Archive for September, 2005

Religion, Society and Breakdown

Posted by gargi on 30 Sep 2005 | Tagged as: India

Over a century ago, French sociologist Emile Durkheim undertook research on why individuals in cities tend to commit suicide more frequently than those who liked in closely knit rural societies. The answer was Anomie- the sense of dispossession. He said anomie exists in society:
….where the traditional sources of societal regulation — religion, government, and [...]

It isn’t due to global warming …

Posted by gargi on 29 Sep 2005 | Tagged as: Uncategorized

…. there are Martians high above our skies - just beyond the sight of our satellites - who are using lasers to melt our icecaps.
Of course, there is no such thing as Global Warming, it is a figment of imagination of those who are jealous of development and conspicious consumption. On the other hand, [...]

Victimising the Victim

Posted by gargi on 28 Sep 2005 | Tagged as: India

A rape victim expelled from school for being of ‘loose character’
According to reports, the victim was abducted and raped on August 23. Rejecting the rape theory, school authorities alleged that the girl had loose character and later expelled her.
NCW is protesting.
I would really like to know which state this happened in.

addthis_url [...]

Violence against Women

Posted by gargi on 25 Sep 2005 | Tagged as: India

I am getting repetitive on this blog. Every 10 days or so I come across a flurry of articles - bloglines that way is very good - on violence against women. I come across articles almost on a daily basis - but on some days, it is almost as though the floodgates have opened up [...]

Reservation on the basis of Religion- A bad idea

Posted by gargi on 24 Sep 2005 | Tagged as: India, Politics

A few months ago AP began the trend of reserving jobs for Muslims on the grounds that the community was ‘backward’.
Now the RJD and the Congress in Bihar have made a similar promise.
There is something fundamentally wrong, if in a secular nation, we introduce reservations on the basis of religion.
If a community is backward - [...]

The new soap in town

Posted by gargi on 24 Sep 2005 | Tagged as: And Finally ...

Pawar v/s Dalmiya v/s the rest
Chappel v/s Ganguly v/s the rest.
It has everything glamour, power, celebs, betting, affairs, sex, et al.
add some women, some sindoor, money, property, and violence. mix with music. and there is a brand new soap.

addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fcalamur.org%2Fgargi%2F2005%2F09%2F24%2Fthe-new-soap-in-town%2F’;
addthis_title = ‘The+new+soap+in+town’;
addthis_pub [...]

Karishma ka Karishma

Posted by gargi on 24 Sep 2005 | Tagged as: India, Media, Web

Sorry about the extremely bad pun.
I learnt today that a major channel is going to launch a game show at 9 p.m. Mon - Thursday, with Karishma Kapoor as the anchor.
My first reaction was ouch! Sahara Manoranjan (Sahara One’s earlier avtaar) almost sunk on account of Ms.Kapoors histrionic abilities in the serial Karishma.
Now, another [...]

Our Storms their Storm

Posted by gargi on 23 Sep 2005 | Tagged as: India, Media, Print, TV

Cylcone Pyar hit AP and caused destruction to life and property.
Almost with cyclical efficience, cyclones have hit AP this year destroying property and life. Around a 60 dead (officially) and 200,000 displaced - evacuated with monotonous efficiency by the armed forces. Yet, if you read the press, or blogdom - there is nary a comment [...]

The Rape of Justice

Posted by gargi on 23 Sep 2005 | Tagged as: India

It is election time in Bihar, so the status quo will be maintained. But, i would like to see the entire panchayat stand trial for “accessory tothe crime” - and see them sentanced. This story from the ToI:
The punishment for rape in Bihar’s Banka district, it seems, is entirely borne by the victim.
At a ‘panchayat’, [...]

Saving the Dangs

Posted by gargi on 21 Sep 2005 | Tagged as: India, Politics

I find the Sangh parivar’s focus on ‘converting’ Adivasis’ to Hindusim very odd. But, even odder is the Sangh parivar’s dedication to a term used by Persian invaders to describe a geographical entity - the people of the Indu river. Indoos. Technically speaking the only Indoos are on the other side of the border [...]

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