Informal settlements, despite containing a majority of the people, are treated as aberrations. Forced to live outside legal sanction, the poor are condemned to a degraded quality of life.
Odisha has the second highest number of reported cases of witch-hunting. Superstitious beliefs are made out to be the reason, but discrimination and revenge are often the real causes.
The experience of women street vendors during and after the lock-downs shows that responses to crises mut be bound better by the law and rules, and strike a balance between different vulnerabilities.
The Constitution recognises the threat of private discrimination, and prohibits it in its text. An interpretation that recognises the historical chronicle and context of exclusion is needed to uphold it.
There are several government schemes to assist those who've lost their livelihoods from informal jobs, but many eligible workers find it difficult to register for benefits, despite court interventions.
Waste pickers and others in informal recycling supply chains have long sought better terms and conditions of work, and to be heard as equals in decisions about waste management.
High Courts in India face case-loads that keep growing, alongside their responsibilities to oversee lower courts. The much-needed reforms to fix this have themselves been pending for too long.
The government proposes to replace a number of laws protecting the social security of workers with a single Code. But could its vast scope itself make it vulnerable to the details in fine print?
Hasmukh Dhumadiya describes the ordeal of residents of Bakshipunch Housing Society in Dwarka, Gujarat, and their efforts in overcoming it.
Pradeep Baisakh analyses a recently released report by human rights activists and civil society organizations to see how the present government has performed in the three years it has been in power.
Pushpa Achanta writes about the challenges and aspirations of people in Kashmir on Kashmiri Women’s Day of Resistance which is observed today.
Shoma A. Chatterji writes about a film festival that lacks the glitz and glamour of stars, television cameras and paparazzi chasing famous people to freeze them for the media.
Manhole is a scathing celluloid indictment on the state of manual sewer cleaners in India, writes Shoma A. Chatterji.
Even a badly made film becomes a learning experience for the viewers because it sheds light on issues not known widely otherwise, says Shoma Chatterji as she reviews the movie Saankal.
Debaranjan Sarangi, a documentary film maker, writer and human rights activist was arrested recently in Kashipur, Odisha. Shoma Chatterji writes about Sarangi's arrest, his activism and his films which deal with Adivasis and their struggles.
The Ishrat Jahan case has again hit the headlines with former home minister P Chidambaram being accused of rewriting an affidavit to prove the 19-year-old’s innocence. Ramesh Menon presents a recap and investigates where things stand now.
You don’t have to fear police harassment if you report or help an injured accident victim. You don’t even have to reveal personal details unless you wish to testify. Here’s a summary of the “Good Samaritan” guidelines that the apex court has now made compulsory for states to follow.
The finance minister’s dream of extending social security cover to all unorganised workers in the country is a lofty one undoubtedly, but Kathyayini Chamaraj identifies the many gaps in the existing law that need to be addressed for that dream to be realised.
The Kashipur movement against mining operations that threaten local livelihoods and ecosystems has seen merciless suppression and gross violation of human rights.
The situation that Maheshwar Project is in, brings sharply into focus the issue of accountability of those responsible for the decisions that impact millions of people, involve thousands of crores of rupees and vast natural resources. Shripad Dharmadhikary hopes that Maheshwar would also offer a chance to demonstrate how those liable for the mess can be held accountable.
For the last 15 years, India has been unable to deal with a fasting, frail poet! Anjuman Ara Begum writes how Irom Sharmila has been waging a protest against the cruel Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, enforced in her home state of Manipur and other parts of northeast India.
As the refugee crisis deepens in Syria, visuals of millions of people hoping to catch a train to a better life fill the media space. Shalini Bhutani reflects on the state of refugee policies in the South Asian region while remembering her own father’s experience weeks before the India-Pakistan partition.
The central government is pushing state governments to give forest rights to tribals by the end of this year. Kanchi Kohli cautions that the intent behind settling these rights claims under the Forest Rights Act in such haste is not what it appears to be.
India Together is published with support from Oorvani Foundation.
