Interpreting the recent Bangladesh-Pakistan thaw

‘Recent bilateral engagement between the two sides demonstrates Dhaka’s intent to diversify its foreign policy trajectory in the subcontinent’ | Photo Credit: AFP The bitter legacy of the 1971 liberation war, where Bangladesh split from Pakistan, has long steered the nature of ties between Dhaka and Islamabad. However, recent bilateral engagement between the two sides … Read more

The panchayati raj movement is in distress

The special discussion in Parliament on the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution has long passed. While several salient aspects of the Constitution and policy directions adopted by previous governments were highlighted, one heard very little on a vital aspect of governance in India. The 73rd amendment to the Constitution, passed in 1992, is one … Read more

Cracking the patriarchal prism – The Hindu

The time has come to retire the male gaze, to listen, to understand, and to transform. | Photo Credit: SREEJITH R. KUMAR Recently, I was reading a judgment authored by Hon’ble Justice Manjula of the Madras High Court in Dr. Supraja vs State pertaining to sexual harassment of women at the workplace and how far the existing … Read more

The PTA meeting has it all

A teacher is witness to all permutations and combinations of emotional connections. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto It often happens that one’s profession transforms one’s view of life. All through my student life, I assumed that Parents-Teachers Meetings were about grades and the general performance of students. After all, you attend only your own session, … Read more

Double standard at the workplace

Society can make the climb harder for women. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Powerful and visionary, women like Cleopatra, Anne Boleyn, and Razia Sultana shaped history with their courage and intellect. Cleopatra, a master strategist, secured Egypt’s survival amid Roman expansion. Anne, a key figure in the English Reformation, influenced a nation’s religious transformation. Razia, … Read more

Identity theft and after – The Hindu

Technology is a great boon, but it also throws up infinite risks.  | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The first call was from a long-lost friend who had not been in touch for years. After warm greetings, he started enquiring about my wife’s health and appeared very concerned. When I told him she was absolutely fine, … Read more

Having a grand time – The Hindu

Be it grandkids or grandpuppies, there’s plenty of love to go around! | Photo Credit: Getty Images Whenever I attend a wedding, or meet up with relatives or friends, the talk invariably veers around to kids and grandkids. There is a silence when I say I am yet to become a grandmother. Then there are … Read more

Sugar and spice and everything nice

Research shows that sugar is as addictive as drugs. It activates the reward centre of our brain by giving us the same pleasure. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Ever since I can remember, my biggest vice has been sugar. I am fond of sweets of all shapes and kinds. Maybe it started when my mother … Read more