Proud Moment for the University of Hyderabad

 Indeed a very proud moment for us who have seen the growth of the  University from  the beginning in the 1980's to this day. Hoping it will soon find its name in the  first place.

Voting for Democracy

 Did my teeny weeny bit for democracy on 10th April, 2019.

Safety for Women and Girls

 On 6th April, 2019, the Centre for Women’s studies, organised a meeting on theme Safety for Women and Girls.  This event was organised  in collaboration with Dean Student Welfare(DSW) and Internal Complaint Committee (University of Hyderabad) and  the  All India’s Women’s Conference (AIWC), Secunderabad and Hyderabad Branch. Dr. Padmaja welcomed the group and  Ms. Supriya Bhalerao, then introduced the AIWS. This  organisation works in  Hyderabad and Secunderabad and focuses on issues of development as well as child education child development, health , education and upliftment of women . Professor Rekha Pande,  Head Centre for  Woman Studies, spoke on the issue of cyber crime and women. She spoke of how throughout history the modes of crimes against women were changing. Today with the emergence of a new knowledge era and cyberspace the forms of violence against women have also changed and assumed new forms. New technologies enable a transgression of the boundaries of “physical” or “real” identities, and in these fluid spaces, individuals forge new relationships and networks, navigating new, and often times, multiple identities.  She discussed how, while women benefit from using new digital and Internet technologies for self-expression, networking, and professional activities and yet women become targets of cyber crimes like adult bullying, cyber stalking, hacking, defamation, morphed pornographic images, and electronic blackmailing. Dr. V Uma  from the Internal Complaints Committee ( ICC) ,  spoke about how ICC,  deals with the issue of harassment of women and girls in the workplace. She discussed various cases and how they tackled them.  She also stated that  it is a very complex matter to solve intricate relationship issues and often these issues when relationships break up cases of sexual harassment are filed.  Mr Umapati, DIG Police,  addresses and introduces  the audience to  the various legal issues by reciting different cases, slogans, and gave some suggestion on how to be alert and have self defence in a complicated situation. He also informed about filing  cases under 490, the IPC act, POCSO acts. He shared important phone numbers to be contacted at the time of emergency such as She teams, Cyber crime numbers. He also  spoke of other   He emphasised that with  Freedom comes with Responsibility. The three talks were followed with a lively discussion, touching upon various issues related to gender violence and safety of women.

Beautiful Memories of Kokrajhar in Assam

 Some beautiful memories of the NAAC visit to Kokrajhar in Assam. I have been gifted a beautiful book on the History of the Bodos writen by Bakul Chandra Basumatary and this traces the history from the beginning to the modern period. It talks about Indus valley, Mauryas,  Sungas, Guptas, Hunas  and Palas. For the first time , I heard something called the Mech Dynasty of Cooch Bihar, The Kacharis . I have yet to read it but what ever I read is very interesting. There is so much history that we do not know about our own country, of the distant regions and we think that the history of mainland India  in the indo Gangetic plain is the only history worth reading.

Bodo Dress

 Attempting to try on the Bodo dress over the regular saree. The Bodo dress is called Dokhona and the shawl, Indi Jwmgra. Also trying the Assamese traditional dress, the Mekhela Sadar. Looking at the hundreds of beautiful girls all wearing these dresses and the teachers all dressed in colourful Dokonas and Mekhela, is a treat to the eyes. The girls come to school in pink coloured dokhanas and mekhalas or salwar kurtas.

NAAC Visit in Bodoland

 In Bodoland for a NAAC Visit. The four districts in Assam on the foot hills of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh have been constituted into BTAD, Bodoland Territorial Area District. From Hyderabad to Gauhati was a very bumpy and scary two and a half hour flight. After this we had to travel about four and a half hour by road into the interiors of Assam to Kokrarjhar, where the College is located. This is mostly a backward region with a huge chunk of tribal population but the girls are beautiful and very bright. We were welcome with the traditional beating of drums and the girls welcoming us with a dance. In the evening a, cultural programme was presented and we saw beautiful dances of the region, such as Bagurumba Bodo, Bihu Assamese, Garo, Bengal. The girls have a natural talent for dance and the steps are so graceful. It is really nice to know that some of the areas like this one have preserved their cultural dances.

Key Note Address St. Anns College

 Was invited to deliver the key note address in St Ann's College, Mehendipatnam, Osmania University in the National Conference on, Cyber crime and victimisation of women on 17th March, 2019. As gender studies people we have always discussed and worked on Gender violence which is one of the greatest impediment in the empowerment of women. With Globalisation and extensive use of information technology, the forms of violence are also changing and today we have new kinds of violence like cyber staking, cyber trolling, cyber pornography, morphing, email spoofing that have become very crucial for our understanding of gender issues. Technology has empowered women and society and  has many plus points but it has also a negative aspect that needs to be dealt with. It was a good Conference and met friends like Asha Shukla, who was the Guest of honour, Sudeshana Mukherjee, Hiranmayee Mishra who were Plenary speakers and who had a lot of interesting material on this issue.  St Ann's is doing a great job and their young and dynamic Director Popy Nath has put in a lot of efforts in the Centre. It was great to meet others in St. Ann's, Sister Amrita, the Principal, Smita Astana their Dean, Meeta Joshi their head for History and many more faculty. St. Ann's College is one of the good and upcoming colleges for girls in Hyderabad. I have always found this College very interesting for by and large the management is Christian, the faculty Hindu and students Muslim. A perfect example of our secular values.