Taking cue from Amul’s caricature that said “Don’t ban Kashmir ki kala”, (Don’t ban Kashmir’s art) I am taking this to a broader realm, of increasing menace of intolerance, all over India. Art, Artists and India do not seem to go hand in hand here.

The so called largest democracy of the world seems to be less accepting of the various art forms, freedom of expression, freedom of speech and individual viewpoints. In doing so we forget that democracy is not defined by the percentage of people with the right to franchise, but with the ability of society to accept the dissent of people on any issue. Since times immemorial, we have seen incidents of shame and humility for each one of us as an Indian.

After all the talks from the government about “women empowerment”, especially after the recent Delhi Gang Rape, I was expecting a lot from this year’s budget, but you disappointed me.

Diamonds are forever but they are for your EYES only, said the British Prime Minister, David Cameron. Not in these words, of course.Speaking on the third and final day of his visit to India aimed at increasing trade and investment, Cameron ruled out giving back the 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond, now on display in the Tower of London.

After the Delhi gang rape, the youth of our nation decided to speak up and take a stand for rape victims all over the world. Rape survival stories, molestation, humiliation and sexual harassment cases were brought to media’s attention. Fingers were pointed at the government; safety and prevention measures were debated and suggested by many.

Balkrishna Mahadev Ashtagar was a cotton farmer with nine acres of land in Sakhra village of Yavatmal district. He killed himself in the year 2010, after 25 years of farming, unable to bear the harassment and legal sanctions brought on by a local moneylender.

This Valentine’s Day was no doubt filled with love but it also brought with it a fair share of surprise for the world. Women in all the cities got down to streets and danced as if it were a pre-Women’s Day celebration. It was on this day that a global movement unfolded due to one woman’s vision, a play writer and activist, Eve Ensler.

This isn’t the first time that the name IIPM is being drawn into a controversy or being criticised and it doesn’t seem like it’ll be the last.The news came on Thursday that the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM), of which Arindam Chaudhuri is the Chairman, was not recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

She was a student of physiotherapy and even though her real name was revealed to be “Jyoti”, all the media houses used pseudonyms like Amanat, Braveheart, Nirbhaya for her. Though there have been many rape cases in India (most of which go unreported), it was the heinousness of this incident that made the people raise their voices. Many protests were organised not only in Delhi, but also in other cities like Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata as well. Thousands of people amassed outside the Parliament to support her.

Last week, I read an article on Narendra Modi, fresh from his “conquest” in the hallowed grounds of the Shri Ram College of Commerce. Waxing eloquent on his administrational skills, the author goes on to proclaim Modi as the new youth icon of the nation.

We all remember a major portion of Delhi’s crowd taking to the streets and protesting against the rapists this December. Scores of placards proclaiming death sentence for the culprits were seen, and pleas from the family members of the victim for the same were heard too.Yes, India was moved and appalled at the level the rapists stooped to. In fury, the youth demanded their death – an eye for an eye, they claimed. But how are we different from the criminals if we were to terminate their right to live too?