Women in the Army
By Rasana Atreya
Published nationally in The Hindu
LAST MONTH a woman army officer, Sushmita Chakraborty, ostensibly disillusioned with Army life, took her life. Everyone rushed to pass judgment on her suicide, which could well have been due to extremely personal, non-disclosed reasons. In a bid to distance itself from the situation, [...]
Archive for June, 2007
Do women belong in the army?
Posted in The Hindu, Womens Issues on June 23, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Unconventional schooling
Posted in Education, The Times of India on June 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
By Rasana Atreya
Published in The Times of India, Pune Edition
Geography lessons from textbooks? That is so passé! Articles from in-flight magazines, a piece from a travel book – those are what might go into a “subject file” for the students of Sanskriti School.
Principal of Sanskriti, Devyani Mungale used to be part of the conventional [...]
Brick Kilns Can Kill
Posted in Environment, The Times of India on June 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
By Rasana Atreya
Published in The Times of India, Pune Edition
That Pune is one of the most polluted cities in India is beyond dispute. But what is especially worrisome is that one of the more significant causes of pollution, a brick kiln, which emits harmful gases, is located right next to a prominent school where hundreds [...]
Consumer rights (or wrongs?)
Posted in Misc, The Times of India on June 15, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
By Rasana Atreya
Published in The Times of India, Pune Edition
Though consumerism has arrived in India in a big way, consumer awareness is still in its infancy. So who is a consumer? One who pays to avail of services or products, says Consumer Activist Aroona Nafday.
Convener of the Consumer Empowerment Centre (phone number 2543-8559), Nafday says [...]
Films Killing Theatre?
Posted in The Times of India, What I think on June 15, 2007 | 1 Comment »
By Rasana Atreya
Published in The Times of India, Pune Edition
“The 4-wheeler class is killing theatre!” exclaims Mohan Kulkarni in despair. Kulkarni, of the theatre promotion company Manoranjan, is convinced that this class is “abandoning theatre to go to multiplexes.”
Kulkarni says, “Only the hardcore audience comes. New audience is not getting created. The youth [...]
Modern Day Slaves
Posted in Human Rights, The Women's Feature Service (WFS) on June 15, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Of Inhuman Bondage
By Rasana Atreya
As edited and published by the Womens Feature Service
The Indian economy is booming and the middle class is reaping the benefits. But one section that seems to be excluded is that of the ubiquitous domestic maids. Though they play a key role in propping up the hectic work schedule and prosperous [...]
Postpartum Depression
Posted in Mental Health, The Women's Feature Service (WFS) on June 14, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Mothers Feeling Blue
By Rasana Atreya
As edited and published by the Womens Feature Service
So strong are stereotypes about the bliss of motherhood that the popular imagination allows little space for the lived reality of many women. Many women find themselves besieged by feelings of negativity – and the consequent guilt – after childbirth.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is [...]
Tendulkar, The Flag and Respect for the Nation
Posted in What I think on June 14, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
By Rasana Atreya
Sachin Tendulkar recently found himself in the midst of a controversy – for cutting a cake, of all things. The Indian High Commissioner to Jamaica had arranged for Tendulkar to cut a cake decorated with the Indian National Flag. A television news channel ran a scoop on this “disrespect” [...]
My doctor got a “C” grade
Posted in Health & Nutrition, The Hindu on June 14, 2007 | 2 Comments »
Flawed system shelters incompetence
By Rasana Atreya
Published nationally in The Hindu
ARUNA CHANDARAJU’S article (“Do not doctor yourself,” The Hindu, January 14), while informative, brings up other issues I would like to address.
Lots of doctors actually prescribe unnecessary medication. [...]
Sexed Up Education?
Posted in Education, The Times of India on June 14, 2007 | 1 Comment »
By Rasana Atreya
Published in The Times of India, Pune Edition
Sini recoils in horror at the idea of sex education for kindergarteners. “They’re too young!” she exclaims. Mother of a 4 1/2 year old boy, she is fuming at the recent decision by the Central Board of Secondary Education to introduce sex education for children [...]
