Life took a turn for the better for Barnali – a single, working woman in Guwahati – when first Uber and Ola, later Rapido set app-shop in town. She felt a sense of freedom she never had, travelling in either overpriced rickshaws or overcrowded buses in town. “A few taps on my phone and like Aladdin’...
Readmore
The speaker on this musical protest stage in Chandmari, Guwahati, on December 15, holding the attention of close to 15,000 people, mocked the government, “The Chief Minister who so far was saying ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, has just begun saying ‘Joi Aai Axom’.” The crowd erupted in spontaneous derisory ...
Readmore Yesterday when 10,000 protestors gathered in Lotashil ground, Guwahati to protest against CAB - Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, a national news channel was apparently showing news of Assam, except they showed peaceful markets and claimed everything was fine. Below my building – as curfew and internet...
Readmore
Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti activsts shout slogans during a protest against the government's Citizenship Amendment Bill. AFP "First they alienate Kashmir by locking up the whole state after abrogating Article 370. Now, it's East and Northeast India's turn. From the corners of the nation, soon they...
Readmore
In some activist circles that I am part of, the common refrain is that casteism is to India what racism is to the USA. This is patently false. Firstly, casteism affects nearly three times more people in India (70% Indians) than the entire population of the USA. Secondly, there is no one single Ku...
Readmore
When the UPA came back to power in 2009, they did so riding the praise for the work they had done in the five previous years. However, barely three years later it seemed they’d unravel at the seams. The reason for this unprecedented turn was a united opposition led by current PM Narendra Modi which...
Readmore
On August 10, in a public meeting under the aegis of Rashtra Manch / National Forum that Yashwant Sinha had initiated 6 months ago, representatives of various political parties and civil society came together, in what they said was their capacity as concerned citizens of the country. They talked abo...
Readmore
The difference between Sanju baba’s best friend and mine is that in my case it is Kamlu who’s a crackhead. And like most doped out minds, he creates bizarre theories. Kamlu is delighted after watching the film Sanju. I ask why. Gulping a cocktail of drugs, a ganja chillum in one hand and wine glass...
Readmore
Two young men loiter in a remote village at night. Villagers, suspecting them to be child-traffickers, catch them and instead of calling the police, beat them to death. A gut-wrenching video of the victims sends shivers down our spine and we rise to condemn the act… without for once realising our ow...
Readmore
Take a big cauldron, put two sworn enemies – one an ex Indian RAW chief and the other a ISI chief - add some shimmering spices of Kashmir, Afghanistan, Punjab and Baluchistan conflicts and crank up the heat. What do you think you'll get after a while? A volcanic eruption?If you read The Spy Chronicl...
Readmore
Donald Trump says he deployed National Guard to secure Capitol building!
Our Top 10 Cartoons from 2020
Controversy over Corona vaccine!
UK rolls out first Covid vaccine, 82-year-old gets first shot