At Least 121 People Killed in Uttar Pradesh Stampede
Emerging details from media reports suggest several failings by local authorities and the police in preventing the tragedy of the stampede in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district, where at least 121 people, mostly women and children, had died as of July 3.
Women Have the Right to Safety AND Freedom
In Uttar Pradesh, an intriguing twist unfolds under the Safe City Project. The new policy introduces a unique restriction: private coaching centres are now barred from conducting late evening classes specifically for female students. And the controversial “anti-Romeo squads” will do the rest. This decision, allegedly for safety, ends up penalising the very group it intends to safeguard – the women and girls of the state. Moreover, it also impacts boys and men who enjoy socialising.
The Price of Peaceful Protest in Uttar Pradesh
When the Uttar Pradesh state police recently arrested 10 activists, mostly Dalits, the alarm bells didn’t just ring for them. They echoed through the entire fabric of Indian society. Their supposed crime? A peaceful protest for land rights in Gorakhpur. They had a simple demand—an acre of land for marginalised communities.