society

An Ode to Disappearing Terraces

Terraces seem like a small sacrifice to make in the face of rapid development, and balconies are now presented as the alternative to terraces. Seriously, who are we kidding?

The Myth of Normal

The Myth of Normal

A few openly queer women speak to us about how they view attraction, sexuality, gender, and consent.

Bystander

Standing By

Conceptualised by the Kadak Collective, the Bystander anthology is an ambitious crowdfunded project that aims to gather works created by a diverse group of over 50 South Asian creators from 13 countries.

Fertile Baldness

Fertile Baldness

Shame, non-acceptance, and exclusion unfailingly accompany baldness. But baldness can be fertile, too—for humour and style, if nothing else.


Humans of Hindutva

One Giant Inside Joke

In conversation with the Admin of the wildly popular Facebook page Humans of Hindutva, on satire, subterfuge, and skewering the Right-wing on social media.

Ghosts at a Contested Funeral

Ghosts at a Contested Funeral

Our feelings are second-hand. Our love is constructed. Our beliefs are coloured, our originality validated through artificial art. It has become truly difficult to love without getting hurt.

"Oh, those Calcuttans."

A Nobody, a Nation, and a Few Fugitive Comprehensions

Did my leaving India bind me to it in a way that staying would not have?

The Ramayana Syndrome

The Ramayana Syndrome

What would happen today if an attempt were made to project on T.V. a different version of the Ramayana?

Illustration by Nirupa Roy

Sex, Stories, and Power Trips

We are being told a story; one that elevates downright misogyny to the revered status of Indian Culture.

Sacred Cows, Indispensable Women

Sacred Cows, Indispensable Women

Even in a country as inherently classist as India, a lower class man has far more power than an upper class woman.

The Moral Policeman's Guide to Spotting Immorality

The Painfully Noble Origins of Moral Policing

Apart from what it dresses in, one needs to constantly monitor where the body goes, who it is seen with, and when it can appear in public places.

Words for a Silent Space

Male Justice has marched on undaunted, and mutated into more potent and prurient forms.