In Living Memory, Ganpatpatil Nagar, Thoughts from a Nation in Flux, Peril

January A thin fire is the only light in the long alley, otherwise dark except for a narrow sliver of light shining out of the uneven skirting of Sangita’s rough, shapeless door- it cuts a strange beam across the uneven dirt road or kacchi gali in the light winter mist, resting, diffused, as a narrow […]

Case Study: Shaukat Sheikh, A Disappearance

I saw his son before I ever met him, Shaukat Sheikh, Irshad was making some phone calls in and NGO office and I saw the MISSING poster on the desk, held it out against him and took some photos. We were at Ambojwadi, embroiled in Ganpatpatil Nagar, far, far, far from other concerns. The […]

Reflections: On Fear

‘They hold it in,’ she says gravely, matter of fact-like, looking me in the eye past my camera as the other two nod. ‘They prefer it to the shit they have to take from the bastards on the way to the (community) bathrooms. They’re too afraid and they don’t go,’ she says, talking about the […]

White Lines, Grey Lines. Case Study: Irshad Ali and Shafi Law

Fats, The fact that I’m using Microsoft Word should apprise you of the gravity of the matter I’m writing to you about. I was in a hurry when I received your email yesterday morning, and I apologize that I couldn’t respond to you sooner. I was amazed though, you had finally written an honest letter. […]