Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

Men of god

A temple attendant takes a break at Thakur Village, Kandivali.

Verse victorious

Menka Shivdasani and Kamala Das

Instituted in 2018 by poetry platform Women Empowered-India, the Kamala Das Poetry Award acknowledges the work of feminist poets. The shortlist was announced yesterday and we were happy to see city-based poet Menka Shivdasani in it, in addition to Sanjukta Dasgupta, Pervin Saket and Srividya Sivakumar. The winner, selected by a jury comprising Nishat Haider, Taseer Gujral and Somrita Urni Ganguly, will be announced in late December. Speaking about the selection criteria, founder of Women Empowered-India, Smeetha Bhoumik, shared, "A key criterion was a pro-feminist approach to life as well as poetry. But the jury also assessed the quality of work, and the nominee's contribution to poetry and other initiatives dedicated to women." Our congratulations.

Ode to India's migrants

Some of the most heartbreaking visuals that have come to define the pandemic-induced lockdown in India are those of countless migrant workers walking miles in the scorching summer, deserted on trains and hundreds perishing on their way home. As an ode to them, rapper Raftaar has teamed up with music composer Salim Merchant and rapper KARMA for a new single, Tu phir se aana, which drops today. About the track which has a special contribution by the Budapest Art Orchestra, Raftaar said: "I was touched when I saw the story of Jeeta Madkami [who allegedly died after walking for 150 km]. I'd like this song to be a gentle reminder that heart wrenching stories like these need to be retold and not publicised."

For women, by women

A performance of The Vagina Monologues

Every year, the Laadli Media Awards honours those who help further the discourse on gender sensitivity. In its 10th year, Population First, which organises the ceremony, will on December 15 bestow the lifetime achievement award on Usha Khanna, one of the first female music directors in Bollywood. Among others who will be rewarded are Reshma Pathan, the first woman stunt director in Bollywood, in the 'Woman behind the scenes' category, and Mahabanoo Mody Kotwal and Poor Box Productions for promoting gender sensitivity in theatre through their iconic play, The Vagina Monologues. About the awards, Dr AL Sharada, director of the non-profit, told us, "We focus on gendered mindsets that undermine the value of women, promote discrimination and justify gender-based violence. The challenge is to change this." Citing the example of The Vagina Monologues, she added, "It has been staged over 1,000 times in 17 years. It continues to empower women by normalising their body, giving them agency, and speaking out about injustices which they might not dare to voice in real life."

The other motorcycle diaries

A Matunga-based technologist, Ram Mohan KM, is not just walking the talk on spreading awareness about education, but riding it, too. The biker, who started a 'Ride of support' programme, has now decided to zoom through 4,000 km to remind citizens that "education saves lives too" and also highlight The Akanksha Foundation's work with kids from disadvantaged communities. He said that if he rides for a cause, it creates more impact. "Wherever possible, I'll go and talk about the issue on the trip," he added. Apoorva Pandit, senior manager-marketing and communications, shared that Ram and his wife painted their bike to align with the cause. "They will help underline how the pandemic affected kids' education, and why it's their only way to succeed in life."

Level playing field

Kalyani Subramanyam and Flavia Agnes

From stronger role models in popular media to safer working and living conditions for women across sections of society, the importance of gender equality in contemporary India is crucial. To encourage the youth to become involved in creating a more equitable society, Durga, a Bengaluru-based citizen-sector organisation, is conducting its first-ever virtual forum from December 10. The three-day event will involve 3,000 participants and 40 speakers from the development sector, including Flavia Agnes, Kalyani Subramanyam and filmmaker Nausheen Khan. "By engaging participants in a meaningful dialogue, we hope to inspire them to examine the concept of equity and, in turn, incept new solutions," shares Anugraha Venugopal, lead of institution building. Check out ngageforum.com to register.

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