Reeling Tales

The Marathi language row in Maharashtra has reignited political tensions, communal anxieties, and regional identity issues — all against the backdrop of the upcoming BMC elections and a sensitive linguistic landscape. The row started after a shocking incident in Bhayander, Thane, where a food stall owner was beaten by activists allegedly linked to the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for not speaking in Marathi. A video of the attack went viral, showing the accused, wearing MNS scarves, confronted the vendor and slapped him after he responded in Hindi. The FIR, registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, mentioned ''unidentified persons'', and despite the viral video, the accused were released on bail within hours since the charges were non-cognizable. MNS workers have also been putting pressure on businesses and banks to use Marathi in signage and transactions. The controversy escalated further when Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former MP R...

From bustling newsrooms to conflict zones, women in journalism are increasingly becoming targets of harassment, intimidation and violence, and ironically they are victims not for falsifying stories or flouting ethics, but simply because they are honestly doing their jobs. Their gender often makes them more vulnerable as these journos are often exposed to a specific kind of threat that male counterparts rarely face.  The recent incidents ordeal of women journalists from India, Pakistan, and across the world reveal that these attacks are not isolated events but part of a disturbing global pattern where female journalists are silenced, violated, or terrorized and so sometimes they are either forced to retreat or bear the brunt being completely mum. Take for example the cases in India where female journalists continue to face disturbing threats and violence. In a very disturbing case ,a woman journalist in Delhi accused an Uber driver of sexual harassment. According to her complaint, t...