Feeling Zoomed Out? – Advice for the fatigued

Do you remember when a videoconference was an infrequent occurrence - something special that you looked forward to? Whilst being locked down, video-calling gave us a way to see each other, even when we couldn't be with each other. The novelty wears thin My first few months of the pandemic were filled with virtual business meetings, virtual learning, virtual happy hour, and...

Back in cinemas, the 2021 London Indian Film Festival

In a challenging year for India and South Asia, the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival and its sister festivals in Birmingham and Manchester, will be a love letter to the homelands, continuing to premiere the very best of new indie films from the Indian subcontinent and diaspora, from 17th June to 4th July 2021. Supported by the British Film...

Death

Oh death Is it always on time Is it not a resultant crime When dignity is denied When a system fails the time Oh soul Why do you go away I Am a patient Be patient and stay My body is young not fray Oh breath The pulse is beating quite fast It’s slowing do try and last The huff and puff I gasp The support...

Bridge India takes on the challenges of tackling Covid across India

India is grappling with the COVID-19 situation, while Indian-diaspora-driven organisations across the world have stepped up their efforts to help Indians tide over this most challenging time. UK-based Bridge India, a non-profit think tank dedicated to the discourse on public policy, is one such organisation that has done phenomenal work in the past week. The esteemed Members have reached out for support...

Home and exile – a cinematic journey of hope and resilience

Homebound for months during the pandemic, I seized the first opportunity to travel beyond my dull domestic frontiers. This unique excursion was facilitated by the three day virtual Asian Women’s Film Festival organized by the International Association of Women in Radio and Television – India Chapter. Having been a student, researcher and occasional teacher of cinema, I could not...

Kaushalya UK’s upcoming project will share stories to empower and uplift women around the world

An upcoming anthology of women titled ‘The New Woman’ - a project lead by Ritu Sharma, is a collection of 34 stories of women who have undergone transformation through adversity, spread across five continents,. The book will be launched on 27 July. Under the umbrella of Ritu's organisation Kaushalya UK, the anthology will showcase "women who have been broken by...

HCI London celebrates BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary with reflections on his life and invaluable contributions

The High Commission of India in London paid tribute to Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary by garlanding his statue in India House on April 14.  The Indian High Commissioner, Gaitri Issar Kumar was present, along with community leaders and other diplomats. Born on 14th April 1891, the father of the Indian Constitution, Babasaheb, as he was popularly known,...

Community bonds over Hindu temple cemetery restoration project in Hong Kong

The capacity for people to give of themselves even in hard times is a wonder of the human spirit. Recently this was evident as a forgotten cemetery behind a Hindu temple in Hong Kong was saved by an eager crowd of volunteers. Arianne Baldesimo, a Filipino teacher who calls Hong Kong her home, has been in the Hindu Temple at...

KASHISH 2021: Mumbai designer wins Poster Design Contest supported by late Wendell Rodricks’ estate

The winner for the KASHISH 2021 Wendell Rodricks Poster Design Contest for the 12th KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival was revealed today – Mumbai based graphic designer Ajoy Kumar Das was picked the winner by Jérôme Marrel, husband of late Wendell Rodricks, who was the jury member. This is the second time Ajoy Kumar Das is winning the coveted...

Mother bares her soul about the domestic abuse her daughter suffered

A grieving mother is chronicling the abuse her daughter’s ex-boyfriend inflicted upon her in a new book after a sustained period of physical and emotional abuse led to her taking her own life in 2016. Miss Meera Dalal had experienced physical and mental abuse for years and which ultimately led the Leicester-based NHS professional to tragically take her own life...