POV Archives

Baug Standard: The “Majja ni Life” Residents of Every Parsi Colony

Parsi baugs are little ecosystems, the epitome of what it means to maintain a sense of community. To a non-Parsi, sauntering through these little oases in the middle of a hectic metropolis, can appear like the perfect encapsulation of the Parsi mantra of “majja ni life”.

Jackie Thakkar April 2, 2016

POV

Pen-demic Pals: The Joy of Connecting with Strangers During the Time of Coronavirus

During the pandemic, the penpal fad got a reboot. When I started engaging with people outside, I found a radical shift in the way I communicated. Talking to strangers gave me the sense of being in touch with an unknown world outside. It reassured me that life still existed and was not made static by how time felt so warped for me.

Sahej Marwah April 2, 2016

POV

How My Hirsutism Made Me The Son My Father Did Not Have

Dealing with body hair as a woman is one thing, but my condition meant that hair grew in places that would make people scrutinise it. Incredibly, it’s something that brought me closer to my father like never before.

Junisha Dama April 1, 2016

POV

Remake Game of Thrones! Remove Robert Pattinson! Have We Reached Peak #FirstWorldProblems?

We’ve come to see petitions as a way to be loud when we’re tired of Twitter. From disgruntled fans demanding Game of Thrones’ final season be remade and Robert Pattison be recast as Batman, to actual do-gooders trying to save the environment, the online petition is the new outdoor rally.

Kahini Iyer March 31, 2016

POV

Why Many Young Women Refuse to Enter the Kitchen

My mother belonged to a time where the kitchen was a woman’s prison and her call of duty. She has spent, what seems like, an entire lifetime inside the kitchen. It’s why I seem to have spent the better part of my life running away from it. Choosing to not have a relationship with cooking, almost felt like the only way to protest.

Poulomi Das March 31, 2016

POV

History or Politics, What’s the Real Reason for Changing City Names?

Cities with names that point to India’s real history are an embarrassment to those who wish to rewrite the past. Running out of time before next year’s election, renaming cities and building extravagant statues feels like a relatively low-risk, high-reward approach for the government to leaving a lasting impact.

Dushyant Shekhawat March 31, 2016

POV

Why We Need to Sustain the Anti-CAA Protests Peacefully

The silver lining to the dark cloud of the anti-CAA protests is that the Act went from being something that people had heard about but not fully understood, to the subject of a mass movement. Now, there is a sense that this idea is not fringe anymore. There’s a feeling that it could get better.

Deepak Gopalakrishnan March 30, 2016

POV

Help! My Kid Is A Boss and I’m A Hapless Employee

My kid, or kids in general, are pint-sized entitled beings who think they rule the world as well as the people in it. They are simultaneously both difficult bosses and clueless clients. They throw tantrums and dismiss efforts, leaving me with nothing but a migraine. Unfortunately, there is no leaving this office and no smoke breaks. My kid will rule over my life forever.

Vani Rane March 29, 2016

POV

Shortest Horror Story Ever: The Indian Family Gathering

An Indian family gathering could go either way – flat-out boring or laugh-out-loud exciting, just like Uday Chopra’s Twitter timeline. There’s your grandmother’s ghost nudging you to be on your best behaviour and long-distance relatives asking intrusive questions about your salary.

Ananya Jaishankar March 28, 2016

POV

India’s Netas Might Not Care for the Minority. Its People Do. The CAA Protests Are Proof

When you spend two whole days looking at videos of bleeding students staggering around campus, it’s hard to be hopeful. But considering the spirit with which India is fighting back, maybe there is a silver lining to be seen here. No matter what the politicians say about the colour of anyone’s clothes, the protests are proof that democracy is still alive in this country.

#VALUE! March 28, 2016