Will it benefit or backfire? The risks and rewards of trade relations with Israel

By Aditya Bhargava

 Israel has been a topic of debate for decades, with various questions arising about its viability and legitimacy as a state. Moreover, it’s recent actions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have sparked widespread controversy, leading a few countries to especially reconsider their trade relations with Israel as they may have to face various repercussions such as questions upon their global reputation and strained relations with other allies. Such a relation may prove to be more disadvantageous than beneficial, and other relations may be compromised, especially if they maintain extensive networks within the Middle East. 

One country facing such complications is Russia. For the second year running, their trade with Israel—largely supplying Israel with high-grade weaponry and arms—has exceeded over 5 billion dollars. Conversely, Syria and Russia also hold close relations that run far deeper than Russia’s relations with Israel. In fact, Russia holds extremely high stakes in Syria, owning large swathes of land, which favourably impacts Syria’s GDP. With its extensive and long-running relations, Russia has backed the Bashar Al Assad regime in Syria, which coincidentally has anti-Israel sentiments. This has put pressure on Israel and effectively forces Syria into a dilemma. Syria can either retaliate and attack Israel, risking relations with a country they are indebted to, or maintain favourable relations with Russia but face direct violence from Israel. If Russia is to continue trade with Israel, then it risks its assets in an already volatile Syria. Thus, by maintaining trade relations with Israel, Russia’s close ties with another country are compromised.

Another reason why trade relations with Israel may put a country at a disadvantage is its high vulnerability to regional disputes. Israel’s unique position in the Middle East is a large component of why they are the US's closest allies, providing a pathway for the US to pursue their own objectives (such as imposing sanctions on Iran). However, as an “outsider” country - only 6 out of 18 countries in the Middle East formally recognize Israel - it is extremely susceptible to regional disputes, especially from powerful organizations such as Hezbollah. Such organizations, by confiscating goods or intercepting carrier ships, pose a significant threat to Israel’s ability to grow its economic power. It also risks a spillover, wherein another region’s political problems may spread out to Israel. Such political uncertainty is not helped by Israel’s determination to carry out raids upon Syria while exploiting Lebanese sovereignty. This may lead to UN interventions, often consisting of sanctions and limitations on exports. Thus, regional disputes may affect Israel’s economic power, and consequently affect its trade.

Alternatively, building relations with Israel may increase a country’s prosperity because of Israel’s ties with the USA. Israel has had close relations with the USA since the country’s formation, serving as the USA’s main ally in the Middle East and occasionally carrying out White House driven objectives. Thus, it may be plausible to assume that the USA is dependent upon Israel’s well-being. This can be seen in the power of the Israel lobby upon American political figures, as well as Israel’s effect upon US actions in the Middle East. For instance, the Iraq War in 2003 was largely due to strained relations between Israel and Iraq, leading to US involvement. Meanwhile, US presidents often seem pressured to maintain relations with Israel. Obama was forced to, at the very least, support Israeli objectives despite sharing mutually antagonistic relations with Benjamin Netanyahu (the Israeli Prime Minister). Thus, it may seem prudent for a state to pursue trade with Israel and consequently build relations with the USA. This has proven especially advantageous for China, to whom Israel exports $4.8 billion worth of products. It is no secret that the USA and China have strained relations, mostly due to the fight for economic power. In fact, the USA has attempted to restrict Chinese influence by sanctions, but, for the most part, such efforts have been in vain. Israeli relations with China also lower the chance of the US taking any drastic measures. Given the degree of interdependence between Israel and China, any harsh actions will not only affect China, but also Israel and the USA.

Countries should perhaps refrain from extensive trade due to the vast number of controversies surrounding the region, as well as the volatility of Israel’s well-being due to the tension between non-state actors such as Hezbollah and political tension with neighbouring countries. Although trade relations with Israel may occasionally be beneficial, trade relations with Israel may actually blemish a country.

Citations:

Israel Trade Relations

Syria and Russia

Israel Recognition

US and Israel

Israel and UN relations

A Close-Look at Music Therapy

By Iraa Shri Mantri

It was in the backseat of my mother's car, listening to old recordings of ghazals, when I became aware of my love of music. Music has always been part of my life, whether it was my grandma  loudly singing bhajans around the house or my mother's music playing softly on the stereo. I remember belting out Bruno Mars’ “Just the way you are” in the car, drowning out the traffic around me. 

Although I was always an outgoing and friendly person, it wasn't until the global pandemic that I realised how much music was a part of my life. As collective grief and personal despair set in, I came to realise that music helped me through this time. Intrigued by its calming effect on me, I began to read about music therapy and its benefits. 

Recent studies published in the journal Music and Medicine show music affects mood. These studies look at how the power of music can improve and speed up mental and physical healing, enhance quality of life and even improve memory. In children, music has shown to encourage social interaction and cooperation. Like exercise, listening to music increases serotonin and oxytocin levels in your brain, acting as an energy booster and fostering feelings of love and bonding. 

An experiment by pLoS showed that after being shown a sad face and happy face while listening to music, people saw happy faces more frequently than sad ones. This kind of therapy uses music to reduce stress, improve mood and enable self-expression. It also helps address a variety of disorders including cardiac conditions, depression, autism, substance abuse and Alzheimer’s disease. There are two fundamental types of music therapy- active and passive. The active process requires clients to play a role in creating music, singing, writing songs or playing an instrument themselves; whereas the passive process requires clients to listen and respond to music. 

Loud, upbeat songs, especially rock, are used all the time to reduce stress. These signs introduce uplifting images and enthusiasm. Researchers at arts therapy provider Chroma conducted a survey and found that songs by rock artists like Queen, Pink Floyd, and Bob Marley are most effective in uplifting one's mood. Songs with strong melodies and rhythms have been proven incredibly efficient in calming a person and improving concentration. During the lockdown period, I kept myself happy by listening to songs that made me want to get up and dance. Rock, pop, and jazz! But when I wanted to concentrate and calm down, soft piano music helped me. 
Writing and performing your own music or spoken word piece, with friends and family, on any platform can be healing — not only for you, but it can also help start important conversations in your community and through the power of music, you can create change and share positive messages about mental disease. Music therapy is accessible to most, but remains underrated and unknown about. Its benefits, as you can see, far outweigh costs!

Stereotyping in School Dress Codes

By Pooja Shah

It was a regular assembly morning in kindergarten. Usually, at the end of such mornings, we would learn a poem, be it about fruits or animals. Considering that this was almost 10 years ago, I shouldn’t be able to recall much anyway. However, I do remember one specific extract vividly, from a poem about colours.

“Boys wear blue,

Girls wear pink,

Be it at the zoo,

Or even at the rink!”

It brazenly cited a stereotype and indoctrinated us into believing that these colours were meant for a specific gender only. Learning such things in my formative years prepared me for a world with two genders. Male and Female. I never bothered to educate myself about the terms “gay” or “non-binary”, until the recent past. The fact is that everyone is not the same. Everyone doesn’t feel the same. Everyone doesn’t look the same. Some don’t want to look the same. And some don’t want to dress the same. Hence, in my opinion, having selected dress codes at schools and universities does not do justice to its students’ personalities. 

All schools have a uniform policy that is to follow government equality guidelines, which state that uniforms must meet the needs of and should not discriminate – gender and gender reassignment. The majority of private schools limit girls to only wearing skirts. This is an example of a gendered dress- ensuring that it separates males and females in an obvious way, suggesting that trousers are solely for boys and skirts are solely for girls. Some schools with strict dress codes often claim that such regulations prevent in-class distractions and create a workplace-like environment. However, in an age of easy internet access, controversies are cropping up over whether excluding students from the classroom for violating dress codes is necessary, and whether such rules are disproportionately enforced against girls. Dress codes encourage modest apparel, but by doing this they are also encouraging overly restrictive, and often sexist, gender norms of past centuries. 

Educators and sociologists have argued that dress codes grounded in such logic may also amplify a broader societal expectation- that women are the ones who need to protect themselves from unwanted attention. 

Gender non-conforming students have also clashed with similar policies- that the authorities rigidly dictate how kids express their identities. Transgender students have been sent home for wearing clothing different from what’s expected of their legal sex. These cases are prompting their backlash. 

On a personal note, skirts weren’t comfortable for my female peers and me back at school. We often felt uncomfortable and found it hard to focus- with the constant thought, “What if it slides up?”. We always wondered why trousers were restricted to boys. Somewhere inside me, there was a serious urge to raise this question. In fact, I did bring this up in conversations with my friends quite a few times. However, I was somehow convinced that this was normal when I got responses like, “You’re being paranoid”, “Don’t overthink it” or “We can’t do anything, so why bother?”. They felt that they would reach a dead end if they were to pursue this thought and moved past it. It’s really sad how we call ourselves citizens of a developing world- working towards equality on a global scale, with low to no emphasis on “Accurate Gender Education” in a person’s formative years. Wearing uniformed clothing according to one’s personal choice should be normalized. Be it a trans man wearing a skirt or a bisexual girl wearing trousers.

So, how is India dealing with this situation? 

“When she was in school, Noida-based online content creator Swati Sen was horrified when a teacher lifted her skirt to check if she was wearing shorts underneath. “The same teacher used to also grab our shirts to see if we wore a slip inside. It was humiliating.”

For us, they had kurta-pyjama with dupatta, and for men, they wanted them to be dressed in formals — no uniform, but a dress code,” she laughed.

Current gendered dress codes are unfair and uncomfortable, not just for non-binary or transgender, but also for male and female students. Instead of tinkering with specific rules or training teachers to enforce this dress code better, a different type of dress code is needed that helps schools and students to challenge dominant narratives of who they are or could be. The world is going through a lot right now- with people having trouble agreeing on anything. However, the right to one’s self-expression should not depend on one’s gender, and it should be something that everyone can agree on.

Revisiting Glee: Game-Changer or Problematic?

By Sakshi Kale

When Glee, an American musical drama series, aired from 2009 to 2015, it was deemed ahead of its time in its inclusivity and representation. Capturing the upper middle and high schoolers, the show emphasised teenage struggles with identity, and had a significant impact locally, and globally. 

In India, the show was telecast on Star World. Growing up, my sister, Shreya, and I would watch it religiously every night. So when I decided to write this article, I knew I had to interview her. When asked about the general impact the show had on her when she first encountered it, Shreya said that she was “completely amazed by how diverse the world actually was”. Her view of the world, until the show, had always existed in binaries— living in Mumbai, India, she had a limited perspective of gender, sexuality, and race. She says that in her school when any individuals of the same sex were too close to each other, they were mocked with queer slurs and jokes and that she hadn’t been hesitant to take part in the same. However, Glee made her more aware and accepting of people of all natures and desires. When asked about the musical influence in Glee, my sister said that Glee was so much more than just music. There was a storyline for every single person who watched the show and the fact that it was supported by brilliant music only made it more appealing. It made Shreya more appreciative of the music of the ‘80s and ‘90s, and suddenly, John Lennon and Beck blared through our house a lot more.

However, when I reflect on the show from my present perspective, I relize that  there were significant flaws in terms of the language and narrative of the show, particularly when it came to members of the queer community. In an episode of the show, Kurt, played by Chris Coffler, claims that bisexuals as “just gay men who are confused and don’t want to admit that they are gay”, when Blaine, played by Darren Criss, stated that he might be bisexual. Although Glee did contradict this statement when they introduced Brittany (Heather Moriss) as a bisexual woman, they never let her refer to herself as “bisexual”, instead, calling her “bicurious”. Furthermore, they portrayed her as the most sexually confused character of the show. This representation in Glee was extremely upsetting to me and even sparked outrage on many discussion forums, with users claiming that “Santana's blaming the break-up of her and Brittany's relationship on her being bi, despite that having nothing to do with it, and acting as if two lesbians dating is something inherently different and more serious than a lesbian and a bi girl”, (from Reddit).

Moreover, Lea Michele and other the white characters occupied most of the storylines. Characters of other ethnicities were often stereotyped and used as tokens of representation. Mercedes, played by the dynamic Amber Riley, was a strong black woman and a singer as good as, if not better than Lea Michele’s Rachel Berry. However, Mercedes was always on the back burner of every storyline. Santana, played by Naya Rivera, was also highly stereotyped as  the loud and aggressive Latina. Out of all the parents and grandparents of kids in the LGBTQIA+ community, her grandma seemed to be the only one who had an issue — a classic case of people stereotyping anyone not white as unprogressive. It is also important to mention that the only two Asians on the show were portrayed as awkward, and quiet. Not only were they both depicted as nerds but also had the same surname, ‘Chang’, despite having no relation. 

However, it is important to note that these problematic storylines are only visible to us in hindsight due to our broadened perspective. Despite Glee brimming with stereotypes and bias, we can’t deny that it had a significant impact on its Indian audience. The show challenged their understanding and world view. It introduced them to a wide spectrum of gender, sexuality, and class. I initially watched the show when I was nine years old, and felt as though I was exposed to a whole new world. Recently, I was scrolling through Netflix and decided to rewatch Glee; and boy, oh boy,  was I not let down. 

Glee helped me accept myself in more ways that one can imagine. Being bullied never leaves you or allows you to feel completely confident in your skin. However, watching Kurt and David’s storyline, I was able to feel a lot better about myself, realising I had done nothing wrong and it wasn’t my fault. Moreover,  seeing the majority of parents on the show being accepting of their childrens’ sexuality and desires, helped me come out to my parents. Thus, despite its imperfections, I recommend that all teenagers struggling with any kind of high school problems, watch this show. 

Discovering Makeup: A Journey of Self-Love

By Eshanika Kajaria

My first interaction with makeup was probably when I was seven, I walked up to my mother’s dresser and smeared lipstick across my face, but that was about it. Make-up came back to me when I turned twelve: I started watching tutorials that helped me use makeup, starting with base makeup, simple looks involving minimal tools and supplies and then moving on to more complex looks like vibrant eyelids, bold liners. 

Make-up gave me a new sense of power: I could control how I looked, I could paint myself in beautiful shades. Despite this, I hid my love for make-up from my friends, who would indirectly mock women who used make-up, condescendingly stating that they probably did it to seek attention. As I continued to practice using makeup alone, in my room, I began to wonder how this fit in with my identity as a feminist. Why did I find so much shame attached to something that made me feel so good? As I began to read about this on the internet, I learnt about internalised misogyny, which makes us believe that femininity and feminism can’t go hand in hand. Makeup is laden with confusing associations: patriarchal, promiscuous, not professional. Yet to not use it makes women prudes, dull, and unattractive. Make-up shaming, I began to feel, had to stop. 

In the American court case of Jesperson v Harrah’s Operating Company (2006), a female bartender was terminated because she refused to abide by the dress and grooming code of the defendant employer which required female employees to wear large amounts of makeup; while men were not permitted to wear any makeup at all. The main contention of the plaintiff was that the makeup rule, “took away [her] credibility as an individual and as a person.” This was because it offended her sense of self; she was made to maintain an appearance which she believed inconsistent with her self-perception.  Feminists are divided on this makeup vs no-makeup issue, but at the core of it, feminism is about equal rights, fair representation and personal choices. Choosing to wear or not wear makeup should not be an invitation to be shamed or felt bad about. To be able to make such a decision shows that a woman isn’t conforming to what society has decided for her.

According to a 2011 study by researchers from Boston University and Harvard Medical School, women who wear a “professional” amount of makeup in the office are seen as more competent, capable, reliable and amiable than women who sport a bare face. (It’s worth noting that the study was funded by Procter & Gamble). While wearing “professional” levels of makeup may help you at work, you do have to be careful not to look too nice. A 2019 study found “attractive business women are judged as being less truthful than less attractive women”.

This is just a few examples of the hundreds of double-standards that are at work everyday. Women still have to be careful of how they behave regardless of makeup or not, being too nice may give off the wrong message and being blunt may give you a “feminist” reputation. Empowerment lies in women making choices by themselves without any shame or guilt attached.

Recognising the many ways in which make-up is dictated by the male-gaze, it was hard for me to fully love makeup. But I did  realise that I was not answerable to anyone for my choices and decisions. From thereon I made myself believe that I need not justify each and every decision of mine. I didn’t want to live within the boundaries society has set for me. I want to be my own identity.

Now, my dressing table is scattered with various brands: sustainable ones, foreign ones. There are brushes and colors everywhere. I find myself using these to express my moods. My makeup decides my aesthetic for the day, somedays I go for a more natural look with soft pink eyeshadow. On other days, my eyes pop with bold, commanding eyeliner. 

Discovering and accepting makeup gave me a unique sort of confidence. I started to love myself, and it just made me comfortable in my skin. I know that there are many out there who are yet to discover their passions too but are held back by society’s expectations and boundaries. The day when women feel free to make their own choices and decisions, especially with regards to their body, will be the day that feminism grows stronger. 

Unacknowledged Racism in India

By Navya Goel

As we stayed shut inside our houses to protect ourselves from the spread of coronavirus, the world brought in front of our eyes injustices that often went unseen in the daily course of life during what we might call normal times. 

One of the highlights of the issues brought to our attention was the gruesome and instituitionalised murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer. This incident sparked a number of protests in the US and worldwide,  bringing to the forefront the horrors of  centuries-long racial discrimination against the Black community in the USA and around the world and the dangerously growing white supremacy.

Even though the word Racism is more commonly used to describe discrimination against people of color, it is not limited to this definition. Racism can curtail discrimination towards people of different cultural identities and groups, appearances, occupation  and beliefs as well. 

From the beginning of the pandemic we have witnessed growing  hostility towards our  fellow east asians and  the chinese in particular. Anti-Asian rhetoric has been  portrayed on various social media platforms such as twitter, tiktok and facebook and of course by none other than  Donald trump, by calling the corona virus the  “ chinese virus” and acting disrespectfully towards an asian journalist, when asked questions about his brilliant handling of covid-19 in the country. 

Looking closer at home( India), most of us Indians would think that we cannot be racist as we ourselves are people of color and diverse identity  but actually that is not true. Racism and xenophobia are quite prevalent phenomenons in our society too.  

Starting with the freshly heightened prejudice against the north-east indians due to Covid-19, its noted that Appearance and facial features play an important role in the social life and treatment one receives from people around oneself in india as well. North easterners during the pandemic , have been referred to with several names including “ coronavirus”  and have been thrown slurs at for nothing but their physical appearance. In many areas the north easterners have also been threatened and asked to return to China,they have been denied treatment and often asked questions like “ are you from china?”.  They are often called names like   “momos” or “korean” or whatever terms that can be given a derogatory tone But these words are not minted recently. They existed from long ago, primarily because most tribes and communities of pre-Independence, pre-British times lived an isolated life content with their remoteness and  this pandemic has only given the racism against them a violent turn. These words might not seem offensive or provocative to many but it questions their identity and nationality and goes on to show disacceptance on the part of their fellow country men. While these outbursts are blatant representations of skewed power relations, they are part of a larger, more permanent structure, which has existed for much longer. The disregard for the plight the northeastern community faces is reflected in the kinds of State policies, the lack of redressal mechanisms or even institutional acknowledgement of their particular struggles. These small instances of casual racism have led to development of systemic racism and caused both physical and mental harm to the community. The north easterners are not just judged on their appearance but also on their choices such as having tattoos through which  they are presumed to be drug addicts and many times the north eastern women have been considered prostitutes for similar reasons. The newly released “Axone” on netflix, also brings to light the struggles faced by the northeasterners through the theme of food habits. These facts point out to an important learning that even though racism towards north easterners perhaps may not exist on a full blown scale, it certainly exists on individual level to a great extent. 

Going further,  the Indian obsession with fair skin  and simultaneous dislike towards brown and dark skin  is a paradox worth paying attention to. In the wake of violent protests against racism worldwide and the severe backlash on its fair-skin promoting marketing campaign all these years, the global consumer giant hindustan unilever announced that it will rebrand it’s skin lightening cream “ Fair and lovely” to “Glow and lovely”, not realising this doesn’t quite solve the issue being addressed. 

In India, the notion of fair skin being superior came into existence during colonial times and has seeped into all aspects of life. Having fair skin is not only considered advantageous but also desirable especially in marriages. Until recently several matrimonial sites provided indian users with a skin color filter in order to select the right bride or groom.these notions also take root in portrayals and beauty standards set by the media and fashion industry that cause not only mental distress but also also hamper self-esteem to a great level. Many people are obsessed with trying out products that make them look “fairer” to conform to these illogical beauty standards and many often find themselves struggling as having a darker skin somehow puts them at a social disadvantage. People of darker skin tones are usually perceived as low, unacceptable or not presentable and not “attractive enough” even though Indians themselves majorly have darker skin tones. This Prejudice can be seen in practice when north indians come across south indians or associate darker skin tones with south indians or  in their  treatment towards the african americans and nigerians who are presumed to be “bad influences” and “ drug dealers “. They are labelled with various terms  such as “kallu” ( meaning black) and not given the opportunities and social acceptance  they thought they would get in a diverse and so called “accepting indian society”. The indian obsession with fair skin and dislike towards darker skin tones go on to show the lasting impact the west has had on our country and continues to have, by shaping not just its beauty standards  but also its markets, jobs and social behavioral practices. 

Lastly let's look at the old, infamous and still prevalent caste system of india. It finds its  roots  in notions of “purity” and “pollution” determined by the upper castes, guided by the hindu religion. 

Caste system divides communities on the basis of availability of resources, occupations and social position and leads to differential and disrespectful treatment of the ones that come below in the hierarchy. The Hindu sociocultural system was traditionally divided into castes that were exclusive, hereditary, and endogamous. They were also ranked and unequal and thus appeared to have many of the characteristics of “race.” But the complex caste system was not based primarily on skin colour, as castes included people of all physical variations.Over the years the caste system has evolved to incorporate groups outside the prescribed ones and has also dissolved in terms of intensity in comparison to what it used to be in earlier times. Even though there is awareness and progress on getting rid of the system in urban areas. The caste system matters greatly to several communities that include many from  the educated and the rich of metropolitan cities and the rural neighbourhoods. Many times it's seen that they are judged on their appearance and despite the abolition of untouchability, an informal way of reinforcing the practice has been seen in certain scenarios . For instance, treatment of servants and helpers. The caste system has caused many minority communities to face not just economic disadvantages but also social disadvantages. It has fueled violence against and between these communities; caused trauma and loss of life; led to a  fight for basic rights and equal treatment  and has stamped their lives with a long and hard struggle. Such racism is often justified in the name of god and in a society like ours it's a weapon to mobilize and influence thousands. The caste system in India is so deep rooted that an overview such as this, is not enough to explain its complexity and problematic nature. 

When people of such a diverse country often unsee and let go of the obvious racism in their country or choose to not acknowledge it, one is compelled to think about the depth of these issues  that continue to survive and are likely to become more prominent  with the ever growing diversity and disparities as a result of  development and technological advancement. Racism in India is a problem that not only needs more research and scholarly study but also more attention. It's imperative that people start recognising and analysing their own behavior and prejudices before jumping on to the band wagon and shouting support for the black community in the west whilst mistreating them in their own  country.The focus is to acknowledge that racism is of the mind and not skin or any feature and oppose racism from level 0 that is individual, following up to community, then one’s own country and then the rest of the world.  It's important that indians accept their own skin color as attractive and desirable  and its time they act on opposition to caste system and discrimination against any group based on stereotypes and prejudices as it only leads to instability, creation of more division and unwarranted struggles for those communities. 

Not Black Nor White

By Mauraya Sharma

Over time, I have come to realize that most people fall on a spectrum of what I refer to as "the grey-scale." Human beings aren't one-dimensional as a larger proportion of people identify with aspects that are much more nuanced. However, we continue segregating people based on standard stereotypical titles; for instance 'gay' and 'straight' or 'atheists' and 'religious extremists' or 'democratic' and 'fascist'. While we recognize that most people identify as somewhere closer to one binary or another, there is this vast spectrum of people that exist in between; in reality, presenting a complex number of diverse perspectives that adhere to both extremes, yet only to a certain extent. For instance, a law that allows a boss to fire an employee for homosexual behavior - what is the definitions of 'homosexual behavior'? What is the relationship between the employees and the boss? Most importantly, where do you draw the line? By the people who have had one or two heterosexual experiences so far? Or by the people who have only had one or two homosexual experiences so far? Where exactly does one have the right to be classified to one binary or the other? What truly defines us in these categories?

Furthermore, what about the 'in between-the-lines' boys who like 'feminine' haircuts but love growing 'masculine' beards or the girls who paint their fancy nails but dress in a 'masculine 'demeanour. There are some Hindus who read the bible. There are some religious people that never take part in traditional religious activities. There are some people who belong not to one specific culture or location but are now called the urban culture. There are girls who like girls and boys, and there are boys who like boys and girls. So why is everything so forcefully differentiated?

Another night ends and day breaks, yet these questions remain perched on our eyelashes and constantly churning in our guts. We cannot let go of them.

The "grey" lives in light and shadow, it is both in the home as much as it looks out into the world. It feels with its heart and its mind. It is both tender and strong, masculine and feminine. It is one, both and neither of the two extremes. It makes us look for answers. It tells us stories of these dualities and the lives that are nor black, nor white but rather everything in between.

Where To Now?

By Srija

COVID-19 has turned the world upside down, changing lifestyles, creating new normals, a world that would have been unrecognizable just a few mere months ago. On a smaller scale, countries have been struggling to bring their increasingly faltering economies up to par, trade, export, and import becoming terms virtually unheard of in this era. What does this spell for the global economy, the previously powerful countries that held the rest of the world in its palms? But more specifically: how will this impact the lives of students, those who recently graduated?

Primarily, looking at it from the global perspective, the global power in terms of the economy are rapidly shifting, though the absolute outcome will only be visible in a post-COVID world. Primarily, this pandemic has forced the spotlight on countries with major influence, the rest of the world observing their action and the manner in which they choose to handle the situation. Though the sudden imitation of lockdown left the lower working class of India in the dark, causing turmoil within the country, the promptness of the government displayed efficiency, the consequences following later. The United States, on the other hand, saw a rapid spike in the number of cases, overtaking China within a matter of days. Furthermore, prior to the Black Lives Matter movement, protests against lockdown neutralized the steps taking by their government, regardless of the effectiveness. The steps taken by the government of the United States have been perceived as reckless, and looking back upon the recent laws passed by Trump, concerning immigration, the future of colleges does not seem too bright. Additionally, the impact of this virus will be significant — affecting college tuitions, donations — and Trump failed to uphold the legacies of several Ivy Colleges by handling the situation with a certain hastiness that will cause major backlash.

A second priority begins to come into play: observing the response and recovery of China. China has shown to be extremely susceptible to declines in the foreign market and declines could challenge the credibility of the Chinese Communist Party. Suspicions against China are seen to be largely common, with various Twitter accounts promoting the Chinese Communist Party whilst others accuse China of withholding crucial information with regards to the virus. Pertaining specifically to students, China remains to be a consideration any longer, formerly a hub for the sciences, but now a country constantly curbed, due to its rapidly falling economy and the amount of hate being faced on a daily basis.

Thirdly, when taking into consideration the entire scheme, the issue can very visibly be traced back to the money colleges receive in the forms of donations, put towards scholarships and reservations for struggling, aspiring students. Monetary problems are plaguing each citizen, with stable sources of income a thing of the past. Those who donated in former times, money to be put towards campus expansions or simply offering a helping hand, can no longer be counted on. Tuition and scholarship money is being cut down, whereas the traveling ban prevents in-person learning, resorting to online classes. Another area to be examined, excluding India, China and the United States, would be the UK. The recent implementation of Brexit implies a cheaper college going experience, turning the country into one of the top viable options. 

In conclusion, the shift of global powers is an ongoing process, and the manner in which a country takes it into stride is of the utmost importance, especially if it is a country with a certain amount of influence over the rest of the world. The future is unknown, but the steps taken by a country, or a group of countries, show their efficiency and leadership, the United States displaying the opposite, whereas China does not fall into this category whatsoever.

Mental Health

By Chahat, Dia and Sehan

Aditi…Kabhi Kabhi To Lage Zindagi Mein Rangeen Kushi Aur Na MazaKabhi Kabhi To Lage Har Din MushkilAur Har Pal Ik Saja

Let's be honest we have all felt like Aditi at some point in our life. Depression is something that can happen to anyone at any time. It doesn’t require a “real” reason; even though there are a lot of things changing in our culture, depression is still one of those taboo subjects that are surrounded by misinformation. When I was going through depression, my life really did feel colorless and dull. The hardest part for me was to accept it and talk about it. Over time, I realized through reading, that my negative thoughts were not the cause of my depression: rather, the result of it. That set me off on my journey of recovery. I engaged in measures that would relax my mind and reinvigorate it, but they were hard to initiate. One day, while feeling particularly down and disturbed,  I experimented with some music. Dancing by myself in my room, laughing, and enjoying it seemed to help me feel better. It was easier to take other steps afterward. I started coloring, something I never thought I would do, but was surprisingly beneficial. I felt calmer, more relaxed, and was better able to reason out my negative thinking. However, the most difficult and effective step was reaching out. Like most other victims of mental illness, the first thing I did was withdrawing from relationships and social situations. No matter how much I tried to justify this to myself— eventually, I realized their presence made me feel stronger and safer. Talking to near and dear ones would let me hear my own thoughts out loud and lessen the tangle that was my head. The solutions and advice from others also guided me on the right path. Speaking from personal experience, the aforementioned steps really helped me in coping with my anxieties. This global pandemic is a tough time for everyone, so make sure you reach out to a friend and express whatever is on your mind. Meanwhile, keep checking-in with others as well and contribute to a healthy and supportive network. 

Depression. Anxiety. Paranoia. The WHO reported that one in every four people experience mental or neurological disorders. In the hustle-bustle of our everyday lives, a majority of us deem extreme and constant negative emotions to be routine. As a teenager entering the final phases of high school, the pressure and anxiety I face is immense. Buried in a knee-high stack of books and content to cover, the stress of exams, social life, and all that comes with being a young adult is often overwhelming. I’m sure a lot of us feel this way; the unfortunate part is that some of us are unwilling or unable to express ourselves. Optimism is what has carried most of us through these difficult times. However, events such as the sudden death of profound theatre persona Sushant Singh Rajput, who took his own life at the hands of mental illness, has started an important conversation. Being homebound has allowed us the opportunity to finally confront this taboo of mental illness: something we avoided for a long time. Those who suffer often fear judgment, lack articulation or the right resources to seek the help they need. What is important to know is — you are never alone. World over, the landscape of mental health awareness is progressing: movements like #HereForYou, Heads Together and several government-run campaigns have grown through social media in hopes to provide assistance and solace to those who need help. By building a community of victims and survivors, openly discussing mental illnesses and destigmatizing this subject, a sense of solidarity is established and people can reach out for guidance more safely and comfortably. Although we may not realize, our mental health plays a crucial role in who we are and are day-to-day lives; it’s time we normalize talking about it and treating it as just another sickness. After all, if we casually visit doctors for ailments, our brain is an organ too! 

“Reel mai jo nibhaya, real mai usse bhulaya”, (What you maintained on screen, you forgot in life.), “Arey! Apni hi film dekh lete, Sushant!” (referring to Chhichhore, which deals with suicide) said News 24 in reference to Sushant Singh Rajput’s shocking and saddening death. Listening to these news reports on India’s biggest news channels really made me ponder over the lengths Indian media agencies will go to increase viewership.

Nationwide Media holds a responsibility to present to it’s viewers content or information without any factual inaccuracy or exaggeration. It has been well known that Indian media presents its information in a manner that is very derogatory, harsh and amplified. I was frenzied with anger and sheer disgust when media outlets stormed into the house of Sushant’s parents within hours of his death. The state of shock that they would be bearing can be genuinely unimaginable. Indian media, you need to know when to draw a line between journalism and outright unethical behaviour. Within the last week or so, almost all the millennials in our nation have become advocates for mental health. But blaming a certain set of actors for his death and even boycotting them just contradicts that much needed advocacy. Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt and Sonam Kapoor were massively trolled for endorsing the controversial concept of nepotism and for not accepting outsiders in a niche and cut-throat entertainment industry. We must understand that Sushant was never really accepted by Bollywood because we never accepted him as one of Bollywood’s best. Sushant has said in interviews “Nobody invites me to their parties, Bollywood isn’t accepting me as family and I always feel leftover”. The reason he feels leftover is because we didn’t celebrate him and his movies like we celebrated Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Karan Johar, Kareena Kapoor. Again, Alia and Karan aren’t the problem. We are the problem because we chose to celebrate them over self-made stars.

In all essence, the media needs to change, in more ways than one. Our approach to social media and television media’s approach to us needs to change. Don’t boycott nepotism. Don’t boycott anything. Just celebrate movies by self-made actors the way you celebrate movies by Bollywood’s privileged members. Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt are not the problem. We are the problem because we didn’t celebrate Sushant as we celebrated them. I am sorry Sushant, you deserve better than us.

Misogyny in Bollywood: Is the Indian film industry influencing the country’s rape culture?

By Sehan Malhotra

Disclaimer

In light of the the ‘Bois Locker Room’ incident and the plethora of other cases like that, many members of India’s youth have been talking about the need to provide sex education to the current generation. However, I feel another great influencer of India’s filthy rape culture is Bollywood. This post talks about the need to eradicate glorified misogyny in Bollywood. I would like to state that the following is only my opinion and I am hereby not stating or distorting facts.

The Kabir Singh controversy

Before I begin to nitpick, I would like to say that I loved Kabir Singh. It was a film which was arguably Shahid Kapoor’s best performance. The Film possessed a powerful story, with authentic characterisation and a scintillating music album. It also highlights issues such as society’s disapproval for marriage and drug addiction. I feel it was one of the best films of 2019 and all of the film's faults can not undermine it’s well-deserved success. However, it has a few problems.

To begin with, there were two main opinions regarding Kabir Singh and they stood radically opposed to one another. One side said that Kabir Singh glorifies misogyny and it basically sums up the reality of a male-dominated Indian culture. The other side said that Kabir Singh merely exercises it’s right to cinematic freedom and portrays a problematic and realistic character with excellent precision. I understand both sides of the argument, but… 

Now the issue with Kabir Singh is that even if Kabir does something morally wrong, he still gets what he wants. During the introductory scene of Kabir Singh, we witness Kabir pointing a knife at a girl asking her to take off her clothes. While this cinematic freedom is allowed, it is not right to play a pacy, adrenaline-inducing soundtrack while this is happening to glorify his actions. This means Kabir is being shown as a hero for his actions. I remember I was in the cinema hall and as this scene played out there was constant hooting. It was as if Kabir’s behaviour was being celebrated.

Kabir obsesses over Preethi, tells her what to do and kisses her the moment he meets her. What punishment did Kabir receive for such blatantly misogynistic behaviour? None. He was rewarded for it because she fell in love with them. This celebrates the behaviour that when a man wants something, he will get it, even if it means dominating his female counterpart. The first time Preethi properly speaks is towards the interval of the film. The film has a scene where Kabir slaps Preethi and instead of fighting for herself, she begs for his mercy. All of this would have been slightly (very slightly) more acceptable if Kabir had realised his mistake towards the end of the film and apologised for his misogynistic behaviour. But instead, he just says they are made for each other and they fall in love again. I hope you understand my point of view. There is the freedom to portray problematic characters, but this freedom shouldn’t lead to these characters being glorified as heroes. They shouldn’t be set up as cool, charming role models.

The sexist concept of ‘Item Songs’

We have all been accustomed to women dressed in scanty clothes dancing around drunk men. These misogynistic songs are what we call item songs. Only made for the sole purpose of gaining revenue and popularity, these songs are met with cheering in halls. While this may be a promotion gimmick, some bright minds of this country feel it is their right to treat women like the men in these item songs. It’s also hard not to mention the vulgar lyrics these songs have.  For example -? Boycotting films that endorse such horrific female objectification is one way to eradicate male dominance in today’s film industry.

Obsession and stalking by men in Bollywood

We have witnessed many a times that a man sees a woman who he finds attractive at first sight. He then goes on to tell his friends and together they stalk her, extract personal information about her and obsess over her. And all of this is justified in the name of love at first sight. One of the most celebrated and remembered films of India’s golden era of Bollywood is Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). This film tells us that it is okay for a man to stalk a woman if he can convince her to fall in love with him. To make matters worse, the best way to treat this woman is to reject her just so her father can be the one deciding whether she can marry him or not, highlighting her complete lack of choice in this situation.

Another example of this grotesque behaviour is Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017). Varun Dhawan plays a stalker who is violent, who harasses and even kidnaps the woman he obsessed over, despite her constant refusal. The girl is shown to tolerate this behaviour and even fall in love with him. When such behaviour is rewarded with the girl falling in love with the man, a sector of the Indian population feel that they have the right over a girl without her consent. We need to stop celebrating and appreciating such films.

Section 375: An exemplary work of realism

Section 375 (2019) focuses on the premise that a film director is accused of raping a costume assistant. This film could have been just a well-made courtroom drama which supports the female side of things. However, it also highlights the misuse of the #MeToo movement. Despite this, it doesn’t glorify either the man’s point of view or the female’s point of view. At the end of the film, you are not rooting for either character, but you understand that rape accusations can go either way and making early judgement is something which can lead to distorted information. This fine work should be held as an example of how to treat complex and sensitive subject matters like rape.

The Dragon on a Bandwagon

By Shreya Suri

“Undaunted will of supremacy can be venomous” - well it seems the expression is befitting for China and the ways it looks at the world today. Over the years with infilmital allegations , the nation has arisen it’s pivotal aspirations of Global dominance and euphoric communist ideologies that seem to be combating the world with alluring monopolistic trade policies and convicted economies. This pang is not a  current exposition perhaps this has been dominantly prevailing over the Chinese dynasties. Their prognosis attempts to create global necrosis. However, the only optimistic ray that we may bask in is the thought process and ability of the Chinese Government to make use of the resources and manpower to its optimal level; this certainly is commendable and needs to be imbibed.

Communism in China seems to be devoid of any “ism” but only pronounces exertion and dominance. Rather it adopted a pseudo capitalist path of suffocation with the banal principles of communism furrowed to their own selfish gains. Marginalizing the minorities, spelling an autocratic standpoint now resulted in civil disobedience - directed towards the Muslim minorities. The Marxism ideology is directly linked to the ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Ideology prioritizes demoniac patriotism as the core. Moreover, the socialist concept of honor and disgrace constitutes the basic contents of its core values with a sole agenda to spread its tentacles by prowess, intimidation, or dilapidation. We see the way it took over Tibet and the way they are handling the people of Hong Kong. The dragons fly with a cry at wry to others.

Over the years , it has been seen that China’s urge and quest to dominate the world through various spheres has always been an effulgence on a global platform with a pinch of bitterness, yet as students a key take away from their embedded policies and socio-economic governance is that it is very important to understand and use the manpower and resources that we ourselves have, to the best of our ability. This is a key component to increasing productivity and should be a lesson to learn from them.  It needs to be permeated as a developing nation. China has aptly used its abilities to incorporate its workforce and skills to enhance the pre-existing situation for them and rather construct an aspiration towards ‘Global dominance’. Instead of getting into a catapult of criticism we as students should strain out the dynamics and potency of their sojourn as individuals and a nation and inculcate the attributes amongst us. Sheer imitation would certainly strike jeopardy and we will be left with an utter blame game. The prudence lies in acquiring the jewels and denouncing the dirt and take an indigenous walk to glory. Although the critiques might say that their policies are very corrupted and disrespectful towards global peace, however, they have still acquired a portion of the world under their regime and it is very notable that Chinese policies associated with Communism widely discuss the importance and ability to use your resources to benefit your own self. “ They didn't hold us at gunpoint to join the caravan” - our greed should not be coined as their advent.

 “ You walk with embers, you burn, better skip” - to conclude, it is quite prominent that China has paved a path, under the bonafide idea of “their cry to win and spin the world “. However the nation has surpassed expectations and grew economically and socially under the common mantra of ‘using their resources and manpower to the best of their abilities ‘, theories have used this skill to encompass the discrepancy of the world to their power. However, the spirit of a nation lies in appreciating the desired path suitable for it and the knowledge and vision can embolden the same. They say that we should be influenced and not imitative and to kiss success let’s engineer our plan of action to garner mobility to us an individual, as a society and as a nation. 

Effect of Covid on Global Issues

                                                  By Akshita Poddar

BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT- The past few days saw protests against racism and police brutality in the United States of America. The world watched as hundreds of people gathered in different cities, countries and continents to protest and ask equal rights for black people and other minorities. These protesters were often subjected to violence or were even arrested but they did not give up. This is the positive part of it but through these immense protests in most countries there is risk of COVID-19 further. During rallies, social distancing rules are supposed to be followed but this is not happening.Several officials and organsiations are against this violation but protests continue..I Here are some things that you could do to support this movement :

• Donate to several organisations such as Black Lives Matter

• Sign a petition 

• Support groups such DESTA Black Youth Network (Montreal) which is For those looking for community groups looking for members and leaders going forward, DESTA Empowers Black youth aged 18 to 35 to reach their educational, employability, and entrepreneurial goals. The initiative is the perfect opportunity to grow as an individual or to promote growth in black youth.

• Conduct a fundraiser online

• Manage an event on this topic or a small march to show solidarity

CONFLICTS SUCH AS THAT IN LIBYA AND SYRIA- War-ridden  areas have limited medical facilities and here is a question :Will these health facilities be used for the wounded civilians and military forces or the patients suffering from Covid? Countries such as Libya and Syria have been ravaged by war for almost a decade now and Covid-19 has both its positive and negative impacts on these war-inflicted regions. Both in Libya and Syria there are now two problems at hand, the fighting as well as the covid patients therefore making it an extremely difficult task for the authorities to manage. This leads to pressure on humanitarian workers as well as hospitals and aid is being provided by several countries as well as the United Nations. The United Nations in accordance with WHO launched several health campaigns in these areas and also sent in humanitarian workers to help the civilians and others affected.  

As students in such a world we need to know about the happenings and the plight of people especially the youth in war torn regions and see how different measures are being taken. 

Solutions :

• For ceasefires or any other deals include third party intervention

• Reduce involvement of other countries whose incentives are to support a particular side and fuel the conflict instead of providing a political solution.

•  Working towards reduction of Terrorism as terrorism thrives in areas of political instability and make these countries centers of their activities and islamist movements.

FEUD BETWEEN US AND CHINA- The new coronavirus pandemic is changing everything. The China-U.S. relationship — arguably the most important bilateral relationship in history — is no exception.

American resentment toward China has increased dramatically, stoked by the explicit efforts by the Trump administration to pin the blame for all aspects of the pandemic on the PRC. They also accused China of withholding important information about the virus and not curbing it in the earlier stages. The G7 summit in which USA has categorically left out China has just increased tensions between China and USA as well as Russia and USA. A study shows  that the ongoing US-China trade war has resulted in a sharp decline in bilateral trade, higher prices for consumers and trade diversion effects. This will not only  affect global trade but also bilateral relations among other countries and also lead to increase in proxy wars.

Solutions :

• Involvement of international bodies such as the World Trade Organization and the United Nations

• Not get third parties such as Russia involved as it will just increase the conflict and affect those countries as well.

Covid-19 has impacted our world in so many different ways- in our bilateral ties, economies, conflicts and  protests. The world is facing a major crisis and it is imperative that we work together and help each other fight this battle.

Political Mobilization- A New Era

By Aarushi Bansal
 
“The Intersection of Law, Politics and Technology is going to force a lot of good thinking”- Bill Gates
 
Intergovernmental affairs have always been conducted face-to-face. However, the outbreak is forcing intergovernmental meetings online. The United Nations, its specialized agencies, and other international organizations initially cancelled or postponed large in-person meetings, but given the slow recovery of the world, these organizations are now scrambling to implement the technology and processes to meet online. Some agencies like the ITU, IMF and World Bank have made this switch easily, due to their remote participation even prior to the pandemic; while WTO is taking longer to adjust with implementing virtual participation in its formal meetings. 
 
Diplomats have little familiarity with working online in terms of negotiation capabilities. Likewise, in terms of influence, about 90% of communication is non-verbal which includes body language and eye contact, an important aspect conversing; however, in videoconferencing, the diplomats only have faces to sometimes even just their audio to convey their argument.
 
In India, the pandemic may just serve as a catalyst, bringing the new order to the forefront. Since 2014, India has seen a pretty significant shift towards digital campaigning, and WhatsApp. The pandemic has pushed all parties further in this direction, yet faster. The pandemic is helping consolidate previously apparent trends in political mobilisation of Indian politics. But, there are still barriers to digital communications in India with the highly uneven smartphone penetration of the population. Video conferencing had been widely used in the corporate sectors, but not in politics. Over the last few years, India has seen technological shifts in terms of commerce; likewise, e-commerce provided itself useful amidst the pandemic as shopping habits and consumer behaviour changes rapidly. 
 
This human behaviour of adapting to change quickly and flawlessly as demonstrated by us adjusting to the “new” world is not only prevalent in politics but other major sectors as well, such as education. The pandemic has caused the traditional classrooms to transform into an era of e-learning as several schools adopt e-method and continue to educate young minds as ourselves. 
 
The adoption of smart classrooms by schools in transforming the traditional education system, and this sudden switch is not only limited to private schools but even some government schools. We as students have had to make adjustments, whether in terms of submissions or content learning, as learning has always been in classrooms. Schools are experimenting with a variety of tech such as MS Teams, Google Classrooms, and Zoom. 
 
However, this transition poses its own set of challenges - restrictive interaction between the teacher and the students, and the inequality gap created among the underprivileged who don’t have access to the  internet and e-resources. Nonetheless, amidst the pandemic, e-learning is the most viable growing choice.
 
As the world continues to suffocate with the virus pandemic of COVID-19, the world is going to change in more ways than one, with a transition from human contact  to higher dependencies on technology. This pandemic is an inflection point that has given the old system a huge nudge and a chance to transform. The systems that were already under part-stress from globalization to clusterization, will get newer frameworks which may serve as a new world order – a technologically wired world. As technology has become the forefront of education and jobs, it is subsequently tackling its way into politics and changing the traditional norms of face-to-face meetings.  Personally, I believe that these e-models in various sectors were highly predictable in the foreseeable “pandemic-free” world; the pandemic just sped up this process a few years.
 

Misogyny in Bollywood: Is the Indian film industry influencing the country’s rape culture?

Disclaimer

In light of the the ‘Bois Locker Room’ incident and the plethora of other cases like that, many members of India’s youth have been talking about the need to provide sex education to the current generation. However, I feel another great influencer of India’s filthy rape culture is Bollywood. This post talks about the need to eradicate glorified misogyny in Bollywood. I would like to state that the following is only my opinion and I am hereby not stating or distorting facts.

The Kabir Singh controversy

Before I begin to nitpick, I would like to say that I loved Kabir Singh. It was a film which was arguably Shahid Kapoor’s best performance. The Film possessed a powerful story, with authentic characterisation and a scintillating music album. It also highlights issues such as society’s disapproval for marriage and drug addiction. I feel it was one of the best films of 2019 and all of the film's faults can not undermine it’s well deserved success. However, it has a few problems.

To begin with, there were two main opinions regarding Kabir Singh and they stood radically opposed to one another. One side said that Kabir Singh glorifies misogyny and it basically sums up the reality of a male-dominated Indian culture. The other side said that Kabir Singh merely exercises it’s right to cinematic freedom and portrays a problematic and realistic character with excellent precision. I understand both sides of the argument, but… 

Now the issue with Kabir Singh is that even if Kabir does something morally wrong, he still gets what he wants. During the introductory scene of Kabir Singh, we witness Kabir pointing a knife at a girl asking her to take off her clothes. While, this cinematic freedom is allowed, it is not right to play a pacy, adrenaline inducing soundtrack while this is happening to glorify his actions. This means Kabir is being shown as a hero for his actions. I remember I was in the cinema hall and as this scene played out there was constant hooting. It was as if Kabir’s behaviour was being celebrated.

Kabir obsesses over Preethi, tells her what to do and kisses her the moment he meets her. What punishment did Kabir receive for such blatantly misogynistic behaviour? None. He was rewarded for it because she fell in love with them. This celebrates the behaviour that when a man wants something, he will get it, even if it means dominating his female counterpart. The first time Preethi properly speaks is towards the interval of the film. The film has a scene where Kabir slaps Preethi and instead of fighting for herself, she begs for his mercy. All of this would have been slightly (very slightly) more acceptable, if Kabir had realised his mistake towards the end of the film and apologised for his misogynstic behaviour. But instead he just says they are made for each other and they fall in love again. I hope you understand my point of view. There is the freedom to portray problematic characters, but this freedom shouldn’t lead to these characters being glorified as heroes. They shouldn’t be set up as cool, charming role models.

The sexist concept of ‘Item Songs’

We have all been accustomed to women dressed in scanty clothes dancing around drunk men. These misogynistic songs are what we call item songs. Only made for the sole purpose of gaining revenue and popularity, these songs are met with cheering in halls. While this may be a promotion gimmick, some bright minds of this country feel it is their right to treat women like the men in these item songs. It’s also hard not to mention the vulgar lyrics these songs have.  For example -? Boycotting films that endorse such horrific female objectification is one way to eradicate male dominance in today’s film industry.

Obsession and stalking by men in Bollywood

We have witnessed many a times that a man sees a woman who he finds attractive at first sight. He then goes on to tell his friends and together they stalk her, extract personal information about her and obsess over her. And all of this is justified in the name of love at first sight. One of the most celebrated and remembered films of India’s golden era of Bollywood is Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). This film tells us that it is okay for a man to stalk a woman if he can convince her to fall in love with him. To make matters worse, the best way to treat this woman is to reject her just so her father can be the one deciding whether she can marry him or not, highlighting her complete lack of choice in this situation.

Another example of this grotesque behaviour is Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017). Varun Dhawan plays a stalker who is violent, who harasses and even kidnaps the woman he obsessed over, despite her constant refusal. The girl is shown to tolerate this behaviour and even fall in love with him. When such behaviour is rewarded with the girl falling in love with the man, a sector of the Indian population feel that they have the right over a girl without her consent. We need to stop celebrating and appreciating such films.

Section 375: An exemplary work of realism

Section 375 (2019) focuses on the premise that a film director is accused of raping a costume assistant. This film could have been just a well-made courtroom drama which supports the female side of things. However, it also highlights the misuse of the #MeToo movement. Despite this, it doesn’t glorify either the man’s point of view or the female’s point of view. At the end of the film, you are not rooting for either characters, but you understand that rape accusations can go either way and making early judgement is something which can lead to distorted information. This fine work should be held as an example for how to treat complex and sensitive subject matters like rape.

‘Hate begets hate.’

By Jiya Kathuria, PWSA Grade 11

As inhabitants of this broken planet, we witness incidents of the injustice and chaos that governs it on a daily basis. From racist policies to wars waged in the name of religion, it is apparent that discrimination and division are at the centre of the mayhem.

Although we are amidst a catastrophic global pandemic that has claimed numerous lives across the world, the fight against racism continues as protestors storm the streets in the name of the ‘Black Lives Matter Movement’. When thousands of people risk their lives to demand justice during such a challenging time, it is a clear sign of a flawed system. Although, these protests were triggered by the unlawful death of George Floyd; they are not the result of a single isolated incident. They were birthed out of the need for justice for the lives lost at the hands of officers of the law.

Tamir Rice. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. Brianna Hill. Tony McDade. Darrien Hunt. Sandra Bland. Trayvon Martin. Michael Brown. Eric Garner.

These are just a few names of people who were slain due to nothing but the colour of their skin. These patterns of injustice are a clear indicator of a flawed system.

Moreover, the flawed system is aggravated when we refrain from speaking up. Often, we remain silent because we’re afraid to say the wrong thing, especially because everyone who takes a stand is thoroughly criticized. However, it is imperative to keep in mind that “the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing”, as said by Meghan Markle. 

But silence is compliance in a time wherein the necessary course of action is defiance against a miserably failing system.

Proof of the power that lies in human solidarity can be seen by the extensive changes in policies and practices implemented ensuing the BLM protests. For example, in cities such as: Minneapolis and New York, the city council voted to defund and dismantle the police force and replace them with trained professionals. Furthermore, the protests resulted in an increased sentence for the officers involved in the killing of George Floyd. Moreover, a plethora of similar cases- such as that of Breonna Taylor- were reopened, as the protests compelled authorities to attempt to bring black victims of police brutality to justice.

Additionally, people all across the world have finally begun to take accountability for their actions that have led to the perpetuation of racist policies. For example, numerous celebrities have issued formal and sincere apologies for offensive content created over the years and most of them have taken strict action to rectify their past mistakes. Such as the resignation of the co-founder and executive chairman of Reddit- Alexis Ohanian- to make way of people of colour in the industry. Subsequently, over $100 million have been invested to aid communities of colour across the United States of America. Thus highlighting the revolutionary impact of the ‘Black Lives Matter Movement’ that has resulted in eternally altered dynamics.

As adolescents we must remember that the fight against racism is monumental in defining our future as the youth of tomorrow. While it is helpful and productive for us to sign petitions and employ social media as a tool to create awareness, it is not enough for us to just do that. We must also have those gruelling, heart-wrenching conversations with our loved ones and help them grow by calling them out on their oppressive thought-processes. As adolescents we must also remember that the sole saving grace of this utterly broken world are the notions of unity and love.

Happily Never After

“And they lived happily ever after. The End”. In anticipation of my father arriving home from work and reading me a story, I’d anxiously wait as if every evening was Christmas. Sadly, this tradition began to fade away as the pains of maturing overtook the satiety fairytales gave me. It came hand-in-hand with actuality: poles apart from the fiction I spent my childhood dreaming about. 

J.K Rowling’s quote, “Cinderella? Snow White? What is that? An illness?” made me realise how some fairy tales set unreasonable standards for “beauty”. Comical, isn’t it, that besides the fact that both characters could communicate with animals, they share a common enemy: the wicked step-mother. Not so long ago, in a world with cyber-trolls and one life-changing Apple, I realised that fairy tales distort a young mind’s perception of gender roles in society. 

“Girls with worse body esteem engage more with the Disney Princesses over time, perhaps seeking out role models of what they consider to be beautiful.” Professor Sarah Coyne from Brigham Young University’s conclusions lead me back to my memory as a little girl, holding up a mirror, unable to see skin as white as snow. Think about it! How unfortunate is it that when we close our eyes, the word princess immediately translates to just fancy clothes and a perfect figure? Similar tropes can be viewed in the Ugly Duckling, who’s beauty defines how he is accepted by others. 

First-time stepmother Leslie Jamison’s In the Shadow of a Fairytale was an eye-opener to the dark side of the stigma surrounding this familial role. “It’s as if the step-mother relationship inevitably corrupts — it is not just an evil woman in the role, but a role that can turn any woman evil”. Amongst Snow White, Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel, fairy tales have always portrayed these women to be toxic, abusive and jealous. These notions have been indoctrinated in children over decades! It saddens me to see no effort to reconstruct this cliche. I’m disappointed. From the Brothers Grimm to the internet era, our approach towards conceptualised characterisation has failed to cope with time.  

The concepts of beauty that we are introduced to early in our lives lead to some unrealistic standards of how one should act and be. One’s inability to satisfy these expectations results in friction; in turn, poor self esteem for many. With the increasing prevalence of social media 87% of the participants who took part in a survey by Broadband Search reported that they’d witness cyber-bullying, which includes name calling, body shaming, and such heinous actions against several social media users. 

While these stories do impart valuable morals through a multitude of plots and characters, readers must highlight the negative archetypes surrounding appeal and step-mothers. Although I wholeheartedly recognise the efforts of contemporary media channels to promote a new definition of grace through Frozen (2013) or Brave (2012), the efficacy of the media’s ability to disfigure only a millennium of conformities is debatable.

To further elaborate on the aforementioned point, Disney’s Frozen was a phenomenon that took the world by a storm. Making over 1.2 billion USD in all it’s years, this movie has set forth new morals and standards for all its young viewers. “In the movie Frozen the monster that we see is Elsa, she was a young princess but had strong magic of creating snow and ice, she tried to save her sister but hurt her in the process” (Berhanu, Medium.com). This has brought about a new perspective on what and who we define as a “princess”. Still, I believe that the appearances of the characters stick to the slim body type and do not contribute much to the deconstructing of an ideal appearance. 

With all these factors respectfully taken into consideration, I would also like to mention the efforts of contemporary authors who have created feminist retellings of these age old fantasies. Sleeping Handsome and the Princess Engineer by Kay Woodward and  Cinderella Liberator by Rebecca Sonlit are just two of the thousands of wonderful, equalist and ethical examples of what the fairytales we read should look like. With this being said, I wish for you to open your eyes and dream on with the awareness of a distinction in reality and fantasy. I wish for us all to live happily ethical, happily sensitized and happily informed thereafter. The End. 

Link for feminist retellings

Coloring my Blues

These past few months have been the weirdest that anyone of us has seen. Like almost any student, my life seemed to end in the middle of march seemingly out of nowhere. One moment I was waiting to go home from university and finally see my family again and the next, I was. Happy and bewildered, I landed on Indira Gandhi International Airport before the reality hit me. After waiting 12 hours at the airport and reassuring the officials that I would quarantine myself in one room with barely any contact with my family, I was let out. 

It was disconcerting. Being finally able to see my family but not allowed to hug them or sit with them. As promised, when I reached my hometown, I was quarantined in one room at the corner of my house. The abstract feeling that I might be infected became a very real threat in my head. Just the thought seemed to paralyze me with fear. I felt isolated and afraid. On top of that I had to keep up with my university work and the pressure of writing my final research papers was stressful enough to make me freeze at times.. 

Consumed in Colours 

One of the nights when I was trying to distract my negative thoughts with playing games, I saw an advertisement for an adult coloring app. I had heard of its merits before but not having a single artistic bone in my body I had dismissed it as something for creative people. On an impulse I decided to download the app and see if it actually had any benefits. 

Very soon I found myself lost in the world of detailed designs and the symmetry of mandalas and geometric patterns. It didn’t matter that I was a person who couldn’t draw to save her own life. While coloring my mind seemed to enter a meditative state. It made my anxiety and stress bleed away; it fully immersed my brain in the art of colouring rather than the things that worried me. Every time I felt overwhelmed, I would take a break and start colouring. Apart from calming my brain, I also felt more refreshed afterwards and better able to reason out my negative thinking. I could finally back the claims of psychology journals that stated the therapeutic effects of coloring.

Naturally since it was an app that I was spending a lot of time on, my dad was bound to comment on it, starting his usual lecture on the negative effects of spending too much time on mobile phones. However, soon I got even him hooked on colouring. I am proud to say that nowadays it’s mostly me trying to give dad a mock scolding on spending too much time on his phone. Although the most surprising person in my family to start using this app is my grandma. A person who hardly ever touches her phone but now says that it passes her time and reminds her of her childhood. 

The pandemic is still not over and everyday there seems to be some or the other news on social media that sinks our heart. It is almost impossible to not feel the stress of these times and the uncertainty of our future as students. That is why I really recommend giving this activity a try so that in our hectic days we can have a few hours to give our brain a rest and remember our simpler childhood days. 

What “They” Say

Dr Scott M. Bea Psy.D.’s research explains that the psychology behind the effectiveness of coloring is that, “when thoughts are focused on a simple activity, your brain tends to relax…we are not disturbed by our own thoughts and appraisals. The difficulties of life evaporate from our awareness, and both our bodies and our brains may find this rewarding.” Furthermore, Piedmont Healthcare reveals that it lowers the brain “activity in the amygdala, which is responsible for our fight-or-flight stress response that can lead to inflammation.” On the meditative effects of coloring, neuropsychologist Dr.Rodski  told on Australian Broadcasting Corporation that upon research “the most amazing things occurred — we started seeing changes in heart rate, changes in brainwaves… there are three key elements—repetition, pattern, and detail—that prompt positive neurological responses in participants. When you have things that you can predict will happen in a certain way, it's calming for us.”

Mental Illness in Film

Mental Illness in Film

Article by Mauraya Sharma

Nuances, Complexities, and interpretation: these are often words with blurred lines, that give significance to a film and their characters. Mental illness and its associated disorders are often given to characters to depict a more complex version of an ideal character type, making them a layered filled with flavor. Depiction of mental illnesses in Film often can create a cultural consciousness that allows the victims to be better understood. 

TV shows like ‘Modern Love: Take Me as I am, Whoever I am’ by John Carney elucidate’s on the topic of bipolarity and removes all stigma associated with the disorder, irrational behavior, showing us the true form. Ms. Hathaway enacted her character in a very balanced approach. The problem lies in extreme lethargy rather than the “polar opposite” behavior of victims of bipolarity. Films like ‘Still Alice’ by Richard Glatzer have shown us great beauty and fragility in both performance and exploring mental illnesses: Alzheimer’s. This character is not associated with the cliched stigma, rather more uncommon symptoms are shown, which both humanize the disease and yet created a sense of alarm. 

In today’s time, the blurred lines between fiction and reality may be miss-used, more than we like it to be, especially in films that have gained popularity on the basis of controversial or inhuman activities; and an example of this is the joker by The film’s dominance in the debate about portrayals of mental illness in the movies comes at a curious time. Recently, we’ve witnessed great leaps of awareness about relatively common mental-health issues such as depression and anxiety, and with that awareness, increasing dismissal of the sort of unhelpful prejudices that used to surround them. These are now readily discussed without shame and often represented in the media with a well-informed grasp of the facts, thanks to effective information campaigns.

However, severe mental health conditions, such as psychotic illnesses, remain shrouded in stigma and are consistently misrepresented and misunderstood. Portrayals of mental illness in the film can perpetuate unfounded stereotypes and spread misinformation. One of the more toxic ideas that Joker subscribes to is the hackneyed association between serious mental illness and extreme violence. The notion that mental deterioration necessarily leads to violence against others – implied by the juxtaposition of Phoenix’s character Arthur stopping his medication with his increasingly frequent acts of violence – is not only misinformed but further amplifies stigma and fear.

The Kabir Singh controversy

The Kabir Singh controversy

By Sehan Malhotra

Editors: Udeshi & Mauraya

Before I begin to nitpick, I would like to say that I loved Kabir Singh. It was a film which was arguably Shahid Kapoor’s best performance. The Film possessed a powerful story, with authentic characterization and a scintillating music album. It also highlights issues such as society’s disapproval for marriage and drug addiction. I feel it was one of the best films of 2019 and all of the film's faults can not undermine its well-deserved success. However, it has a few problems.

To begin with, there were two main opinions regarding Kabir Singh and they stood radically opposed to one another. One side said that Kabir Singh glorifies misogyny and it basically sums up the reality of a male-dominated Indian culture. The other side said that Kabir Singh merely exercises it’s right to cinematic freedom and portrays a problematic and realistic character with excellent precision. I understand both sides of the argument, but… 

Now the issue with Kabir Singh is that even if Kabir does something morally wrong, he still gets what he wants. During the introductory scene of Kabir Singh, we witness Kabir pointing a knife at a girl asking her to take off her clothes. While this cinematic freedom is allowed, it is not right to play a pacy, adrenaline-inducing soundtrack while this is happening to glorify his actions. This means Kabir is being shown as a hero for his actions. I remember I was in the cinema hall and as this scene played out there was constant hooting. It was as if Kabir’s behavior was being celebrated.

Kabir obsesses over Preethi, tells her what to do and kisses her the moment he meets her. What punishment did Kabir receive for such blatantly misogynistic behavior? None. He was rewarded for it because she fell in love with them. This celebrates the behavior that when a man wants something, he will get it, even if it means dominating his female counterpart. The first time Preethi properly speaks is towards the interval of the film. The film has a scene where Kabir slaps Preethi and instead of fighting for herself, she begs for his mercy. All of this would have been slightly (very slightly) more acceptable, if Kabir had realised his mistake towards the end of the film and apologised for his misogynstic behaviour. But instead he just says they are made for each other and they fall in love again. I hope you understand my point of view. There is the freedom to portray problematic characters, but this freedom shouldn’t lead to these characters being glorified as heroes. They shouldn’t be set up as cool, charming role models.

Lessons Learned During the Lockdown

Lessons learned during the lockdown

Written by Anoushka Bakaya

Editors: Udeshi, Yuganshi & Mauraya

I believe that the three most important lessons learned during lockdown are

-   Adaptation- Human beings are adaptable to any situation and the need for adaptability has never been greater than it is now. The ability of people to adapt to changes in their environments is a defining characteristic of success and failure. This lockdown has taught us that no matter what the circumstances, we will find a way to get things done. You can take away a person’s resources but you can't take away his resourcefulness. A few months back, who would have thought that work from home will become a norm, online classes for school kids will be well received and each one of us will become a master chef in her/his own right? But we have overcome all the hurdles and we have persevered.

 -   Living with Less- As millennials, we have developed a habit of collecting things, even the things we do not need. Lockdown has taught us that less is more. The scare of Coronavirus has entrusted us with accountability. The lockdown has roused our consciousness about consumption. Suddenly, we are all looking to save, preserve, innovate and we have become aware that sustainability is no longer a lifestyle choice but a survival strategy. Small things like using all parts of a vegetable or using the green part of a watermelon to make a dessert, will become a routine even when we are not battling tough times.

-   Appreciation- People in our life, be it our house helps, doctors and the hospital staff, municipal workers etc form the base of our society and have a major role in making this huge machinery around us work. More often than not we overlook their role. This lockdown has made us realise that appreciating all of these people will take us far. These people work overtime to keep us safe.