Networking and lobbying by consumer activists and consumer organisations requires to be strengthened to ensure proper and effective implementation of the Consumer Protection Act, writes Jehangir B. Gai. Each and every one of us is definitely a consumer from the time we are born, but perhaps even before that while we are conceived in the womb. So, every person, including a manufacturer, trader or service provider is also a consumer. Then why is it that all over the world consumers are taken for granted till they fight for their rights? Rise of consumer activism There are multiple reasons for this:…
Author: oiop
A feminist committed to values (1930 – 2014) Sudhatai Varde was an extremely lively and cheerful person with a dream of an egalitarian society in her eyes. She was petite, demure in her looks, at the same time, extremely forthright, upfront and dedicated to the cause of women’s liberation. She passed away on 8 April, 2014 at the age of 84. Hers was a life lived for her commitment for progressive and secular values and socialist and humanist ethos. Right from her childhood she had great fascination for dancing. She used this talent for her social cause as a volunteer…
There is an immediate requirement to upgrade and make up the deficiencies of arms, weapons and ammunition of the three services, writes Brigadier Suresh Chandra Sharma, and hopes that the present defence minister will take corrective measures to establish a transparent and reliable system. National security is the ability to preserve the nation’s physical integrity and territory; to maintain its economic relations with the rest of the world. – Harold Brown, US Secretary of defence 1977-81 After Independence, India faced wars with Pakistan and China, terror attacks by non-state actors and internal disorders based on ethnicity, religion or economic conditions.…
Human rights, more than anything else in a society is a reflection of the value its people give to its preservation, says Teesta Setalvad. Basic human rights have been guaranteed to Indians through the Fundamental Rights enshrined in our Constitution. The Right to Life, the Right Against Discrimination, the Right to Free Expression with reasonable restrictions (especially hate speech that can generate violence), the Right to Free Association and the Right to Freedom of Faith including the Right to freely propagate and even change one’s faith. Justiciable rights These are individual political rights and are justiciable (that is can be…
I first met Naseeruddin Shah more than 20 years ago on the sets of Basu Chatterjee’s Tiriyacharitra, based on a Hindi short story by Shivmurti. It was a National Film Development Corporation of India produced film, which was an extremely hard-hitting statement on the brutally inhuman punishment by branding a young woman for being raped by her own father-in-law in the absence of the husband. Naseeruddin was specially chosen at that time because Tiriyacharitra marked the actor’s 100th film over his career. He was a picture of grace and extended the courtesy of asking his chauffeur to drop me at…
The Warlis of Maharashtra have developed a unique style of painting. Warli art dates back to the 10th century. Unlike other folk art forms, Warli art does not depict mythological scenes, nor does it use colours. It is characterised by simple, white coloured, geometric, triangular human and animal figures with stick like hands and legs. The tribals first smear the walls of their hut with wet cowdung and then coat them with red mud. Using a bamboo twig as a brush and rice paste as paint, they draw scenes from their daily life – harvesting, hunting, cooking, weddings and other…
Suman Kalani, is an assistant professor at Pravin Gandhi College of Law. She is very passionate about teaching and loves to watch plays, write, travel and innovate new methods of teaching. The canvas of cinema has spread its vibrant colours to various aspects of life. Apart from playing a major role in the entertainment industry, cinema has played an important role in bringing various other socio, political, economic and legal aspects in the forefront by its medium. One such important area has been the law and the courts. Indian cinema has produced some brilliant films projecting the legal issues and…
Sujata Gothoskar takes us through the journey of women’s activism and says that without these spirited women, the situation prevailing today would have been even worse. Women have been active in several political and social movements over a very long period of time. Women’s activism is what has sustained them over centuries. Without the activism of women such as Savitribai Phule, many of us would still be at a great disadvantage even in terms of basic rights like education. There have been so many women activists in different periods of time in different countries that fought for their rights. To…
Lina Mathias talks about the evolution of activism in media, its changing trends and how social media is beginning to redefine new age activism. Those who assume that “media activism” is a recent phenomenon forget the spirited role the Indian print media played in the freedom struggle. Remember that famous couplet by Akbar Allahabadi who lived through the 1857 War of Independence? Kheencho na kamano ko, Na talwar nikalo; Jab top mukabil ho, To akhbar nikalo! (Do not pull out the bowstring or the sword; when faced with the cannon ball, bring out a newspaper). Media in colonial times And…
This art has the sentiment of loving devotion to God permeating every facet of its technique. It helps to arouse a great consciousness of God’s greatness in the minds of people, writes Dr. Kanak Rele. Kuchipudi is a dance style from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. It can be rightly called a dance drama. Kuchipudi, in effect, is the concept of total theatre where you have the combination of all the four abhinayas like vachika – spoken words, angika – physical movements, sattvika – that which has to do with the sentiments, human, emotions and aharya – that is…