A few weeks back, a friend and I engaged in one of those good old-fashioned, all-too-rare-in-this-day-and-age things called a conversation. It was good to put my phone, laptop, iPad and other assorted technology down for a few minutes to get the 21st century equivalent of exercise: talking to other people. However, the subtle effects of… Continue reading The Problem With The ‘Hashtag Revolution’
Author: The Glass Elevator
An Open Letter to Smt. Smriti Irani
September 28, 2015 Dear Smt. Smriti Irani, Honourable HRD Minister (Government of India), I write this letter in response to the public announcement made by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD Ministry), requesting all the Members of Parliament (MPs) to work to achieve 100% literacy by March, 2016, in one chosen village from their… Continue reading An Open Letter to Smt. Smriti Irani
Review: Not so funny, Mrs. Funnybones
I haven't really followed Twinkle Khanna's column except for reading an occasional article that went viral on social media. It was the hype around, and reviews of, her debut book, Mrs.Funnybones, that made me buy it. Mrs. Funnybones is a memoir of sorts. Twinkle Khanna writes about what it's like to be an urban, educated,… Continue reading Review: Not so funny, Mrs. Funnybones
What Inside Out taught me about Adult-ing through Life
I have a thing for psychometric tests. A particular proclivity, if you please. I used to take a lot of arbitrary witch-doctor-psychologist tests on websites like Tickle when I was in high school. In college, I was a willing participant for all my friends who were psychology students. They always knew that if a subject… Continue reading What Inside Out taught me about Adult-ing through Life
Bleed
Red. Dark. A drop, a spot. Two spots. Does it scare you? Do you run? Flowing, pumping. Through your veins, under your skin. Under mine, when /I/ run. Falling, dripping. Staining flesh. My thighs are its valley, blood the river. Tell me, why do you run? Are you scared? Scared of its mystery, of the… Continue reading Bleed
Log Kya Kahenge: The Indian Phenomenon
India is a sovereign country that will soon turn 68 years old and, like all good grandparents of similar age, after a lifetime of hard work, can look forward to nagging its grandchildren about marriage and whether or not they’re eating properly. Unfortunately, things are far more complex (and also India is a country, guys)… Continue reading Log Kya Kahenge: The Indian Phenomenon
Scarred for life
Most people on my Friends list have, at one point or another, found their daily newsfeed updates interrupted by one of my feminist rants. Now, as much as I enjoy pissing people off, I do also truly believe in gender equality and women's rights. One aspect that has always been of special interest to me… Continue reading Scarred for life
To Pee Or Not To Pee
My friend and I had just finished exchanging banalities in an overpriced, overhyped Hauz Khas Village restaurant when a random woman walked up to us. It was obvious that she was promoting something. She introduced herself as someone working on women empowerment, causing tears to well up in my eyes. You see the term women… Continue reading To Pee Or Not To Pee
What Facebook’s Campaign for Internet.org is Not Telling You
I'd like to address a misleading petition being carried by change.org, curiously, perhaps tactically, invoking the hashtags 'connectindia' and 'connecttheworld', but estranging the campaign header from the infamous 'Internet.org' initiative, currently under fire in India's public sphere. The campaign simply makes the case for closing the digital divide and empowering the digital have-nots towards universal… Continue reading What Facebook’s Campaign for Internet.org is Not Telling You
Worth It All
The groceries are bought, and the daal is cooked, your baby asleep, I cradle his head. ... I must be a mother. The salary is here, my children are fed. The work hours are long, the payments are made. ... Am I a father? I’ve played peek-a-boo, I’ve made homes from clay, I’ve babbled with… Continue reading Worth It All
THE GLASS ELEVATOR 