Articles by: Arka Deep

India’s prisoners remain vulnerable to Covid

India’s prisoners remain vulnerable to Covid

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, there was initially some concern about crowding in Indian prisons. In an overpopulated, confined environment the risk of explosion of an infectious disease is always high. That is why, rights groups from several countries advocated for the decongestion of the prisons. Especially, in India, where poor health infrastructure in prisons added even more to the[Read More…]

by 27/02/2022 Comments are Disabled COVID Response Watch
Pseudoscience thrives during the Covid pandemic

Pseudoscience thrives during the Covid pandemic

Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, stirred up a series of trolls and memes on social media recently by claiming that “Corona does not spread in salt water”, during a press conference related to the Gangasagar Mela. The Gangasagar mela is an annual pilgrimage for Hindus, held every year during the makar sankranti festival, when thousands from all[Read More…]

by 17/02/2022 Comments are Disabled COVID Response Watch
Despite major Covid impact, no long-term measures for India’s unorganized workers

Despite major Covid impact, no long-term measures for India’s unorganized workers

Since the beginning of COVID, most political parties have competed against each other in claiming how they provided relief material to those most affected by the pandemic. While the State governments and the central government announced various packages for the people political leaders were seen distributing food and medical kits among the people. In West Bengal too, Covid relief work[Read More…]

by 10/02/2022 1 comment COVID Response Watch
Kolkata’s domestic workers were worst hit by Covid lockdowns

Kolkata’s domestic workers were worst hit by Covid lockdowns

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the working class suffered the most. And, among the working class, the worst off were those who are not even recognized as the organized working class – domestic helps. When the lockdown began in March 2020 these helps – mostly women – faced a tremendous problem. First of all, they had trouble commuting daily to the[Read More…]

by 05/01/2022 Comments are Disabled COVID Response Watch
Women labourers plucking tea leaves at a plantation in Udalguri of Assam.

Covid, sweat, tears and tea in Darjeeling

Every morning as people around the globe sip their morning ‘cuppa’ tea, there must be only few who wonder how the workers who make their favorite brew possible are faring in the Covid era. The answer, as Covid Response Watch found out during a visit to the tea gardens of Darjeeling in north Bengal, was –not very well indeed. And[Read More…]

by 19/12/2021 Comments are Disabled COVID Response Watch
The Jadavpur Commune: Students takes on Covid challenge

The Jadavpur Commune: Students takes on Covid challenge

When the COVID-19 lockdown began in West Bengal in 2020, a number of students from Jadavpur University of Kolkata came together to stand up with the people in the face of the grave crisis. The lockdown was a threat to the employment of many belonging to the underprivileged sections of society. The slum dwellers, daily wage laborers, domestic workers faced[Read More…]

by 26/10/2021 Comments are Disabled COVID Response Watch
Alternative vision of education springs up during Covid lockdown

Alternative vision of education springs up during Covid lockdown

On 3rd October 2021 Mamata Banerjee, the incumbent chief minister of West Bengal – with a reputation as street-fighting politician, won a by-election at Bhabanipur, to secure her chief ministerial chair. Ironically, the very next day, the West Bengal police cracked down on students holding demonstrations demanding opening of the schools and colleges in the state. Discontent has been brewing[Read More…]

by 10/10/2021 Comments are Disabled COVID Response Watch
“We Shall Overcome”: How the youth of Darjeeling responded during COVID-19

“We Shall Overcome”: How the youth of Darjeeling responded during COVID-19

On May 4th of 2021, as the second wave of  COVID-19 raged in the hills of Darjeeling, a group of youth came up with an initiative called “We Shall Overcome” to lead their community in the battle against the pandemic. COVID-19 had scorched the Darjeeling hills creating panic among the people, especially rural areas of the hilly district where medical[Read More…]

by 23/09/2021 1 comment COVID Response Watch
Sundarbans: Two Cyclones and a Pandemic

Sundarbans: Two Cyclones and a Pandemic

Most parts of the Indian sub-continent are so highly populated and poor that the negative impact of even one large natural disaster could linger on for generations. Sundarbans, tucked between the Bay of Bengal coast of the Indian State of West Bengal and neighboring Bangladesh, has had three disasters in quick succession over the last one year. Apart from the[Read More…]

by 25/06/2021 Comments are Disabled COVID Response Watch
War And Mental Health crisis in Kashmir does not seem to be Resolved soon

War And Mental Health crisis in Kashmir does not seem to be Resolved soon

 War and conflicts always comes in a severe human cost. Apart from the death and injuries it brings to the body, it has always brought a similar degree of injury to the mind, which sometimes goes un-noticed. Through the years of modern warfare, it has shown to affect the human mind to worse degree than it was imagined. During the[Read More…]

by 27/08/2020 Comments are Disabled India
The Prison System Around The World Needs a Reform; It Has No Place in Democratic Nations in Current State

The Prison System Around The World Needs a Reform; It Has No Place in Democratic Nations in Current State

The debate about the prison system is nothing new. There are thousands of articles, studies and papers related to this particular subject. The central aim of this article is to continue the discussion on the questions like social basis of crime, failure of current system in place to deal with crime, and the long standing demand of a reformative prison[Read More…]

by 25/08/2020 1 comment Human Rights
Draconian Laws and Suppression of Dissidents

Draconian Laws and Suppression of Dissidents

To the world India is known as the largest democracy in the world. If you considered holding elections at regular interval as the only criteria of being a democracy you can give this tag. But, the dismal condition of freedom of speech and the right to dissent in the country is a real cause of concern for the activists and[Read More…]

by 12/08/2020 Comments are Disabled Human Rights
Why India needs to amend the Epidemic Act 1897 further

Why India needs to amend the Epidemic Act 1897 further

While we are bracing for a life in masks it seems unlikely that the restrictions in place will be revoked fully in the near future. It may be the only way around to prevent further damage, but like everything else the police excesses have dominated the headlines for several times during the lockdown period. Though a section of the people[Read More…]

by 20/07/2020 Comments are Disabled India
A Look At The Past, Present And Future Of The China –Indian Border Dispute

A Look At The Past, Present And Future Of The China –Indian Border Dispute

After five decades of status quo in their unresolved border issue, India and China have locked horns again, this time at Galwan Valley. With the first casualties in nearly 53 years, this face off is essentially becoming a cause for concern among people. While the BJP-led government is out to squeeze the last drop of publicity through their toxic ultra-nationalism,[Read More…]

by 09/07/2020 Comments are Disabled India
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