A few weeks back, the government of Jammu and Kashmir issued an order asking all telecommunications operators to do whatever is necessary to block the blasphemous film ‘Innocence of Muslims,’ even if it required blocking Facebook and YouTube completely.

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Most of the women in Indian administered Kashmir never think of choosing theatre as a career option. Even if they want to be a part of theatre, the conservative set-up forces them to opt for a more “decent” career choice. In a place where no woman has ever dared to work for theatre, Ifra Kak took the first step. Born and brought up in Jammu, Ifra is the daughter of Mushtaq Kak, a well known theatre actor and director.

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In 1982, the film “Nikah” was released in India. It was a story of a muslim woman whose marriage is dissolved when her husband says “Talaq, Talaq, Talaq.” Talaq literally means divorce. This film focused on the way in which divorce takes place in a Muslim marriage.

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One of our readers, Ridhi Rajpal, is very upset about how men treat her at the workplace. And no, it’s not sexual harassment she is complaining about. Women colleagues in the cinema industry are often considered “softer” than their male colleagues, their abilities are questioned constantly, but they are also pampered.

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According to the latest census of 2011, the sex ratio in India is 917 women to 1000 men. This means theoretically, that 917 will have a female partner, but that 83 men will be left out. Alarming isn’t it? Still, it is a shame that many Indian households celebrate when a boy is born into the family, but are unhappy when a baby girl makes an entrance. Debarati Mukherjee speaks out from India.

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To curb the increasing incidents of rape in Haryana, the local village leaders have come up with a solution. They have suggested that the marriageable age for girls be lowered to 16 years. According to Indian law, girls cannot get married before they turn 18. This shocking statement has come a day after a teenaged girl from a lower caste immolated herself after being allegedly raped in Jind district in Haryana, India’s state notorious for being unsafe for women.

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There is always a first time for everything that happens to us. There is something special about the first experience. The case was not different with my first day in Germany. I had never travelled to a foreign country before. When I landed in Germany the feeling was mixed. I was missing home, I was worried, but at the same time the thought of meeting new people and learning new things brought some relief.

It was a cold morning on October 1, when I arrived at Frankfurt international airport. I felt dead tired. I completed the formalities at the airport, collected my luggage and started looking for the way to the train station. I had to catch a train to Cologne and then to Bonn. I was worried, but didn’t want to give this impression to the people around.

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