Long Reads News - Page 5

As initiatives kick off to address racism in fashion, will ideological differences diffuse their long-term effectiveness?

The emergence of these disparate racial justice initiatives is both an acknowledgment of the perceived ineffectiveness of the CFDA and a response to the various ways in which racial inequities pervade the fashion industry.

In Bangladesh, internet restrictions, rumours worsen COVID-19 fears in Rohingya camps

Of those tested in the camps near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, 35 Rohingya people were found to be infected. A further 850 residents who had come into contact with the infected are now in quarantine. The only good news is that 618 Rohingya have completed their quarantine without contracting the disease.

In US, African-American protesters send out a powerful message of reform by dressing in their 'Sunday-best'

Almost every protest movement has its visual signifiers: images etched in the collective memory that crystallize the causes for which they were fought.

How community-run tourism can help Sundarbans recover from Cylone Amphan's devastating effects

Community-run ecotourism in and near the Sundarbans has the potential to popularise some of the existing and new tourism routes and locations. But a number of obstacles have to be overcome before it can really work.

Four survivors of trafficking on life in lockdown, and why it has meant a resurgence of old fears, uncertainties

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 38,503 cases of trafficking in the country between 2011 and 2019.

With Bandra Neighbourhood Project, Ansoo Gupta records pockets of history in the 'Queen of the Suburbs'

As part of the Bandra Neighbourhood Project, Ansoo Gupta has been photographing bungalows and other sites, recording the history of the area.

In Pakistan, fear of COVID-19 infection escalates as government plans to save summer tourism

Even in big cities in Pakistan, many of the SOPs in place for public gatherings, shops and mosques have been blatantly violated. Mask wearing and face coverings are far from the norm and commercial centres are crammed with people standing close to one another.

For Himalayan trekkers, a lost summer: Amid coronavirus crisis, mountains' solace too is forfeit

From our #SummerWithout series | 'Once, I introspected over why one leaves behind urban comforts to trek along these routes in the biting cold. I realise now as I miss out on 2020’s climb that the answer is quite simple: The mountains are addictive, as is journeying through them.'

In Afghanistan, the wild ephedra shrub breathes new life into country's meth epidemic

Once the ephedra lands in these district centers, often outside areas of Afghan government control, it is milled to a fine powder and sold in bulk quantities at open-air markets that have sprung up with the express purpose of providing supplies to local meth-producers.

Listeners lost, but Radio Afghanistan continues decades-long practice of reading out death notices

Afghans once tuned into Radio Afghanistan twice a day to hear the reading of death notices, but in an age of social media, the voice of the nation has lost much of its sway.

Kashmir Himalayas: Kolahoi glacier's retreat can be attributed to climate change, shifts in land use

Scientists said that rapid retreating of Kolahoi and other glaciers in Kashmir is largely attributable to global factors and climate driven by the local land-use changes also has some influence on glacier-retreat.

In locked-down Kashmir, an upsurge in COVID-19 cases — and violence in civilian neighbourhoods

In the early hours of 19 May, Indian security forces allegedly launched an aggressive cordon and search operation of downtown Srinagar in Kashmir, followed by an armed confrontation, known as an “encounter,” against militants. Many have been rendered homeless, while some people's houses were smouldering for days

Jamshedpur's lockdown, in 10 photos: A visual record of life, industry and religion at standstill in Tatanagar

The coronavirus pandemic has brought to light the overlooked gears that turn the wheel called urban efficiency in Jamshedpur — essential service providers like sanitation workers, nurses and security guards

Anxiety, isolation, warped time: The story of the coronavirus crisis, told through everyday objects

How does the 'everyday' change when you're living through a pandemic? These photographs tell the story of the coronavirus crisis as seen through everyday objects.

Eid in lockdown: Eight Indian photographers document quiet celebrations during coronavirus crisis

Capping a sombre Ramzan, this Eid was unlike any other in recent memory. But in homes across India, families managed to keep the ethos of the festival alive.

Category Error: In dealing with a pandemic, people find that 'new normal' manifests in myriad ways

In 'Category Error', writer-painter Amruta Patil marries news-triggered observation with fiction, history, philosophy, against the backdrop of an Indian high rise.

Category Error: Of a community's small pleasures, Biblical plagues, and lives lived on a fault line

In 'Category Error', writer-painter Amruta Patil marries news-triggered observation with fiction, history, philosophy, against the backdrop of an Indian high rise.

From Big Night to Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana — food films to inspire your lockdown cooking

The harmonised response to the coronavirus lockdown seems to be to get good at cooking. In that spirit, here is a pairing: simple, hearty dishes that can be made with easily available ingredients — inspired by food-centric films that serve as great backdrops for them (or binge-watch accompaniments alongside a meal).

'Tell them my fingerprints are all over these walls, those leaves, that sky...'

A story in images and typography.

In Hyderabad's Old City, once festive streets are bereft of usual Ramzan fervour in lockdown

Hyderabad’s Old City, with the Charminar, Mecca Masjid and centuries-old Laad Bazaar, has long been the nerve centre of commerce, shopping and festivities during Ramzan. But these once boisterous streets are eerily quiet during the ongoing lockdown.

Prints for India: Shared love for Delhi prompts four photographers to start a COVID-19 fundraiser

Four photographers have founded the Prints for India project, which aims to raise funds for India's most vulnerable, through the sale of 70 prints by 60 contributors.

Opening the door to Prajakta Potnis

Prajakta Potnis describes her relationship with the doorbell as 'feeling responsible to be answerable'. Often, in cities like Mumbai, crime comes to light when the doorbell goes unanswered. But if you’re alive and kicking and still not answering the door, then that in itself is a crime.

Loneliness is unavoidable in a time of self-isolation. Why then do we resist it?

'I’ve often thought of loneliness like being washed over by the waves of the sea. It doesn’t recede as much as it sticks around like salt, burning in the sun, cooling down in the shade,' writes Sasha Mahuli.

Dastaan-e-Dilrubai: Janki Bai's is a name that rings in history, memorable as her bright voice

Janki Bai of Allahabad was a singer and poet who rose from extraordinary odds to make a name for herself | From #DastaanEDilrubai, a series by Shreya Ila Anasuya.

Category Error: Three stories of love, longing and loneliness against the backdrop of a lockdown

In 'Category Error', writer-painter Amruta Patil marries news-triggered observation with fiction, history, philosophy, against the backdrop of an Indian high rise.

Bhutan: Can progress in household electrification provide relief from expensive fossil fuel imports?

Bhutan has made substantial progress in household electrification in recent years, according to the Department of Renewable Energy. In 2018 over 99.97 percent of households had access to electricity, up from just 30 percent in 2003.

Coronavirus outbreak: Assam's boat clinics conduct door-to-door surveillance on saporis

Assam's boat clinics are the primary means of healthcare for inhabitants of the 2500 river islands. They have pitched in to deal with the coronavirus outbreak by carrying out door-to-door community surveillance.

Category Error: Shut in against a pandemic, residents of a high rise complex mull over grief, life, and irony

In 'Category Error', writer-painter Amruta Patil marries news-triggered observation with fiction, history, philosophy, against the backdrop of an Indian high rise.

Category Error: In a lockdown, life moves online, as do learning, news reading and friendships

In 'Category Error', writer-painter Amruta Patil marries news-triggered observation with fiction, history, philosophy, against the backdrop of an Indian high rise.

Lockdown lives: Mumbai to Lugo, stories of days (and nights) stuck in coronavirus crisis-induced limbo

This crowd-sourced collection of narratives highlights fragments of life during a lockdown — from Mumbai to Jerusalem to Lugo; a record of the fears, anxieties, uncertainties and quiet joys that make up our days (and nights) as the world is gripped by a crisis.