Kashmiri society is patriarchal and the region is marred by conflict. The people need role models who can teach them how to survive and to thrive, despite constant adversity and turbulence. 

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I met two innocent girls singing at a crossroads during my trip to the Kashmir valley. There was an exuberance infused in their song and they were dancing without any care for tomorrow. It was probably a folk song. I don’t remember the girls’ names now. But I still recall their fondness for Maggi. One of them told me that whenever they got money from the tourists, they immediately headed to spend it at a local food stall. This little encounter with the two happy and talented souls stayed with me as a serendipitous memory for some time.

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“Secret Superstar” was one of the most successful Bollywood movies of 2017. It tells the story of a young girl who has to cover her face in videos of her singing that she uploads to YouTube to avoid being recognized and punished by her father.

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After a seemingly endless wait, India has finally tasted success in the field of athletics. Recently, Hima Das, an 18-year-old from the northeastern state of Assam, became the first Indian woman to win Gold at the World Junior Athletics.  The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) congratulated her on her success on Twitter but did not refrain from taking a jibe at her poor English.

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Though women’s movements are gaining ground in India, women remain extremely vulnerable in society. Every day, rape, torture and violence hit the headlines. Let’s examine this issue with the feminist writer and activist Urvashi Butalia, who established India’s first feminist publishing house “Kaali” in 1984. Urvashi Butalia in conversation with our correspondent Apoorva Agrawal.

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