th November 2024, wherein a man’s 10-year jail sentence for committing rape on his minor wife, was upheld. While there is no fault in the court’s decision, the news brought me to many realizations relating to the inconsistencies that plague rape laws in India.

A Female President Remains A Distant Dream For America

Guest Author08/12/20240109 views

America, the world’s oldest and most mature democracy, has once again missed the opportunity to elect a woman to its highest office. After Hillary Clinton, this marks only the second time in the nation’s 248-year political history that a woman has managed to contest presidential election. Yet voters did not seize the chance to break the glass ceiling in American politics by electing Kamala Harris as the nation’s first female president. Instead, they paved the way for Donald Trump’s return to the White House. This outcome underscores the fact that the office of the U.S. presidency has remained an exclusive domain for men, with entry for women still restricted by deep-seated gender biases that continue to challenge the political careers of female candidates.

क्रांति का आगाज़ ईरान की आज़ाद यूनिवर्सिटी से

Guest Author08/12/2024033 views

पर क्या देश बन रहा है?
1979 से पहले ईरान की स्थिति आज के ईरान जैसी नही थी I महिलाओं की अभिव्यक्ति एवं उनके पहनावें की आज़ादी महिलाओं के हाथ में थी I
लेकिन धीरे धीरे यह आज़ादी कैद में तब्दील होती गई,
और एक तानाशाही सरकार ने महिलाओं को पिंजरे में कैद करने जैसे शरिया कानून ईरान में लागू किए I इसलिए 1979 के बाद ईरान में महिलाओं को लेकर काफी सख़्त कानून बनाएं गए, जिसमें हिजाब को लेकर काफी सख़्ती अपनाई गई।

Love From Unexpected Sources Is All We Need To Heal

Parika Singh08/12/2024037 views

“Ow! Ow! Ouch!”, I muttered in pain as blood trickled down my wrist making it difficult to hold on to the dirty squirming creature tucked under my arm trying to free itself by grabbing onto my increasingly muddy t-shirt. I looked around at the pile of rubble and sand on the under construction roof on the fourth floor of an exposed brick building near my house and fixed my gaze at the culprit responsible for this untimely adventure. Razor sharp golden brown eyes innocently stared back at me completely oblivious to my discomfort and lazily started licking its tail.

Iraq’s Law Makers Decide To Lower The Consent Age For Girls To 9

Avani Bansal08/12/2024029 views

Are we moving forward or thousands of years back vis-a-vis women’s rights? Iraq’s Parliament is discussing a proposal to reduce the women’s consent age from 18 years to 9 years. This means that, if the law is passed, then women in Iraq could be legally married off at the age of nine years, with equally serious implications on their custody, inheritance, and related personal laws, alongside education and health.

The Vermilion Tales

Parika Singh08/12/2024041 views

“Roli di! Roli di!” Roli fell off her armchair as an urgent cry startled her out of her reverie. Once again Roli had drifted off while imagining her scenarios in distant lands. She was sitting on the verandah of her house, reading a book and sipping warm milk from her favorite mug. But reading about her ferocious, independent female protagonists invariably lead her to thoughts of her own future and the kind of life she wants to lead. These days such thoughts had been plaguing her all day, refusing to let her sleep. She often found herself dozing off during the day while flitting from one possible situation to another.

The Great Indian Wedding Gifts

Guest Author08/12/2024029 views

I was around five or six when my paternal uncle married my paternal aunt, prompting a huge celebration in the family that people from all parts of the state of Odisha came to attend. I do not remember the size of the wedding; only the joy of meeting a new family member who I felt was sure to love and care for me. It was years later I learned that my grandparents had one strict rule for both their sons’ weddings that they printed on all wedding cards: “Please bring only blessings, no gifts”.