I was out yesterday and most of the time, trying to navigate the roads of my city, Mumbai. It was not just a time-consuming effort, given the traffic bogging up every street, but also a rather painful one. Read more »

For centuries Dalits or Harijans lived with spit on their face and shit on their head at the mercy of upper castes in Hindu society. They were the untouchables — of course that did not prevent Brahmins and Rajputs from raping Dalit women while their men folk carried on their heads iron buckets filled with faeces from latrines across India. Read more »

Like many countries in the developing world, Bangladesh too faces mounting pressure on its natural resources, including its lands and forests against the backdrop of a booming population. This pressure affects all Bangladeshis, but its implications are especially acute for the Adivasi communities around the country. Read more »

As you have come to know by now that the United States Congress voted to raise the federal debt limit just hours before the deadline was to expire on Aug 2. Failure to do so would have led to the US treasury running short of cash to pay the nation’s bills. Read more »

Yet another death row inmate, AHM Biplob, has been granted clemency by the president. This is not the first time though. In 2010, 20 death row inmates convicted in the controversial Gama killing case were pardoned by the president. Read more »

The lines around her cheekbones and forehead have grown deeper in the past months. Her eyes speak emptiness and look exceptionally quiet. A defined dark patch is now visible around those eyes. The thick black hair has turned grey and I have not seen that bright red dot (teep) in between her eyebrows in a really long time. Read more »