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Debunk these 5 myths about the POSH Act and help create harassment-free workplaces, promoting respect, inclusivity, and equality.
The POSH Act is a law made by the Indian government in 2013 to protect women from sexual harassment at work. It’s all about making the workplace safe for women and stopping sexual harassment.
The law says that sexual harassment can include things like unwanted touching, sexual advances, asking for sexual favours, making rude comments, showing inappropriate pictures or videos, or any other behaviour of a sexual nature that someone doesn’t want.
This law came about because of a famous court case in 1997 called Vishakha and others v State of Rajasthan. The court made guidelines, and these guidelines later became the basis for the 2013 law. The court also used the Indian Constitution and international rules that India agreed to follow to make this law.
Reality: Sexual harassment is more prevalent than you might think. It can occur in any industry, organization, or level of hierarchy. We help debunk this myth by raising awareness and providing tools to prevent and address sexual harassment in workplaces.
Read more: How We Have Normalised Blatant Sexual Harassment And Slut Shaming!
Reality: Sexual harassment can happen to anyone, regardless of gender. Men, non-binary individuals, and transgender individuals can also be victims. Our training programs emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing all forms of harassment.
Read more: What Can You Do If You Experience Workplace Violence In India?
Reality: Reporting sexual harassment should never result in negative consequences or retaliation. We educate employees on their rights, the confidential reporting process, and the legal protections in place to ensure a safe reporting environment.
Read more: A 10 Point Memo On What Your Anti Sexual Harassment Policy Should Look Like (But Does Not)
Reality: Sexual harassment encompasses a wide range of behaviours, including verbal, non-verbal, and online actions. It can involve unwelcome advances, offensive comments, inappropriate jokes, or displaying explicit materials. Our training helps individuals understand the various forms of sexual harassment.
Read more: 9 Forms Of Sexual Harassment That Young Women Rarely Talk About As They’re Shamed For It
Reality: All organizations, regardless of size, are obligated to comply with POSH regulations. We provide guidance and support tailored to the specific needs of small businesses, ensuring that they can meet their compliance requirements effectively.
Read more: Why Creating POSH Guidelines Is Important For Your Small Business
Let’s debunk these myths and create workplaces that are free from sexual harassment. Together, we can foster a culture of respect, inclusivity, and equality.
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As I sat down with a cup of coffee in the early morning, my phone buzzed with a message from my mother. It was evening in India, and she sent me a picture of our home lit up for Diwali. She made sure that the lights were put up on time before the great day! More than the decorations that caught my eye, what melted my heart was the enthusiasm and optimism that she is nurturing at her age. It’s true that age is just a number!
There are festivals and special occasions on which all of us cannot be home at the same time. Ma feels sad and misses those of us who are absent, yet she does not let her emotions come in the way of observing rituals that have been followed for so many years. With utmost care, she has preserved the warmth and liveliness of a home where we have woven some of the best moments in our lives. If this is not an example of positivity, I don’t know what else is!
It is truly the season to be immersed in joy and to wash our worries away. Happiness is infectious. So let each of us take it upon ourselves to spread the smiles around us. As we indulge in the festivities, may we also be grateful for the tiniest of blessings bestowed upon us.
Here’s to wishing that the light of reason dispels the darkness and ignorance and illuminates our minds. May love triumph over hate, and may kindness and compassion bind humanity in a warm embrace.
A very Happy Diwali to you all!
The quintessential plot of KJo’s films is love stories. Bollywood has consumerized love and violence successfully for aeons, and Karan Johar, like many other directors, does the same in his films. But his films stand apart in the way they always critique the prejudices endorsed by Indian society.
From patriarchy, homophobia, body-shaming, and cancel culture, his films have always mirrored these issues of the 21st century, offering steady solutions amidst the grandeur of their setting.
Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani revolves around two lovers, Rocky Randhawa, a gym enthusiast and the sole heir of his Punjabi business family, and Rani Chatterjee, a journalist from a Bengali intellectual family. Rocky and Rani’s love story begins with their effort to reunite two long-lost lovers from the ’70s, i.e., Rocky’s amnesiac grandfather, aka ‘bade papa’ Kanwal Lund, and Rani’s grandmother, aka her ‘thakuma’ Jamini Chatterjee.
Though initially, Rocky and Rani were poles apart, as the phrase goes, “Opposite poles attract each other,” they eventually fall in love with each other. Like all love stories in this film, it’s the different cultures of the two families that come between Rocky and Rani’s love.
The story is typical, reminding us of “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham,” “DDLJ,” and “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna,” and ends on a happy note, leaving the audience content. But the way KJo presents this “old wine in a new bottle” is worth watching.
Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani depicts the women of two households in sharp contrast with each other. While the women of the Randhawa family are meek and subjugated by the matriarch of their household, Dhanlakshmi Randhawa, owner of Dhanlakshmi Sweets (Rocky’s grandmother), it ironically depicts that women at times can be more patriarchal than men. On the other hand, the women of the Chatterjee family are independent and exercise their free will, living life on their terms.
As the narrative of the film unfolds, Rocky and Rani decide to switch households for three months to immerse themselves in the culture and milieu of their prospective in-laws as they plan to get married. This marks the initiation of a change in mindset within the members of both families.
It’s only after Rani’s entry into the Randhawa family that she encourages the subdued women of the household to chase their dreams and raise their voices against the injustice inflicted upon them. This includes infusing courage into Rocky’s mother, Punam, to pursue her career in singing, and teaching Rocky’s sister to stand up for herself, achieve economic self-sufficiency by securing a job, embrace herself the way she is, and defend herself against fat-shaming, making her realize that she isn’t “Golu” any more, but she is “Gayatri.”
Rocky’s arrival in the Chatterjee family teaches him to break free from his masculine conditioning while teaching them that in an era where we laugh at and dismiss people who lack our yardstick of sophistication and knowledge in certain fields, it’s easier to cancel them out.
But what’s difficult is taking the initiative to help them learn instead of shunning them away. There’s no shame in not knowing something, yet what’s shameful is belittling someone instead of enlightening them.
KJo’s portrayal of men has always been unique. KJo’s men dance and wear colours that are generally associated with femininity. In this film, while Rocky’s father, Tijori Randhawa, is a staunch chauvinist echoing Yashvardhan Raichand of K3G, who wields authority over his family.
On the other hand, Rani’s father, Chandon Chatterjee, is a professional Kathak dancer who moved to a new city, leaving his own state, just to support his working wife, who is a senior English professor. Men who dance are still labelled as effeminate and looked down upon by our society, but KJo himself, being someone who loves to dance, subverts this whole stereotype.
Art has no gender, after all. We eventually witnessed Rocky attending Chandon’s dance lessons and dancing with Chandon on “Dola Re Dola” on the eve of Durja Puja organized by the Chatterjee family. Pink is a colour widely termed feminine.
At the end of the film, we see Rocky wearing pink when, after months, he finally reunites with the love of his life, Rani, breaking the barriers of their misunderstanding. KJo thus celebrates men, promoting the idea that gender isn’t determined by biology, but by the conditions of our society. It’s high time everyone learns to break free from their preconceived notions of gender, thus promoting equality.
KJo’s films always preach the fact that marriage isn’t a social contract but a union of two hearts, where proper love and respect are the two chief ingredients for any marriage to work. His films often depict extramarital affairs between a male and a female who aren’t happily married, finding love in each other’s company, for example, in “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.”
In Rocky and Rani Ki Prem Kahani, as well, we find the same kind of love blooming between Jamini and Kanwal. They were each other’s right person, but it was their wrong time that prevented them from being together when they fell in love with each other way back in 1978 in Shimla.
However, they gradually reunited through the efforts of their grandchildren. Kanwal, being a poet or “shayar,” was never compatible with a materialistic Dhanlakshmi, while Jamini lived a life of sacrifice, being a victim of domestic violence.
They didn’t get much time to spend together because it was too late. KJo’s films thus emphasize the fact that it isn’t wrong to search for love outside of marriage when one is unhappy. If they find love, they should walk out of their marriage at the right time because, at the end of the day, everyone deserves to be happy, and everyone has the right to choose their happiness over anything else.
Indians are inherently filmy, and Bollywood songs play a huge role in this. Bollywood romantic tracks and dance numbers help us bask in our utopian world where lovers dance, making love amidst yellow fields, snow-capped mountains, and green meadows. Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani has certain sequences that take every Indian cinephile across all ages on a roller-coaster ride of emotions.
From a dance number on “Jhumka Gira Re” to using “Meri Pyaari Bindu” as a background score, from clandestine meet-ups of lovers Kanwal and Jamini arranged by Rocky and Rani in the forts of Delhi to all of them romancing on “Abhi Naa Chhod Kar” and “Aaj Mausam Bada Beimaan Hai.” From “Ek Pyaar Ka Nagma Hai” to Kanwal singing “Chaudvin Ka Chand,” remembering Jamini, Karan Johar beautifully pays tribute to the roots of Indian Cinema, the cult classics that led to the evolution of Indian Cinema. He brilliantly juxtaposes the old and the new, thus showing his unwavering allegiance to tradition.
The depiction of exotic locations and costumes in KJo’s song sequences is an indispensable part of the narrative of his films. In Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, as well, the songs enhance the cinematic experience of the audience. The song “Tum Kya Mile” bears a sharp resemblance to “Suraj Hua Maddham” from K3G and “Tumhi Dekho Na” from “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna,” while “Dhindhora Baje Re” recreates the atmosphere of Bhansali’s “Dola Re Dola.”
After ages, these songs of RARKPK remind us of old Bollywood blockbusters that still rule over our hearts. This indeed paves the way for the box office success of RARKPK.
Being a Bengali, it was an absolute delight to witness one of the titular characters (Rani) of RARKPK hailing from a Bengali family. Rosogolla isn’t the only thing or dessert that defines Bengalis; there’s much more to our culture.
Such as the portrayal of Rabindranath Tagore in a certain scene and the singing of Rabindra Sangeet by Rocky and Jamini Chatterjee in another two scenes were heart-warming to watch. The conversation between Rani and her family members in fluent Bengali and the use of the saree, which is one of the chief signifiers of Bengali culture, is proof of KJo’s true representation of Bengali culture.
Though KJo’s films are flamboyant, and the initial films of his career weren’t socially critical, his filmography in the second half of his career deals with contemporary issues of modern society. In KJo’s films, women characters share equal screen space with the male characters. From Anjali of “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” to Anjali and Pooh from “K3G,” from Naina of “Kal Ho Na Ho” to Alizeh of “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” and Rani of RARKPK, all these women have a strong voice. He empowers women in all his films, thus addressing the issues of suppressed women in his country.
In the post-pandemic society, when Bollywood films are reduced to mere remakes and a medium of propaganda, thus repeatedly failing to produce any impact on the audience and, therefore, on the box office after Pathaan’s grand success, it’s KJo who once again delivers Bollywood from the drought. KJo’s return as a director on the big screens with RARKPK, consisting of a stellar cast who shine in the roles they enact, once again brings back the charm of old Bollywood films, thus attracting the audience to the theatres.
Being a filmy ’90s kid, I mostly grew up watching KJo’s films, envisioning being like Pooh someday. And there lies KJo’s speciality of turning a piece of fiction into truth, instilling hope in the audience that a parallel universe where everything ends on a happy note may have some traces of existence in reality, making him one of the finest storytellers of Hindi Cinema.
Image source: Edited on CanvaPro
Diwali is around the corner, and everyone is in a rush to clean their houses. A festival that comes once a year, and the only time when every member of the family is involved in the excitement of cleaning and has a share in it.
There is deep cleaning involved during these days, after which we celebrate the festival with sweets, gifts, and firecrackers. When we physically clean our houses, we have a feeling of achievement and happiness. Similarly, it is also important to clean our inner selves so that we are ready for the entire year.
Humans are complex creatures; although we can predict their nature, we never know how they will behave next. Humans come with different habits, as quoted by John M. Grohol in his article titled “Changing our Routines and Habits.”
He says that it takes 20 or more years to develop a particular habit or behaviour, to learn something that will stay with us for a lifetime. When it takes such a long time to learn something and develop it as a habit, it takes similar years to unlearn something or maybe change a particular behaviour. It’s not something that can be done overnight or in a day.
Unfortunately, these habits or behaviours can be both healthy and helpful or damaging. With the passing years, we as humans get easily comfortable with our habits and behaviours, and it becomes difficult to change ourselves. We often have an excuse that “I’m happy this way and won’t change.” However rigid this sounds, there comes a point in life where we need to change ourselves.
As a child, we are unaware of the rights and wrongs, and ifs and buts. But as we grow, we tend to develop certain emotions, behaviours, and opinions that are constantly judged upon and keep affecting us. To get rid of the burden of judgment and in order to self-improve, we need to keep cleaning our minds and souls on a regular basis. Just like we clean our houses on Diwali, similarly, we need to deep clean our thoughts, and our behaviours, and change our habits.
Giving your mind a quick reboot and decluttering is necessary for everyone, as we are in a fast-paced world where we are just competing for something or another. Think about a cupboard filled with clothes from top to bottom; you are in a hurry to attend a meeting and cannot find the right dress.
Now imagine if your same cupboard was cleaned, clothes were piled on proper shelves, and everything was organized; maybe you wouldn’t have missed your important meeting! That’s where cleansing helps, to clear the unnecessary thoughts and give you a clear mind to think fresh again.
I have been doing some deep cleaning recently for both my mind and body. Let me share how I’m doing this:
I have started being conscious of what I’m consuming. Being a diabetic, I need to take care of my eating habits because if I don’t, it will affect my health in the future. So, eating right involves eating on time, and taking proper proteins and carbs. I do have cheat days, but on other days, I ensure I’m eating the right foods.
Read more: Indian Keto Diet: An Easy Guide To Fitness Without Fuss!
As a child, I was very active and started doing yoga when I was 7. That way, I was flexible and healthy. While growing up, you forget to take care of your body, and with time, it starts giving signs, that you need to do something to stay fit. So, I have decided to be consistent in doing physical activity and exercise daily wherever I am for at least 45 minutes. Consistency is the key to whatever you do; if you regularly do something, it certainly gives results.
Read more: No Time To Workout? 7 ‘Sneaky’ Ways To Get More Exercise Into Your Day
Physical exercise makes your body fit, and meditation and breathing exercises make your mind fit. Calming your mind is necessary; it helps you make wise decisions and helps you to be at peace. Practising mindfulness helps us focus on our goals, increases your patience levels, and keeps you stress-free too.
Read more: How Knitting Turned Out To Be My Own Personal Meditation
I have started writing in a diary, and it has changed the way I perceive things. I feel as I’m writing, I’m able to put down my emotions in a much better way, and now it’s kind of routine. This way, I also know my happy events, sad moments, and angry hours.
Read more: 8 Benefits Of Daily Journaling
One of the best ways to cleanse your mind is to gather as much knowledge as you can, and nothing can be better than reading. It helps in several ways like you get information, helps in improving communication, changing your mood, and more.
Read more: 33 Books By Indian Women Authors Translated For Your Reading Pleasure!
When we are happy and light inside, we are happy outside, and that reflects in everything we do, from our thinking to making decisions. Try to love yourself more, be kind to others, try to forgive more, judge less, learn more, and be generous. Keep cleaning your inner self once in a while.
This Diwali, spread the light of love, clean negative thoughts, and declutter your mind and soul.
Amidst the thronging streets of New Delhi, where marigolds adorned doorsteps and the scent of incense lingered like a whispered prayer, lived my best friend Anaya. Anaya’s world was rich with the vibrant colours of saris and the melodic cacophony of daily life — a portrait of prosperity, a life seemingly secure in the hands of her husband Rajat, a paragon of success in the textiles industry.
Anaya’s home was an evidence of her husband, Rajat’s success, a sanctuary lined with the comforts and luxuries one could desire. Rajat was a successful businessman, a provider, a fortress of their opulent lifestyle.
“Anaya, understanding money is as important as earning it,” I’d tell her during our brief encounters, subtle in my attempts to awaken her to the world of financial independence.
“Rajat takes care of it all, Vani. He’s my safety net,” she’d reply, her laughter echoing a naivety common amongst the women of her circle.
“But —” As Anaya’s friend and as a financial advisor, I often transcended the boundaries of investments and assets; it was about empowering individuals with knowledge, about planting seeds of independence that would flourish in times of unforeseen storms.
“You don’t need to worry about these matters, Anaya,” Rajat would say whenever Anaya showed a flicker of interest in their finances. “Enjoy the life we have; let me handle the complexities of money.”
Anaya, adorned in her silk saree, would watch her husband shuffle through papers and make calls, her mind a whirlwind of silent questions. At gatherings, she’d often overhear snippets of conversations among friends, the words “investments,” “savings,” “passwords,” fleeting like birds she couldn’t quite grasp.
“Don’t you want to know? Just a little?” I once nudged Anaya in private.
Anaya would smile, a facade of contentment, “Rajat knows best. He has always taken care of everything.”
But the tapestry of her secure life unraveled with a phone call on an unsuspecting Tuesday afternoon. Rajat had been in an accident; he didn’t survive the journey to the hospital. Anaya’s sanctuary crumbled to a mausoleum of memories and unanswered questions.
Anaya sat in the silent echo of her once lively home, the air stale with the absence of Rajat’s laughter and the ceaseless pitter-patter of his business calls. The extravagant curtains, which he had picked out himself, felt like heavy shrouds, blocking out the light and trapping her in the darkness of her new reality. Her husband, the unspoken patriarch, had left her a widow, a single mother, and, most daunting of all, financially illiterate.
In the depths of Anaya’s grief, the financial documents and bank statements looked like an alien script. Each line, each figure on the papers, was a sharp reminder of her ignorance—a subject she had once found comfort in, mistaking it for security.
“Why didn’t I ask? Why didn’t I learn?” she whispered to herself, the words dissolving into sobs that wracked her delicate frame.
Her mind replayed the countless times Rajat had casually dismissed her timid inquiries into their finances with a wave of his hand, “Anaya, these are not your concern. Your job is to take care of the home.”
The home felt like a foreign place to Anaya. She found herself wandering from room to room, holding bills she couldn’t decipher, and facing the silent screams of impending dues and responsibilities that she was unprepared for. The emotional trauma was relentless, the weight of the unknown crushing.
She attempted to access Rajat’s computer, the login screen glaring back at her, asking for a password she didn’t know. “What secrets do you hold?” she pleaded to the inanimate screen, as if it would sympathize and divulge the pathways to the accounts and investments Rajat had so meticulously guarded.
Sleep evaded Anaya, replaced by a mental exhaustion that stemmed from the incessant calculations that refused to add up in her head. The figures danced mockingly, intertwining with the memories of a husband who had loved her but underestimated her, who had cared for her but not prepared her for a life without him.
The rituals that followed were a blur—white sarees, hushed tones, the constant stream of visitors. But in the quiet of the night, the haunting truth whispered to her, “What now?”
Rajat’s sudden demise was a brutal blow not just to Anaya’s heart but to the financial illusion she lived under. The opulence remained but the keys to its maintenance were lost in the abyss of ignorance. Anaya was left in a financial paralysis, her husband’s life insurance – a significant sum intended for their welfare – trapped behind the bars of procedural ignorance. The safe was locked, the accounts, a mystery, the investments, an enigma. Even as Anaya grappled with the sorrow of loss, the looming shadow of practicality loomed larger.
“How could he not tell me?” Anaya agonized over her brother, Aarav, who tried to help navigate the labyrinth of their finances.
“He thought he was protecting you,” Aarav said gently, but the consolation was a bitter pill.
The real work began in the weeks that followed. As financial advisor and Anaya’s friend, my task was to guide Anaya out of the dark. Our first meeting post the tragedy was in her home, a place where every artifact whispered Rajat’s name.
“How do we even begin?” Anaya’s voice was but a whisper, a mix of bereavement and fear.
“With knowledge, Anaya. That’s the strongest currency you can have,” I responded. “Let’s start by understanding the life insurance Rajat had in place for you and the children.”
The journey was laden with hurdles. Bank managers were cordial but their words were often laced with impatience. The language of finance was foreign, the procedures, a maze. Yet, with every fall, Anaya’s resolve grew stronger.
“I didn’t even know we had a locker in this bank,” Anaya remarked, as Anaya and I sat across from the bank manager.
“You’ll need the key and the password,” the bank manager said, nonchalantly, shuffling papers on his desk.
“But I don’t have either,” Anaya’s voice trembled.
“We’ll apply for a retrieval process,”I chimed in, my hand on Anaya’s, a silent bulwark of support.
The day the bank finally granted access to the locker, Anaya stood resolute. She sorted through documents, learning of assets and liabilities she never knew existed. There were life insurance policies, mutual funds, property deeds – pieces of Rajat’s foresight that were now in her hands.
“Why didn’t he teach me?” she pondered aloud to me.
“Maybe he didn’t know how to,” I mused. “Sometimes, we think we are protecting the ones we love by shielding them from the storm. But maybe, we should be teaching them to sail through it instead.”
We sifted through documents, I explained the terms that seemed like jargon to Anaya’s untrained ears, translating them into actionable knowledge.
“Each policy has a process, Anaya. You’ll need to file a claim, submit the death certificate, and provide proof of your identity as the beneficiary,” I outlined the steps, simplifying the complex to a checklist that we would tackle together.
“Proof of my identity? But I am his wife,” Anaya questioned, the bureaucracy of it all seeming callous to her grieving soul.
“It’s a formality, necessary but manageable,” I assured her.
It took several months in Anaya’s transformation from a bystander to an active participant in her financial recovery. It was gradual but steadfast. With each form filled, each call made, and each appointment attended, the mist cleared.
“Life insurance is not the end; it’s a safety net. Your next step is to secure your children’s future and your independence,” I counselled, guiding her investments into education plans and secure funds that promised growth.
“You mean, I’ll be handling my own investments?” Anaya’s query was laced with trepidation initially, but soon with curiosity and then determination.
“Yes, and I’ll be here to advise you every step of the way,” I promised.
As Anaya’s knowledge deepened, so did her confidence. The life insurance payout was a battle won, but the war was on financial illiteracy and the patriarchal shackles it came wrapped in.
Anaya’s story spread among family members and close friends where female folks lived veiled in the silence of ignorance that draped many women of her stature – the ignorance of financial literacy. Anaya’s home soon became a hub, a space where the narrative of empowerment was woven with the threads of financial wisdom. I would hold sessions, educating her and a growing number of women on the nuances of financial planning.
“Empowerment is a journey,” I’d tell them. “It begins with understanding your worth and securing it.”
The Diwali that year was unlike any other. On Diwali night, as the town lit up with lamps and fireworks, Anaya stood beside the deity of Laxmi, adorned with flowers and jewels.
“Today, we don’t just pray for wealth. We equip ourselves to welcome it,” Anaya’s voice resonated across her family, friends, her young daughter and her parents looking on, their eyes glistening with pride.
“Bless our daughters, who light our homes with knowledge and strength,” Anaya prayed, her eyes moist, not just with devotion but with gratitude for the independence she had secured for them all.
Anaya looked around, her heart full. She had not only changed her family’s story but had rewritten the narrative for every daughter of her family and close friends. In the glow of the diyas, the Goddess Laxmi seemed to smile, her blessings transcending the heavens, rooting firmly in the empowered hearts and enlightened minds of the people.
Image source: by Yogendra Singh from Studio India Free for Canva Pro
Here is a short guide that will help you navigate the process of availing, free legal aid for women and children in India.
As an acknowledgement of the adoption of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 on November 9, 1995, every year November 9 is celebrated as National Legal Services Day in India.
Crime against women is indisputably high. With each passing day, numbers only seem to be increasing at an alarmingly fast rate. Be it dowry harassment at home to sexual harassment and objectification outside the home or at the workplace, women are struggling at their zenith when it comes to survival against this disparity that is prevalent almost everywhere.
Even in this scenario, the number of women aware and willing to seek legal help doesn’t even come remotely close to anywhere in terms of the number of such crimes taking place. When we try to understand, what could be the reason or reasons? We found some that top the list, a list that is so long that one can consider it as a never-ending one:
Apart from the above-mentioned, one of the core issues, that women hesitate to seek legal help is due to the perception of the “supposed” financial burden that comes along with it. We mentioned supposed because of the perception of huge financial requirements when it comes to seeking any legal remedies, that may not be the norm for every legal redressal.
This itself throws light on how little is our awareness when it comes to our legal rights. Women (irrespective of their financial background) can seek legal aid/help free of cost in India!
According to Article 39A of the Constitution of India, Free legal aid or services is a fundamental human right that every human being should be accessible to. Keeping this in mind, the National Legal Service Authority provides free legal aid and services to help and represent people who for whatever reason are not able to afford it.
This provision is particularly for those who belong to the below-poverty line and marginalized sect of the community. People within this provision will also be provided with a lawyer for court proceedings.
Yes, according to Section 12(c) of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, women and children are among those who can seek Free legal aid. A woman (regardless of her financial background or income) is entitled to seek Free legal aid if and when needed.
A woman can approach for free legal services with any grievance, be it Civil or Criminal in nature. E.g., Dowry harassment, domestic violence, divorce and child custody, and property-related cases are most commonly seen in such circumstances. However, free legal aid is not just restricted to the issues mentioned above. Any crime against a woman is a major crime.
“The challenge of social justice is to evoke a sense of community that we need to make our nation a better place, just as we make it a safer place.” The above lines in reference to woman and child by Marian Wright Edelman (Yale Law School) are true to what is said.
The safety of women and children is one of the major responsibilities of society. A woman deprived of any rights is a step taken backwards in the welfare of the nation. And Legal Rights are indeed one of them!
National Legal Aid helpline no – 15100 or one can email at [email protected] or submit an online application through the portal nalsa.gov.in for any grievance.
Image source for Free Legal Aid for Women and Children in India: CanvaPro
I turned my head and looked around, one corner of the room was stuffed with some age-old toys or some whose parts were hanging loose. One shelf was filled with worn and dog-eared books and magazines which had not been touched for years.
Recently we replaced our old dressing table of which the mirror was broken and the drawers were jammed and impaired with a new one. But we did not discard the older one, we placed it in the back of our house along with other shabby and run-down furniture.
Diwali arrives and brings with it the season of cleaning, reorganizing and decorating the house and much more. Dusting cloth in one hand and broomstick in another I stood stunned and thinking about where to start.
As I opened the door of the wardrobe, clothes spilled over me, it was filled more with old and worn clothes than the clothes worth wearing. some clothes were older than my kids, my kids are now past teenage.
The other shelf was overflowing with my kid’s clothes which were either old or did not fit them anymore.
My house was turned more into a storage space allowing less space for breathing and living.
Unintentionally we attach so many emotional values and sentiments to our belongings that it seems unthinkable and unachievable task to dispose of the stuff we have used in past.
How can you think of discarding that bicycle, this is the first bicycle your son ever had, my mind would say. How stone-hearted you have turned to dispose of the t-shirt your son wore on his tenth birthday, the other one his great-grandmother gifted him, my heart would ponder.
This fosters a deep sense of belongingness which further turns into possessiveness and parting with personal goods and chattels seems unreasonable and illogical. This eventuates into piles of books, toys and clothes in the corners of rooms or behind the closed doors of the shelves.
And even if the idea of disposing of old belongings is conceived in our mind, our habit of procrastination plays its role and we put off discarding the old treasure to future time.
Procrastination and possessiveness are two things I want to deep-clean from my life as well this Diwali.
Procrastination may make us feel better for a short time but it leads us to miss important deadlines and give up on promises and commitments that we make to ourselves and others. It also gives rise to doubts and self-reliability.
The temporary bliss we feel from procrastinating is far outweighed by its long-term effects on our lives.
Being possessive means being selfish about the things and persons in our life. We cling to them so tightly that letting them go seems an unthinkable and unachievable task.
Possessive people feel insecure and exhibit controlling behaviour thinking it is the only way to protect their persons or things. And unintentionally we hurt people whom we love so much.
This Diwali I decluttered my home of unwanted belongings without further procrastination and detaching my sentiments. I donated all the clothes, toys and books to my housemaid and other needy people.
My heart filled with contentment when I saw my domestic help’s son wearing that t-shirt and my watchman’s son riding that old bicycle the other day. Seeing the scintillating smile on their faces was an absolute bliss.
Likewise, I would like to deep clean my life of laziness, inactivity and ineffectiveness to get rid of mess, disorders and complications. To add more energy and space to my home and in my life.
Study shows decluttering reduces stress and anxiety and increases self-esteem.
Life is stressful enough, our home should be a calm and peaceful place where we can breathe and recharge ourselves. A neat tidy and organized house not only fills us up with positive vibes and boosts our mood but also helps keep the negative energy and pessimism at bay.
Image source: by Neena Majumdar from Studio India Free for Canva
Recently, the news of a very different kind of baraat made its way to the newspapers. Social media was awash with pics of this very unique procession and accolades in handfuls were ladled out to this father who can easily be dubbed the Father of the Year. Who is he and what exactly did he do? And why was this baraat hailed as something extraordinary?
Hailing from the state of Jharkhand, Mr. Prem Gupta did what many fathers have not been able to do or, have chosen not to. When his daughter Sakshi started facing harassment in her marital home, he not only supported her decision to go ahead with divorce but when it was finalized, brought her back accompanied by dhols and people dancing with joy. A reverse baraat that brought the now divorced daughter back to her home, welcomed with love and happiness.
Going for divorce is a huge decision for any woman and many of them actually back out because of the social stigma attached with being a divorcee. When a daughter, who is being harassed in her in-laws’ home, tries to tell her parents about it, many times the first thing she is told is that she needs to adjust or give the marriage more time. Some even go to the extent of suggesting that the harassment might be her fault altogether. And then there is the age-old wisdom that says that a child will strengthen the bond and she should try for a baby as soon as possible.
In the absence of support and understanding from her family itself, no wonder a woman hesitates in going for divorce even in the face of abuse. So it is no mean feat displayed by this exceptional family to stand up for their daughter, and honor her wishes.
However, even when the immediate family stands in support of the daughter, once she returns home a divorcee, the rumour mills start working overtime. Friends and acquaintances whisper behind backs, their talks full of conjecture and innuendoes, laying the responsibility of a broken relationship more often than not at the woman’s feet. It is not only the woman who is victimized and villified in a divorce, her family too has to bear the burden of these whispered slurs.
Indian society is one that believes in keeping things under wraps and not washing their dirty linen in public. This tendency to keep a parda on all things stinky leads to a deluge of lies in the case of a conflict when both sides try to whitewash their role in it, each outdoing the other in imagination and scope of the lie. However, in the case of a divorce, the bride’s side is the one left with a less than shining image.
When Mr. Prem Gupta decided to bring her daughter back with the same pomp and glory he had seen her off with when she was married, he decided to take the power back from the society. The power to exonerate the groom’s side and talk about his daughter in derogatory whispers. It shifts the supposed responsibility for the broken relationship from the girl to the groom’s side. And it all happens because things are split wide open.
The public nature of the return ensures that the spotlight is now on the groom’s side to give excuses to justify their treatment and their harassment of the bride. Not only this, they will have to work hard to think up ways to find acceptance and save face among their own society lest they too have to deal with the whispers of ‘char log’. Or to find another bride once their wayward ways have been unmasked.
The groom in this question seems to have been married twice before. It is amply clear that to be able to find a bride for the third time, the family must have told tall tales to convince the girl’s side. If the earlier wives and their families had made sure to make things public, this might not have happened to another unsuspecting woman. All the heartbreak and stress that she has to face might have been averted if it had been the norm to make things public instead of brushing things under the carpet. We need to teach our daughters to speak up when they are not being treated well in any situation. To scream, to shout, to publicly oust the tortures that she is facing. Many girls do not do so for fear of maligning the reputation of her parents. But a divorcee is far better than a dead daughter any day.
Parents need to learn that once their daughters are being harassed by their in-laws, they should stand by their daughters. The dishonor lies in the unfair and inhuman treatment of someone you brought with a promise to respect, love,and honour. Not with the poor abused girl or her parents. We as a society, where a girl’s victimization for being abused and harassed, need a serious overhaul of values. In this scenario, what this father did for his daughter becomes definitely commendable. Standing by her, respecting her decision and being there with her in her difficult time. But it is the way he did it that deserves our attention and thoughts.
A new viral video has appeared on different platforms. It is alleged that this video is of a creative skit put together by the students of IMS-BHU at a cultural fest. The subject? Actress Deepika Padukone’s dating history and love life.
Deepika is dressed as Mastani, a character from one of her films. In the background, we see a montage of her former boyfriends like Nihar Pandya, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Siddharth Mallya, Ranbir Kapoor, and finally Ranveer Singh. The video presents musical interludes, entries by men in cricket attire, and dances by Ranbir, and Ranveer lookalikes. It was created in a ‘lighter vein’ with comical overtones. Only the video did not make me laugh. It made me feel disgusted beyond words, coming across as crass and offensive.
Deepika’s recent appearance on Koffee with Karan has made her the object of judgment and harassment. Her comment on being in other relationships before committing to Ranveer Singh incurred the wrath of many.
What kind of woman admits to experimenting and going out on many dates? ‘The Indian woman should fit into the perfect mold of blemish-less’, the nameless-faceless trolls cackled.
Ironically, each of these men has had colorful dating histories too. Now, most of them are happily married and settled. What is the point of raking up the past? Deepika’s only mistake was to be honest and vulnerable, and the vultures swooped in. if a skit had to be made about her, why not talk about her hard work and her success? She is self-made and has featured in many a blockbuster Bollywood movie that has helped revive a stagnant industry.
Slut-shaming a woman is disgusting and shameful. It’s OK to have a past. What is not OK, is to judge someone based on it. A celebrity is more vulnerable because they are in the constant public glare, but they have a right to privacy too. Creative liberties should not be a cover for insensitive behavior.
In ancient times, a ‘fallen’ woman was branded with a scarlet letter. She was mocked for engaging in affairs or inappropriate relationships. The man would walk scot-free. It is strange that centuries later, nothing has changed. Women are being judged and ridiculed, and their characters assassinated.
If this is one of the country’s leading educational institutions, I shudder. Education isn’t supposed to just guarantee a good job, money, or success. It is supposed to instill basic values in you, like respecting one another. I wonder why the faculty-in-charge did not review the content before the performance. Or has such behavior been normalized at some level? Do we need to rethink the syllabus? I hope disciplinary action is taken, and these ill-informed students realize their mistake.
As a person who has a history of anxiety issues, I shudder to think what Deepika must be going through. In case you ever read this, we got your back girl; you have a whole tribe of women cheering for you and booing at the trolls.
This is a developing story.
On my recent mindless and unintentional scrolls on Facebook, I came across this show named ‘Male Feminist’ streaming on Hauterfly and hosted by Siddharth Aalambayan.
To start with, it came as an eye-opener. Female celebrities are invited to have a candid chat on various topics from periods to financial independence to choice of partner, consent, and then a message to 16-year-old self! The range of topics is expansive, interesting, and engaging.
The first episode that came on my feed was the one with Ahsaas Channa ( Episode 43) The teaser of the conversation made me watch the whole episode. She talked of how painful boob tapes and thongs are; I haven’t used either of them, I felt an ache when I realised the cost celebrities pay to look beautiful and appealing always. She also spoke of flashing, which was a new learning for me. It had happened with me too but I did not know the term for it. After that day, I have watched many more episodes of this show.
Tejasswi Prakash made some honest confessions, about how she started working at an early age, which all jobs she did before she got the limelight; Which is very inspiring.
Mona Singh talked about her equation with her husband, and how she was raised. How one role became her identity (Jassi from Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi!) How easy/difficult it is to get roles, remain in the limelight, etc. She also mentioned how her father wanted her to manage her finances, and how hard it was for her to learn to do it. An efficient conversation this one was!
Dolly Singh shared her first-period experience and how she was hesitant to share it even with her mother, about how difficult she finds to say a NO.
Many other conversations I heard, last night the one with Kriti Kharbanda made me think, “Why am I watching it? What is the purpose of this show?” The episode started with a formal greeting and a normal conversation. But the moment Kriti mentioned a stranger pinched her on the waist while clicking a selfie with her, I was taken aback. With security around and ever-lingering fame and stardom, men are not ashamed to do that even to celebrities. If this is what happens with a woman who has her presence on an influential level, then commoners like me are far beyond safe.
Also, the other fact that kept lingering on my mind was; Such a pertinent show, the makers have put in a lot of courage, the guests also trust and share their honest opinions, share real-life incidents, and the host is doing an excellent job too; But it had to have a MALE host to gain its desired impact! No offence to Siddharth, he is doing a great job and I am sure being paid well for it! But I would feel better if a female hosted the show!
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