Lockdown Diaries: Apsara Reddy fights against heightened abuse and vulnerability during curfew in India
Apsara Reddy is the first trans-gender Indian politician, who has led the way and been an inspiration to thousands in the community in India and across the world. The inspirational leader was appointed the National General Secretary of All India Mahila (Women's) Congress, in January 2019 by the Congress President Rahul Gandhi. The lockdown period imposed by the government of...
Inappropriate phrasing spoils Hong Kong’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2020
This year's International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was held 21 March in Hong Kong. It should have been a proud moment for a community who has struggled hard to overcome the obstacles from institutional discrimination and unfair policies to be where we are, but sadly that was not the case. Let me introduce myself, my name is Jeffrey Andrews and...
Lockdown Diaries: Feeding the feeders – CORO India distributes food supplies to wage earners amidst the coronavirus lockdown
It's been a long time since I sat down to write something. But if one's part of something magical, then that story needs to be told. My story begins with the announcement of the Corona lockdown by the Indian government. We all knew it would come one day, but still we were all shocked when it did arrive. Most of...
First line of defence against coronavirus
I am a commoner. We commoners only read and hear about wars, tsunamis, fires, murders, diseases. For us these things are just news, these are things that only happen to someone else. Our strongest opinions are often limited to the dining table of our house. To put it simply, we're just part of a large 'Janta'. But what if...
Lockdown Diaries: Intolerance against Afghan Sikhs in a time of pandemic damned by Sikhs across the world
The world is reeling from a global coronavirus pandemic. Afghanistan's capital city, Kabul, went into lockdown for three weeks, beginning on 27 March. Residents are supposed to stay at home and avoid all non-essential travel. With bigger problems in the world, you might think that there would be some tolerance and understanding in these times, but clearly not. I am...
Zoroastrians return to their roots to cultivate a better future
History can be important, particularly when it comes to your ancestry. Your distant past can inform your current culture and identity. Reaching out to touch that past can be rewarding in ways that are hard to imagine, until you finally do it. That's the goal of the Zoroastrian "Return to Roots" programme, to foster community links and a sense...
Commemorating the sacrifices of five million Commonwealth forces 75 years after VJ Day
A solemn Monday morning on 9 March at the Memorial Gates in Constitution Hill saw a gathering of eminent community leaders to commemorate the sacrifices of the five million servicemen and women from the Commonwealth countries who had served during the First and Second World Wars along with the Royal Armed Forces. This year, the Commonwealth Day marked the...
IIW She Inspires Awards 2020 recognises unsung Indian women in Parliament
To celebrate the International Women's Day, Inspiring Indian Women (IIW) hosted the She Inspires award 2020 along with Honourable MP Padmashree Mr Bob Blackman, Honourable MP Ms Joy Morrisey and Honourable MP Virendra Sharma at the iconic House of Parliament on 3rd March 2020 to acknowledge the contributions of ordinary women on International Women's Day. Organised in the Committee Room 14...
Coronavirus – beware the fear
I am a Mum. I have two daughters and I worry for them. Usually it's the typical apprehension about whether they will grow up healthy and have jobs which will sustain them, not only financially but also satisfy them emotionally. Today I'm worried about coronavirus, but not in the way you might expect. I recently saw a story online, on...
Sheer coincidence or a repeated trend of Delhi riots during US Presidential visits
This story is a personal opinion piece by our contributing writer, inspired by the Delhi riots. It was first published in AltMedia News on the 29th February 2020. There is a stark, almost eerie, sense of déjà vu between the sequence of events leading to then US president Bill Clinton’s 2000 visit to India and the recently concluded President Trump’s...
