Working women across the world faces discrimination on the basis of their pregnancy in the corporate world. They are often asked to go on forced leave and many are sometimes made to quit too. A movie called ‘The Calling’ does well to highlight some issues related to pregnancy and corporate attitude towards it. The…
Read moreSome Myths About Muslims
(This article first appeared in http://kafila.org. It is being reproduced here with permission, considering its apt for the current situation of Intolerance in India) By: Shankar Gopalakrishnan As the 2014 elections begin, the time has come again to state the obvious. In the context of massive propaganda campaigns, the subtle use of stereotypes, and the…
Read moreINDIAN UNIONS ON STRIKE AGAINST ANTI WORKER POLICIES
2nd September, 2015: Touted as one of the biggest strikes to ever occur in Indian History, over 150 Million workers, as part of 10 Central workers Unions in India are on strike today. The protesters are striking against the ongoing anti-worker policies being adopted by the current government. The current government starting off with states…
Read moreLooking Beyond the Promises, Pitfalls, and Exaggerated Expectations on NGOs’ Roles in Development
This blog is written by my very good friend Dwight Jason Ronan. Follow him at Vestigium Widespread criticisms in the 1980s regarding conventional top-down approaches in delivering social services paved the way to the rapid growth and expansion of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Putting emphasis on the expanded role of the civil society — with NGOs…
Read moreKathmandu Air Mishap and Public Services
On the morning of 4th March, 2015, on our way back from Kathmandu to India, we heard a heavy thundering sound, as soon as were ready to take the bus, to board the jet airways 9W262 flight to Delhi. We were of course confused with the sound and assumed it might just be thunder. But…
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An evening across river Brahmaputra
Almost everyone in Assam have an incredible relationship with the river Brahmaputra. The Assamese people love the river. Even the occasional anger and swear words hurled at the river (when it brings floods) are done with a tiny whisper of sorry. Many a poets have written poems in its appreciation, so have many singers sung its praise. The…
Read moreTrade Unions in India’s Coal Sector goes on Strike
In what is being touted as one of the biggest industrial action in the last four decades, more than half a million workers of India’s coal sector has gone on a strike in India. Coal India Limited (CIL) has 3.5 lakh permanent workers and 50,000 contract workers, while Singareni Collieries, a subsidiary of CIL has…
Read moreAre we actually free? or for that matter, does real freedom exist today?
The other day I was watching a video on ‘Freedom’ posted by Guardian. In the video, philosopher Slavoj Žižek argued that apparent freedom is actually governed by a complex series of conditions in the modern day. For Žižek, a ‘pathetic, old romantic’, the highest form of freedom is in fact love. Rather than the video…
Read moreSOCIAL MEDIA FOR TRADE UNIONS-Article Series
Defining Social Media “Social media” is the broad term given to describe the latest evolution of internet and web based communication platforms which enable users to rapidly connect and interact in a variety of different formats. A social media site is a platform that allows user-generated content to emerge through interactions and collaborations in a…
Read moreAbu Tunturung-A folk story of the Miri Tribe in Assam
Long time ago in a village lived two boys with their father and stepmother. The stepmother, though not very fond of them, did not actually ill-treat them out of fear of the father. One day, the four of them went out into the forest to collect palm leaves. The two boys went together in one…
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