Category: Op-Eds
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Our Tryst with Sociality
Read more: Our Tryst with Sociality— Lakshmi Yazhini Gregariousness is believed to be a quality central to the lives of humans. The American Psychological Association defines gregariousness as “the tendency of human beings to enjoy the company of others and to want to associate with them in social activities.” Over time, the word gregariousness came to be associated with feelings of…
2–3 minutes
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All The World’s A Reality Show
Read more: All The World’s A Reality Show— Devika Deevasan If you’re offered 1 million dollars to spend five months in a house with six strangers having your every action documented for the world to see, would you do it? Let’s take a look into the larger, invisible ramifications of agreeing to this hypothetical offer. The first-ever ‘soap opera’ reality show, The…
6–9 minutes
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Combating climate change – Our dystopian future
Read more: Combating climate change – Our dystopian future— Sharanya Kannan Tick, tock, tick, we just lost a tree. Statistics says that we lose an area of primary forest equivalent to a football pitch every six seconds. The spectre of climate change haunts us today and deciphering this environmental catastrophe is unthinkable considering the amount of cooperation and coordination that is required. In…
6–8 minutes
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Anger, Exhaustion and a Neverending News Cycle
Read more: Anger, Exhaustion and a Neverending News Cycle—Sharanya Kannan Recently, I’ve been avoiding the news. I haven’t opened the newspaper in over a month. I’ve muted all the political Instagram accounts I follow. When my parents switch on the TV at night, it takes just one “BREAKING NEWS” flashing across the screen in a violently obnoxious shade of red to send me…
5–7 minutes
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Profile | Stan Swamy
Read more: Profile | Stan Swamy— Juanita Rose Thomas Stan Swamy was widely known as a Human Rights Activist. So, it was surprising for the country when he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). “Human rights” and “terrorism“ are not words you often see together in a sentence or are they? In a…
5–8 minutes
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A Look into Vannam: Insti’s official LGBTQ+ support group
Read more: A Look into Vannam: Insti’s official LGBTQ+ support group— Sharanya Kannan “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” This is exactly what Vannam does. Vannam is an independently run student-led LGBTQ+ support group of IIT Madras. The intention behind Vannam was to create a safe space, in the form of a…
4–6 minutes
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Initiatives for Financial Independence of the LGBTQ+ Community
Read more: Initiatives for Financial Independence of the LGBTQ+ Community— Ridha Shemil Our country is normatively known to the world as the torchbearers of the phrase – “unity in diversity”, however, it is high time that the phrase extends to the LGBTQ+ community as well. India is a country that celebrates its traditional roots and is a land filled with patriarchs and heternormative hypervisibility. …
2–4 minutes
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Representation and Pride: Where do we stand?
Read more: Representation and Pride: Where do we stand?— Sharanya Kannan TW: queerphobia We live in a world where we can watch the wonderful Captain Holt and Rosa Diaz on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Or David and Patrick on Schitt’s Creek, or the iconic Todd Chavez on Bojack Horseman. Or Rue and Jules in Euphoria. The visibility of the queer community in a positive light…
4–6 minutes
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Economic Cost of Exclusion
Read more: Economic Cost of Exclusion— Neeraj BR When I came to Chennai in July 2019 to join IIT Madras, one of the first people my father and I encountered on the street was a trans woman. She started circling us, my father took out his wallet to give her some money. Suddenly, she snatched his wallet but said, “Kavala…
4–6 minutes
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Shatter Glass Ceilings, Cover Them Later
Read more: Shatter Glass Ceilings, Cover Them LaterWhen I was asleep, he pasted newspapers on the windows and secured them with duct tape. Apart from looking distasteful, it was a constant reminder that I needed to be protected from the male gaze. The curious fact remains that he never did these from a place of authority; one could see him tremble with…
5–8 minutes
