Entries by Lalita NIjhawan

Urban Naxals: The Enemy within

Murders Demolition of school buildings Tribal women raped Civilians kidnapped Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) persons killed Ransoms demanded and yet Naxals are called revolutionaries and not terrorists. The complexity of their existence lies in the dual roles they play, one covert as tribal sympathisers and revolutionaries and another overt as extortionists, terrorists, blood hungry […]

Urban Naxals: The blood thirsty chameleons

Is Naxalism just an ideology? Is it followed by the tribals? Does it have followers in the cities? The poor have no ideology. They follow an ideologist, one who paints them a rosier picture. This ideology was efficiently transcribed by Charu Majumder, who wanted to alleviate poor tribals from the affliction of poverty. What started […]

“The Trafficking of persons (Prevention, protection, and rehabilitation) Bill: Transporting stolen lives from a hopeless present to an optimistic future” In TOI Blog

23-year-old Yazidi, Nadia Murad has been designated as the Ambassador for Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking for the UN’s Drugs and Crime body.  She is also a Nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize this year. If humans have learned one thing from the past of their mistakes, it is to not blame the victim, […]

“Female Genital Mutilation: A millennial crime” in TOI Blog

It is commonplace knowledge that Islam preaches circumcision, a form of male genital mutilation as a tenet and a sacrament of Islamic practices however little do people know about the equally practiced female genital mutilation. Under the garb of sacrosanct religious diktats, the Dawoodi Bohra community is obstinate to continue the sublime horror of FGM […]

“Tuticorin Protests: What would you do?” in TOI Blog

The hullabaloo in Tuticorin district, Tamil Nadu, concerns the Sterlite Copper Plant. The plan was to expand Sterlite and increase its capacity to produce copper. When locals of Tuticorin came to know about this news they gathered in thousands to protest the expansion. These protestors claimed that the Sterlite Plant was a major pollutant and […]

“Budget 2018: The government takes major steps with the aim of uplifting the nation’s women and children” in TOI Blog

The year 2017 witnessed landmark rulings in the favor of women which were on a standstill for decades, having begun with women appointed in high profile government positions, and keen awareness for child protection. Upholding the national pledge to uplift and protect women and children, the government has kick-started 2018 with greater momentum than the […]

“Bill against Triple Talaq: How long will this fight continue? Include polygamy and Nikah Halala in this Bill too” in TOI Blog

On November 24, a 32-year-old woman was allegedly divorced by her husband via phone call. They were married for 10 years and have children. Her husband uttered “talaq” thrice on the phone as the woman wasn’t able to meet his extortionist demands for dowry. “There were 177 reported cases of triple talaq before the Supreme […]