From celebrating dance day and the summer fruit Jackfruit to initiating discussions on caste violence and neurodiversity, here’s a roundup of our features covering trends of the week
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As Mumbai local trains are back on the track with full capacity, we reached out to fellow Mumbaikars, who share quick tips on how to maintain your look during daily train travel. Along with fashion hacks for the season, we look at another recipe roundup with a lesser known favourite fruit during summer, the Jackfruit! As April is observed as the World Autism Month and Dalit History Month, our stories on caste in US universities, caste-based sexual violence and neurodiversity aim to initiate discussions on issues that need attention.
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Is it possible to teach or learn dance online? For International Dance Day on April 29, we look at how dance classes have evolved over the past two years. In part six of our series on Mumbai’s reading culture ‘Shelf-Life with Mid-Day’, we visit 80-year-old Naaz Book Depot at Mohammed Ali Road, once known as a sole connection between local city reading enthusiasts and Pakistani publishers.
Commute, but make it cute: Mumbaikars reveal how to travel by local trains and still look good
Looking fashionable is a task if you are travelling by train, especially in a city like Mumbai which is infamous for its overcrowded trains with people packed like sardines. Almost every Mumbaikar who travels by public transport has faced this: you set out looking your best but travelling in the Mumbai local ruins it all. Mumbaikars share easy hacks for people to still maintain their look until they reach their destination.
‘Silence on Caste’: Ambedkarite students talk about confronting caste in US universities
While caste on campus is a much-discussed reality in India, from classroom discussions to their everyday on-campus life, the ignorance of fellow caste-privileged Indian students often creates an exclusionary environment for SC and ST students in foreign universities too. For the ongoing Dalit History Month, two Indian Ambedkarite students studying in the United States share their experiences of discussing caste in university spaces, interactions with fellow Indian students and a sense of personal liberty outside India
Jack of all tastes: Chefs reveal the humble jackfruit's multiple facets
While watermelons and mangoes always steal the show, the jackfruit is not far behind and has its fair share of fans around the country. While the jackfruit is available all year round in India, it is popularly considered a summer fruit. City chefs share recipes for delicious dishes that include not only a biryani but also a kebab, burger and empanada.
World Autism Month: Understanding the mental health needs of neurodiverse adolescents
April is designated as World Autism Month to spread awareness about the developmental condition that impacts over 1 percent of the global population as per WHO estimates. The term ‘neurodiversity’ has been used by advocates to reinforce the idea that individuals experience and interact with society in different ways. Neurodiverse individuals are more likely to suffer from mental health conditions than their neurotypical peers. For World Autism Month, Mid-Day Online spoke to neurodiversity advocates and experts who are finding creative ways to further our understanding of the community.
International Dance Day: How e-learning is enabling dance enthusiasts
When the pandemic and consequent lockdowns happened, people suddenly had a ton of leisure time on their hands which led to a resurgence of hobbies—from baking sourdough to gardening. April 29 is observed as International Dance Day. Amid the meteoric rise of virtual learning since the pandemic, Mid-Day Online spoke to industry stakeholders to understand the growing interest in and transformation of virtual dance lessons.
Dalit history month: How state impunity hurts Dalit women's access to justice
'Caste-based sexual violence and state impunity’, a report published recently by the Dalit Women Human Rights Defenders highlights why it is important to talk about caste when discussing sexual violence against Dalit women. Divya Srinivasan, lawyer and member of Equality Now—a feminist organisation working for the legal and human rights of women, who has documented and analysed the case studies for the report, shares insights from the report.
Dusty ties: At Mohammed Ali Road’s Naaz Book Depot, old journals from Pakistan speak of a lost connect
'Shelf Life' is a weekly series that explores the reading culture in Mumbai. In part five, Mid-Day visits Mohammed Ali Road’s Naaz Book Depot, once known as a stop for readers to pick Pakistani newspapers and journals until the 2019 Pulwama attack, which caused a 200 percent hike in import duty on newspapers from Pakistan. Today, the old and outdated copies of journals from Pakistan at the book shop remind visitors of a lost connection with Pakistani literature.
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