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Ear to the Ground is a special feature by The AIDEM that reports on offbeat field reports on people’s lives and livelihood issues. “Dard”: On the Footsteps of a Poet Who Called Himself Pain” is a ground report by Devangana Rajeev after a photo walk in the Hazrat Khwaja Mir Dard Colony.

“Dard”: On the Footsteps of a Poet Who Called Himself Pain

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The Subversive - Kairana’s Iqra Hasan Shows Us How an Individual Can Buck the Trend

The Subversive – Kairana’s Iqra Hasan Shows Us How an Individual Can Buck the Trend

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Complaints filed against PM Modi for promoting religious hatred during his Banswara rally, accusing opposition Congress of working to distribute country’s wealth to Muslims

<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">In this AIDEM PollTalk, Academic, Political Theorist and Dalit Rights Activist Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd exposes the fallacy in Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s references to Dalit and Other Backward Caste (OBC) communities to bolster his anti-Muslim rhetoric and asserts that Modi has no business to do that.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">He also contends that Modi is clearly rattled by the social justice oriented components in the Congress Manifesto and that the anti Muslim rhetoric points to desperate attempts to overcome this. Watch the full interview here.

Kancha Ilaiah Questions Modi on Dragging OBC-Dalits into BJP’s Anti-Muslim Rhetoric

<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/IMG_20240808_WA_0009_770x470_4ad948a21e.jpg" alt="IMG-20240808-WA0009-770x470.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_IMG_20240808_WA_0009_770x470_4ad948a21e.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_IMG_20240808_WA_0009_770x470_4ad948a21e.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_IMG_20240808_WA_0009_770x470_4ad948a21e.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">Images of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of students, young person’s rooting for change, democratically, in Bangladesh, warmed the hearts. Even as the fast to follow, reports of vandalism of homes of the powerful, followed by the burning alive of persons in a hotel owned by an Awami League supporter caused concern, even despair. The mounting dread was brought really closer home when the attacks by mobs and vandals, including even Islamists became targeted, targeted at the cultural heritage of Bangladesh, the already fast dwindling Hindu population and their temples. The mob that has attempted to overcome what appears like a seriously disciplined, vast and well organised students protest –though astute detractors ask the question of the role of the Army in past weeks -has clearly fed on the fanatical sentiments that have crept into the body politic of our neighbour.For the vibrant Anti-Discrimination Students Movement and Mohammad Yunus who is slated to take over the reigns of power in an unusual move, the challenge is both stark and immediate.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:696px;" id="attachment_29265" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29265"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/1_1_696x531_1_d3b7448df4.jpg" alt="1-1-696x531-1.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_1_1_696x531_1_d3b7448df4.jpg 205w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_1_1_696x531_1_d3b7448df4.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29265">Students protecting the Dhakeshwari Hindu Temple</figcaption></figure>Reports from the Daily Star, Dhaka Tribune and even the Times of India have clearly detailed these attacks, eschewing any attempts at denial, even as they were condemned by rights activists within Bangladesh.According to the <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/354047/citizens-censure-attacks-on-houses-temples-of">Dhaka Tribune</a>, in Jessore, the warehouse of Babul Saha, chairman of Bhagarpara’s Narikelbaria, was attacked and looted, while 22 shops of the Hindu community there were looted, and several houses were vandalised and plundered. The vandalism and attack took place on Monday night it was reported. At least 200 Hindu families live in the area, locals said. People from every house are now guarding the area at night. The newspaper also reported that during a visit on Wednesday, it was seen that Gobinda Saha, a resident of the area, was cleaning the broken window panes in front of his house, which were vandalized on Monday night. He told the newspaper that around 20-25 miscreants attacked their houses with machetes and sticks around 9:30pm on Monday.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:720px;" id="attachment_29270" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29270"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Screenshot_20240808_160705_Chrome2_670x1024_48c7fc7892.jpg" alt="Screenshot_20240808_160705_Chrome2-670x1024.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Screenshot_20240808_160705_Chrome2_670x1024_48c7fc7892.jpg 102w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Screenshot_20240808_160705_Chrome2_670x1024_48c7fc7892.jpg 327w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Screenshot_20240808_160705_Chrome2_670x1024_48c7fc7892.jpg 491w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_Screenshot_20240808_160705_Chrome2_670x1024_48c7fc7892.jpg 654w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29270">Photographs shared on <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.8590423910986973&amp;type=3&amp;ref=embed_post">Facebook</a></figcaption></figure>“All of us in the family gathered inside the house and watched everything through the window. Around 10 people tried to break the main gate of my house. Later, they smashed the window glass with a brick,” he narrated. Biplab Kundu, a tenant of Shankar Kumar Mallick’s house, said: “After the attack on houses, we are keeping watch at night. Both men and women are having sleepless nights in fear.”Govinda Saha said: “On information, three army patrol vehicles visited the spot. Activists of BNP and Jamaat had come to assure us of their support at night. Still, we cannot feel safe.” Additionally, the house of one Lakshmi Rani was also attacked and ornaments were looted on Monday night.Hindus constitute about 8% of Bangladesh’s 170 million people and have historically largely supported Hasina’s Awami League. Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council leader Kajol Debnath said the attacks that targeted 200 to 300 houses and businesses and 15-20 temples left around 40 Hindus injured. “The situation is grave. We urge the army to ensure security for the minorities and bring the perpetrators of the attacks to book immediately,” Unity Council’s general secretary Rana Dasgupta is reported by The Times of India to have said.For me, both journalist and rights activist, as heart-breaking as these accounts was the once iconic cultural hub of Rahul Ananda being vandalised and 3,000 rare musical instruments burnt down. The Daily Star reported the incident on August 6:<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:720px;" id="attachment_29266" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29266"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/IMG_20240808_WA_0008_dfe2ff333a.jpg" alt="IMG-20240808-WA0008.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_IMG_20240808_WA_0008_dfe2ff333a.jpg 88w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_IMG_20240808_WA_0008_dfe2ff333a.jpg 281w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_IMG_20240808_WA_0008_dfe2ff333a.jpg 422w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_IMG_20240808_WA_0008_dfe2ff333a.jpg 563w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29266">Rahul Ananda’s musical instruments and the house set on fire</figcaption></figure>“Rahul Da and his family are shaken and take shelter to a secret place known to only a few. We could not contact him yet. It was not even his house, it was a rental space he was living in for decades,” said Saiful Islam Jarnal, one of <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jolergaan.com/">Joler Gaan’s</a> founding members,” reported The Daily Star. As soon as they had broken the gate, they started ravaging the house taking whatever they could find for themselves. They took everything from furniture, mirrors to valuables. After that, they torched the whole house along with Rahul da’s musical instruments,” said another close family source, to The Daily Star. In response, the Joler Gaan posted a song from their official page with a caption, “The <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/music/news/rahul-anandas-home-once-vibrant-cultural-hub-looted-and-burnt-3670881">house</a> on Dhanmondi 32, once a sanctuary for Rahul Ananda and the Joler Gaan ensemble, was not just a residence but a creative hub where countless songs and instruments were crafted. Known for its open-door policy, the house welcomed all, where Rahul meticulously designed instruments that captured the unique sound of Bangladesh.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:696px;" id="attachment_29267" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29267"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/2_1_696x522_1_04582e3628.jpg" alt="2-1-696x522-1.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_2_1_696x522_1_04582e3628.jpg 208w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_2_1_696x522_1_04582e3628.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29267">Students of Islami Chhatra Shibir guarding a Hindu temple in Chakaria Upazila</figcaption></figure>“However, this haven was tragically reduced to ashes, taking with it all of the band’s musical instruments, archives, and the family’s belongings. While the residents escaped safely, the loss extends beyond physical possessions, reflecting a deeper lament over the destruction of dreams and creative spirit. Despite the devastation, the message of resilience and the hope for a compassionate future remains, urging people to preserve dreams and not let anger overshadow love and understanding,” the post concluded.What does this targeted, hopefully limited violence mean for Bangladesh, for the Indian sub-continent and South Asia? For those of us who have battled the corrosive intoxication of hate, from the time when Hindu temples were desecrated in that country –Bangladesh–after the shameful demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, close to 35 years ago, it seems like the beginning of a nightmare that refuses to end. A deadly spiral of tit-for-tat communal targeted violence that has once so bitterly torn us apart between 1946 and 1948. Reverberations and upheavals from that violent past tear us apart still be it in Ranchi, Ahmedabad (1969) Bombay-Bhiwandi in the early 1970s, Nellie (1983), Delhi (1984) Maliana-Hashimpura (1987), Bhagalpur (1989), Bombay 1992-1993 and Gujarat 2002. Not to mention Muzzafarnagar (2013) and the sickening individual lynchings of individual Muslims in India over the past decade.Already the shrill and sectarian voices from those that rule Delhi and Lucknow have been heard and will no doubt impact the lives of innocent victims from among Muslims in irrational acts of “revenge”. As if the imposed plight of religious minorities under the present Indian self-proclaimed majoritarian dispensation was not bad enough to begin with.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:720px;" id="attachment_29268" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29268"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/5_eafd72a2de.jpg" alt="5.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_5_eafd72a2de.jpg 208w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_5_eafd72a2de.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29268">Students guarding other Hindu temples</figcaption></figure>What the young leadership in Bangladesh has brought in response this time, however has been a swift and reassuring <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x93m7ta">response</a>. “A special announcement resonated from a loudspeaker inside a mosque in Bangladesh, issued by the ‘Students Against Discrimination’ group. In a call for peace during the country’s turbulent period, the announcement urged all citizens to maintain communal harmony and protect Hindu minorities. The message emphasised the collective responsibility of safeguarding the lives and property of the minority community from potential threats posed by miscreants or evil forces. The group implored everyone to remain vigilant and uphold the values of unity and protection, highlighting the importance of solidarity in these challenging times.On Facebook and X photos annotated with English translations in the photo text, so that non-Bengali friends also can understand and acknowledge the efforts show visuals of Muslims protecting Hindu Buddhist and Christians spaces and places of worship. So, while attacks on minorities indeed took place in many areas in the country, that is precisely why the students, the people of Bangladesh spontaneously in Chittagong and elsewhere, came forward for protection, to fight the bigots of their country. India and Indians needs to condemn the violence against Hindus in our neighbouring country but also fight the bigots within ours and their poisonous narratives, using these pictures. Let us all learn how to behave responsibly as majority population in a turbulent time like this.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:696px;" id="attachment_29269" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29269"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/3_2_696x775_1_5bbeec92b3.jpg" alt="3-2-696x775-1.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_3_2_696x775_1_5bbeec92b3.jpg 140w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_3_2_696x775_1_5bbeec92b3.jpg 449w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_3_2_696x775_1_5bbeec92b3.jpg 674w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29269">A post shared on Facebook</figcaption></figure>It has been these abiding acts and images that have offered hope even as the new dispensation yet to be seen in Dacca faces a serious test. For us in India, the challenge is to first unequivocally condemn any signs of targeted violence in Bangladesh while supporting a genuinely democratic upsurge. This is both complicated yet imperative.&nbsp;Are there enough of us in India and Bangladesh to do both? Both passionately and unequivocally?</div></div>

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Lessons from a ‘Democratic Revolt’: Prevent the slide into majoritarianism

<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;display:inline !important;float:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Renowned author and journalist Ziya Us Salam, who had addressed the minority question in India from a panoramic, historical perspective in his seminal book “Being a Muslim in Hindu India” talks to Venkitesh Ramakrishnan, Managing Editor of The AIDEM on the contemporary plight of the community, with a special reference to the situation after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He points out in this interaction that while the Hindutva agenda of the Sangh Parivar seems to have suffered a setback on account of the marginal electoral reverses that denied the BJP a majority on its own in parliament, the aggressive communal pursuits of the Hindutva combine continue unabated and the insecurities of the Muslim community persist. He is of the view that opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi need to be more proactive in taking up issues related to this. Watch the full Interview here.

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Are Indian Muslims Safer After 2024 Elections?

<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/IMG_20240916_WA_0015_770x470_b097e6e0e4.jpg" alt="IMG-20240916-WA0015-770x470.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_IMG_20240916_WA_0015_770x470_b097e6e0e4.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_IMG_20240916_WA_0015_770x470_b097e6e0e4.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_IMG_20240916_WA_0015_770x470_b097e6e0e4.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">“Kaun hain ye log (Who are these people)? Kahan se aate hain ye (Where do they come from)?” asks Jagdish Tyagi, Jolly, an advocate, in his concluding argument for prosecution in a case where a billionaire’s son had mowed down a few people sleeping on a pavement. This is a scene is from the “Jolly LLB” movie, released in 2013. The film doesn’t answer this question. As a viewer, I too could not deduce a definitive answer to this poignant query raised in the movie. But recently I read journalist Neha Dixit’s very first book “The Many Lives of Syeda X” ( Juggernaut Publishers , 2024 ) and was able to sense what the answer could be to Jolly LLB’s question.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:683px;" id="attachment_29804" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29804"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/image_123650291_683x1024_1_26234cb5c0.jpg" alt="image_123650291-683x1024-1.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_image_123650291_683x1024_1_26234cb5c0.jpg 104w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_image_123650291_683x1024_1_26234cb5c0.jpg 333w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_image_123650291_683x1024_1_26234cb5c0.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_image_123650291_683x1024_1_26234cb5c0.jpg 667w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29804">Neha Dixit</figcaption></figure>Neha Dixit is an independent journalist, belonging to an increasingly dwindling species of journalists who keep their ear to the ground, pursue and publish people oriented stories and boldly face virulent persecution that follows from the powers that be. In other words a hero of courage and conviction.In the words of senior journalist and writer Sucheta Dalal the work of a journalist is “…investigating, publishing reports – feeling the heat from big business – and then standing by what you write or fighting for it!”, which Neha Dixit exemplifies.Neha Dixit’s journalism has very many instances of the kind of reporting and consequent persecution mentioned by Sucheta Dalal. She wrote a a series of stories on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 2016 and, she is still facing <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.newslaundry.com/2022/02/07/process-is-the-punishment-neha-dixit-on-her-5-year-legal-battle-over-her-outlook-reportage">court cases</a>, <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ibtimes.co.in/indian-journalist-stalked-months-received-rape-death-threats-fir-lodged-details-832571">has been stalked, and have received rape and death threats.</a>Since 2014, when a substantially large percentage of journalists in India, more so in the Hindi-speaking States, actively sought comfort, security, and a hassle-free life opting out of the risks and tribulations that journalists often face after doing stories disconcerting to the government or establishment, Neha decided to pursue independent journalism, giving media space to the human voices who normally do not find figure in the mainstream media.“The Many Lives of Syeda X” is an expansive book that is the result of many years of painstaking research on the ground. Syeda is a Muslim woman born in Varanasi in a weaving family who got married at a young age. Syeda was born in the 70s and by the time she became an adult, India’s economic horizons had witnessed the dawn of economic liberalization. The book traces Syeda’s life and journey over the years. Syeda’s life has strong resemblances to the travails of <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-insight/economy/union-budget-2024-empowering-unorganised-workers-101706708020962.html">43.99 crore</a> people employed in informal employment in India. Herein lies the importance of this book.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:720px;" id="attachment_29805" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29805"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Screenshot_20240916_195247_Twitter2_e39e98f63f.jpg" alt="Screenshot_20240916_195247_Twitter2.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Screenshot_20240916_195247_Twitter2_e39e98f63f.jpg 158w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Screenshot_20240916_195247_Twitter2_e39e98f63f.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29805">Promotional poster for the launch of the book (Source: Neha Dixit/X)</figcaption></figure>Syeda, barely educated with little schooling, married at 15 to young Akmal, a skillful weaver in his teens. Still in her early 20s, she leaves Varanasi for Delhi with her husband and three children, two sons and a daughter. Akmal’s family had migrated from a neighbouring district of Varanasi to make handloom sarees in the temple town, popularly known as “Banarasi sarees”.The family lost everything in a riot that followed the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid. Devoid of any employment opportunity and facing the district administration’s high-handedness, Akmal, a skillful artisan who, like Syeda, had little formal education, decided to leave Varanasi for good for a more peaceful existence. Syeda, Akmal, and her three children landed in Delhi to become the people Jolly LLB referred to in his concluding argument in the movie mentioned earlier.Slum-like settlements are a feature of every big city in India. Alongside a railway line, under big flyovers, or the sides of large-open drainage flowing through a metro city, one can easily spot a dense row of crudely, frugally built housing settlements, housing people employed as informal workers that make a city function. They work as housemaids, manual labourers who deliver heavy loads to small godowns or warehouses, workers who make parts of small industries, categorized as MSME, or invisible workforce of the global retailing giants, selling expensive, branded sneakers or clothes. If you are also ignorant about or oblivious to the aspirations, ambitions, hardships, or any other aspect of their lives, look no further than this excellent book.Neha’s writing is lucid. Her writing holds attention and engages. Events are known and relatable. You would have met people who closely resemble the book’s characters. You will feel connected to the stories because they are about people and their lives that we have seen or have come across from time to time, but have not realised the exact nature of their existence.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Screenshot_20240916_195300_Twitter2_b1aadf1ec5.jpg" alt="Screenshot_20240916_195300_Twitter2.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Screenshot_20240916_195300_Twitter2_b1aadf1ec5.jpg 117w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Screenshot_20240916_195300_Twitter2_b1aadf1ec5.jpg 374w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Screenshot_20240916_195300_Twitter2_b1aadf1ec5.jpg 561w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">The Baranasi in me, the most vocal and identifiable part of me, waited for Syeda to win and become a hero. Had this been fiction, that could have been a natural ending for the book. But, we live in a cruel world where we struggle every day to prove our worth, and strive not to be judged by our mistakes, and to be accepted with all our imperfections as a human being, even if for a little while.Towards the end, like everyone else, we also see Neha too turning away from Syeda. It ached my heart to see Syeda, a fellow Banarasi, treated this way. But, overall “ The Many Lives of Syeda X” is an emphatic statement of empathy to Syeda and her ilk and a salutation for her resolve, selflessness, and commitment. It is a book that should not be missed, for it gives an opportunity to understand and identify with the lives of the poor and the marginalised in our country.</div></div>

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The Many Lives of Syeda X 

Malayalam (ml)

Tamil (ta)

English (en)

Hindi (hi)

Telugu (te)

Kannada (kn)

<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_9_45ef5452cd.jpeg" alt="images-9.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_9_45ef5452cd.jpeg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_images_9_45ef5452cd.jpeg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">The following article is part of the Trailblazing Women of India series. A series presented by The AIDEM, exploring the lives and ideas of women who played a decisive role in shaping India’s social, political, and intellectual history.The AIDEM underscores the enduring contemporary relevance of revisiting the lives of these women leaders and the ideas they championed. Click <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/G_sxvcXO0tg">here</a> to watch the video.<hr>Picture this: It’s 1930. A 27-year-old woman stands before Mahatma Gandhi, telling him he’s making a historic mistake.Gandhi is planning the Salt March. His vision? Men march and women stand on street corners selling salt and singing songs.Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay says: No.“Women have stood shoulder to shoulder with men, building the Congress party. They deserve to march,” she insists.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:654px;" id="attachment_42087" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42087"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyaya_Leading_a_Congress_march_in_the_early_1930s_a72f010da1.jpg" alt="Kamaladevi-Chattopadhyaya-Leading-a-Congress-march-in-the-early-1930s.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyaya_Leading_a_Congress_march_in_the_early_1930s_a72f010da1.jpg 102w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyaya_Leading_a_Congress_march_in_the_early_1930s_a72f010da1.jpg 327w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyaya_Leading_a_Congress_march_in_the_early_1930s_a72f010da1.jpg 491w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-42087">Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya leading a Congress march in the early 1930s</figcaption></figure>Gandhi concedes. But she’s not finished. “Issue a formal call to action.”“Why?” Gandhi asks. “Don’t you know your sisters?”Her response? Pure political genius: “Because history will record that YOU called them to participate.”&nbsp;History did record it. Women marched beside Gandhi, breaking salt laws. Kamaladevi became one of the first women arrested for civil disobedience. She auctioned “freedom salt” at the Bombay Stock Exchange for Rs. 501. On January 26, 1930, she clung to the Indian tricolour during a scuffle with authorities, refusing to let go.Who was this woman bold enough to challenge Gandhi?Born in 1903 in Mangalore, married at fourteen, widowed at sixteen. She remarried—scandalous. She divorced—one of India’s first civil divorces. In 1926, encouraged by Margaret Cousins, she became the first woman to contest a legislative office, losing by just 55 votes. In 1927, she founded the All India Women’s Conference as its organizing secretary.In 1936, she became a founding member of the Congress Socialist Party, working alongside Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia. Yet when we celebrate Indian socialism, we remember only the men.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:300px;" id="attachment_42084" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42084"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyay_aa0f5dde3b.jpg" alt="Kamaladevi-Chattopadhyay.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyay_aa0f5dde3b.jpg 113w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-42084">Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay</figcaption></figure>Her ideas were revolutionary. She connected capitalism, imperialism, and women’s subjection: “This imperial capitalist system encourages endless wars and expects women to produce children who become soldiers.” She challenged glorified motherhood itself.In the 1930s—decades before global women’s liberation—she championed bodily autonomy and birth control. Not for population control, but for women’s choice. She traveled to America, worked with Margaret Sanger, and in 1951 established India’s first family planning commission centered on women’s autonomy.She championed what we now refer as feminist economics, preceding the Feminist Care Ethics Debate by decades. She documented sexual division of labor, wage discrimination, and systematic underpayment of women workers in industrial and agricultural sectors—when labor movements barely acknowledged women as workers.Interestingly, she refused the label “feminist,” understanding that in her hostile patriarchal environment, strategic pragmatism mattered. But her ideas? Profoundly feminist.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Kamaladevi_4_58727afc75.jpg" alt="Kamaladevi-4.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Kamaladevi_4_58727afc75.jpg 216w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Kamaladevi_4_58727afc75.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">After Partition, heartbroken, she resettled 50,000 refugees from the North-West Frontier Province, helping create Faridabad—independent India’s crucial early industrial township. In 1948, she founded and led the Indian Cooperative Union for the rehabilitation of the refugees.Her greatest legacy? Reviving India’s dying crafts as economic empowerment. As chairperson of the All India Handicrafts Board for twenty years, she understood that handicrafts meant livelihoods for millions, grassroots democratic participation, and India’s answer to exploitative industrialization.Her institutions still stand: Indian National Theatre established in 1944, which later became National School of Drama, All India Handicrafts Board established in 1952, Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1953, Crafts Council of India in 1964, and Delhi’s Crafts Museum in 1967. She made Indian handicrafts a major export, serving as an Advisor to the World Craft Council and first President for the Asia-Pacific Region.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:555px;" id="attachment_42085" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42085"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Leading_Their_Imperial_Highnesses_to_the_dias_60795d4aa2.jpg" alt="Leading-Their-Imperial-Highnesses-to-the-dias.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Leading_Their_Imperial_Highnesses_to_the_dias_60795d4aa2.jpg 216w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Leading_Their_Imperial_Highnesses_to_the_dias_60795d4aa2.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-42085">Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya leading their Imperial Highnesses to the dias</figcaption></figure>From UNESCO Awards to the Padma Vibhushan, her legacy endures in every artisan earning a dignified living today.Kamaladevi died in 1988, but her question echoes: What does freedom mean without bodily autonomy, economic independence, and cultural sovereignty?As you explore her work—and I hope you will—ask yourself: What would Kamaladevi be fighting for today?<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G_sxvcXO0tg" title="Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and the Idea of Cultural Sovereignty by Priyanka Jha | New Series | EP 02 " frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></div>

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Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay: The Woman who taught Gandhi a Lesson

<div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">Shuruart Foundation has been using art to make education more joyful and effective since 2017. Does your child often draw the same thing again and again? Should parents be worried if this happens? In this episode of Child and Art: Myths &amp; Facts, we talk about why children repeat drawings and what it really tells us about their confidence and emotional growth. Learn how your positive feedback and encouragement can help your child express freely, think creatively, and build genuine self-confidence. Watch the video to learn more.</div></div>

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Same drawing again? Is that good or bad for your child’s growth?

<div class="post-featured-image" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px 0px 50px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">&nbsp;</div><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:undefined/undefined;" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Wearing_My_Face_Before_a_Media_that_Has_the_Power_to_Make_and_Unmake_4_optimized_100_f65d7f55f3.png" alt="Wearing_My_Face_Before_a_Media_that_Has_the_Power_to_Make_and_Unmake_4_optimized_100.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Wearing_My_Face_Before_a_Media_that_Has_the_Power_to_Make_and_Unmake_4_optimized_100_f65d7f55f3.png 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Wearing_My_Face_Before_a_Media_that_Has_the_Power_to_Make_and_Unmake_4_optimized_100_f65d7f55f3.png 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"></figure><div class="post-featured-image" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px 0px 50px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">As advocates, our lives are consumed by briefs and arguments, leaving little room for leisure. For me, the finest pastime is research and writing, a legacy I proudly inherit from my late grandfather, Shri S.A.A. Rizvi, IAS (Retd.). He was a gold medallist and a remarkable scholar of his times. His example instilled in me the conviction that the pursuit of knowledge is not merely an adornment, but a discipline that enriches both profession and personality.</div><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">It was in this spirit that a casual exchange with my colleague Nadeem Murtaza at the High Court rekindled this passion. His query, whether I had ever heard of “Douglas” or “Kinnaird Hospital” of Lucknow was not a passing remark, but a spark that illuminated a forgotten chapter of Lucknow’s medical heritage. His mother, Zahida Auntie, had often spoken of it, pointing to the site near today’s Lari Cardiology Centre, where the geriatric and mental health departments of KGMU (King George Medical University) now stand. That conversation became the bridge between my inherited love for inquiry and the living memory of our city, compelling me to delve into archives and dissertations, and to uncover the remarkable story of a hospital that once stood shoulder to shoulder with Queen Mary and Lady Dufferin Hospitals in Lucknow.&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:426px;" id="attachment_41918" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41918"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Kinnaird_Memorial_Hospital_1_1_1024x666_2b0c4cee0d.png" alt="Kinnaird-Memorial-Hospital-1-1-1024x666.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Kinnaird_Memorial_Hospital_1_1_1024x666_2b0c4cee0d.png 240w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Kinnaird_Memorial_Hospital_1_1_1024x666_2b0c4cee0d.png 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Kinnaird_Memorial_Hospital_1_1_1024x666_2b0c4cee0d.png 750w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_Kinnaird_Memorial_Hospital_1_1_1024x666_2b0c4cee0d.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41918">Lady Kinnaird Memorial Hospital</figcaption></figure>The story begins in 1875, when Elizabeth Bielby, a nurse sent by the Zenana Mission Society, began her medical mission near Lucknow. Though beset by tragedy, her sister Alice died soon after arrival, and Bielby herself fell gravely ill, the mission still endured. By 1891, through the efforts of Dr. Grace Mackinnon, the Lady Kinnaird Memorial Hospital was established on government-granted land, named after Lady Kinnaird. She was a devout Presbyterian philanthropist remembered for founding the YWCA.&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;margin:15px auto 10px;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:416px;" id="attachment_41915" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41915"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/CMS_CRL_IW_1899_08_0007_cropped1_7b434dba61.jpg" alt="CMS_CRL_IW_1899_08_0007-cropped1.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_CMS_CRL_IW_1899_08_0007_cropped1_7b434dba61.jpg 244w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41915">England Zenana Missionary Society</figcaption></figure>In 1910, Dr. Ethel Douglas took charge, and for the next 36 years she transformed the institution, expanding facilities, raising standards, and establishing training protocols that led to the North India Board of Examiners and State Registration Councils. Her dedication earned her the Kaiser-i-Hind Medal in Gold in 1927, and government grants that enabled new wards and modern equipment. As Beth Bullock Spencer’s dissertation records, Douglas’s “extraordinary influence” kept the Lucknow hospital “overflowing,” even as she grappled with challenges ranging from reluctant purdah patients to the infamous monkey menace.“Even the veteran doctor Ethel Douglas struggled to find a solution to the monkey problem, for some of the local people regarded the monkeys as sacred; harming the monkeys was out of question. Douglas resorted to shouting and shaking her rifle at the monkeys, but with little effect.”Snakes, too, were a recurring hazard, and cultural beliefs often complicated medical practice. Patients observing purdah resisted operations, some postponed surgeries at the last minute deeming the hour “inauspicious,” while others consulted village elders who determinedhe hospital became a sanctuary for women’s health, normalizing dental extractions, eye surgeries, and maternity care in a city where traditional practices often prevailed.The British contribution to Lucknow’s health system was profound. Alongside Lady Kinnaird Memorial Hospital, the Lady Dufferin Hospital was established in 1889 under the Countess of Dufferin Fund to provide safe maternity care. Later, the Queen Mary’s Hospital arose in the early 20th century as a centre for women’s medical education. Together, these institutions marked the colonial effort to embed Western medicine into the city’s fabric, particularly for women and children. They were not merely hospitals but symbols of reform, philanthropy, and the gradual acceptance of modern medical practices in a society negotiating tradition and change.<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;margin:15px auto 10px;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:396px;" id="attachment_41916" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41916"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Lady_Dufferin_Hospital_Virabijee_Katrak_Maternity_Wing_768x432_4cbd6e4487.jpg" alt="Lady_Dufferin_Hospital-_Virabijee_Katrak_Maternity_Wing-768x432.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Lady_Dufferin_Hospital_Virabijee_Katrak_Maternity_Wing_768x432_4cbd6e4487.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Lady_Dufferin_Hospital_Virabijee_Katrak_Maternity_Wing_768x432_4cbd6e4487.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Lady_Dufferin_Hospital_Virabijee_Katrak_Maternity_Wing_768x432_4cbd6e4487.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41916">Lady Dufferin Hospital, Lucknow</figcaption></figure>By 1965, however, Lady Kinnaird Memorial Hospital succumbed to financial constraints and closed its doors. In 1971, the site was absorbed into King George Medical College, now popularly known as KGMU, housing its neurosurgical and mental health departments. Today, its memory lingers only in archives and recollections, overshadowed by its contemporaries. Yet, its legacy remains unique – a Christian missionary hospital that combined philanthropy, medical progress, and social reform. A place where doctors braved not only disease but monkeys, snakes, and cultural resistance to bring care to the women of Lucknow. An institution that has produced some of the world’s finest medical professionals, researchers and administrators. The pictures of these alumni are featured below.&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;margin:15px auto 10px;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:276px;" id="attachment_41910" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41910"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/download_4_26ce212e58.png" alt="download-4.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_download_4_26ce212e58.png 235w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41910">Dr. BM Hedge – Alumni of KGMU</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;margin:15px auto 10px;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:293px;" id="attachment_41911" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41911"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/download_5_c239ac1c62.png" alt="download-5.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_download_5_c239ac1c62.png 245w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41911">Dr. Sanduk Ruit – Alumni of KGMU</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;margin:15px auto 10px;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:300px;" id="attachment_41912" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41912"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_1_d076bb83d3.png" alt="images-1.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_1_d076bb83d3.png 245w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41912">Dr. Naresh Trehan – Alumni of KGMU</figcaption></figure><figure class="wp-caption alignnone" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;margin:15px auto 10px;max-width:100%;padding:0px;width:211px;" id="attachment_41913" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41913"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_1_1_300x300_b57c8c7015.png" alt="images-1-1-300x300.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_1_1_300x300_b57c8c7015.png 156w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-41913">Dr. Anil Kohli – Alumni of KGMU</figcaption></figure>As I reflect upon this heritage, I am convinced that Lucknow’s medical history is incomplete without acknowledging the forgotten jewel that was Lady Kinnaird Memorial Hospital. Its story is not merely of bricks and mortar, but of pioneering women doctors, missionary zeal, and the evolution of healthcare in colonial and post-colonial India. Remembering it is essential to preserving the dignity of our city’s cultural and medical legacy.</div></div>

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