The I Column
Acceptance, Agency, and A Womens’ Hostel
In a way, Mrs Chatterjee’s worst fears had been confirmed. The hostel was indeed dangerous – not because of “raging hormones”, but because wewere constantly initiating discussions and circumstances which challenged the patriarchal status quo.
By Anonymous
March 5, 2018
Acceptance, Agency, and a Women’s Hostel
Home, to me, was never a static entity, but my time in a girl’s hostel feels like the embodiment of everything my ideal “home” is – empowering, liberating, and full of women who love each other unabashedly.
By Anonymous
January 2, 2020
A ‘girly’ feminist
Desiring motherhood meant veering into a more ‘girly’ territory, a notion that I had simultaneously been fighting and trying to embrace since childhood. I had understood that to be a feminist I had to be independent, be wary of men, dislike families and relationships.
By Anubha Sarkar
December 1, 2020
A Vicious Cycle – Forced to Stand Still and Then Feel Bad About It
On a larger scale, my non-normative sexuality is confined to tiny spaces, influenced by fear of impending violence, rejection and revulsion, even when one is privileged enough to live in a metropolitan city.
By Mahika Banerji
A Lingering Tingle
I started learning Bharatanatyam in 1988, when I was six years old. Looking back, it feels like beginning to learn…
By Aniruddan Vasudevan
January 1, 2015
A Gay Man’s Daughter
Were there more people like my father? Was it legal? I read about sexual diversity and how people of all sexual orientations should have the same rights[1], the LGBT community, and so on, and what the law says about them. Though the picture is not a completely happy one, a lot of work is going on in this area and there is still hope for the future.
By Anonymous
December 2, 2019
September 18, 2025
A Critical View Of Sexual Health Education In Iran
When I was 16, I thought: ‘Some topics in physics have no benefit for students throughout their life. For instance,…
By Nikzad Zangeneh
December 1, 2013
A Critical View Of Sexual Health Education In Iran
When I was 16, I thought: ‘Some topics in physics have no benefit for students throughout their life. For instance,…
By Nikzad Zangeneh
August 1, 2015
‘From Son to Father’
Dear Dad, There are times when I find writing a largely unproductive and tiresome exercise. For much of what is…
By Sahil Sood
December 4, 2017