ANOU’S BLOG
Through their eyes
Till date, I have shared the on goings of Project Why based on what I saw, or what my staff shared or what well wishers, supporters and funders wrote in reports, blogs or on social networks. Some how it never cross my mind to get the children to share their thoughts....
The only true crime… the journey of an ordinance
Two months ago, India was on its feet expressing its outrage at the barbaric rape and subsequent murder of a young woman in a Delhi bus. We were angry and ashamed and swore to not give up the fight till justice was done. We decided to wear black bands and keep...
They are back…..
They are back! Wonder who? The Worman's! They are back their prodigious smiles that never seem to need time off and can lift the worse case of blues; with their bag of tricks (new ones included) and their humongous bubbles that makes the grimmest soul become a...
Some uplifting stats and some disturbing musings
Sometimes one is asked to provide statistics to show what we are up to. At times it is donors who want to know but most of the times it is some government agency or the other who demands facts and figures. I guess there is comfort in numbers. Anyway we were asked to...
Of laws, ordinances,programmes and more
Last week the Government promulgated a new Ordinance on sexual assault. This was done in the wake of the recent brutal rape of a young girl and the subsequent report of the Verma Committee. The said Ordinance was passed hurriedly in spite of objections from women's...
Where has all the music gone
In free India an all girl's rock band receives a fatwa from the Grand Mufti of Kashmir stating that music is bad for the society and women must be under a veil at all times. The Mufti goes on to say that he urges women in the country to wear the veil...
Affirmative Action
Life is full of synchronicity. Three totally unrelated events occurred almost simultaneously. Whilst reading Chetan Bhagat's What Young India Wants I stumbled upon his take on the 3 traits that are responsible for all that is wrong in our country. Servility that...
Quality education desi style
When 2% of class VII students cannot read capital letters in English you need to get terribly concerned. But does one? Sadly not because that 2% is not our child or the child of somebody we may know. However the writing is on wall. The ASER (Annual Status of...
The trophy ad
For the past weeks I have been silently watching the ludicrous, absurd, idiotic, inane, nonsensical - and I could use all the synonyms possible - remarks of our politicians, religious leaders, administrators and let us not forget our so called protectors aka policemen...
there are three fingers pointing back to you
When you point one finger, there are three fingers pointing back to you goes the saying. The recent statement made by the brave young man accompanying the one India calls braveheart raises a few disturbing questions that we need to answer honestly if we want to...
Homeless in the capital city
The past weeks has seen a city angry and outraged at the brutal and reprehensible assault on a young woman. One wonders what made this rape awaken our frozen consciences and come out of our convenient and self induced torpor. Rapes are not new. In fact there is a rape...
Enough is enough
Enough is enough! I have kept quiet for far too long. It is time I reclaimed every right that has been usurped from me. I do not want to be killed in the womb just because I am a girl. I want my birth to be celebrated and feted. I have the right to the same education,...