Co-Written by Disha Malik, Shubhangi Kandwal & Upasna Gaba In December 2019, several cases of pneumonia were reported with unknown aetiology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Since then the disease has spread in other parts of China and the world causing a global pandemic. (Hagert & Williams,2020). The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 led to an obligation to quarantine and increased[Read More…]
Co-Written by Tehzeeb Anis & Mohammad Akram Mental health is one of the most important aspect in the life of an individual. It includes cognitive, behavioural and emotional well-being. Mental health is all about how an individual think, feel and behave. The World Health Organization (WHO) had also focus on the importance of mental health and given a comprehensive definition.[Read More…]
Co-Written by Hasina Khan and Rishika Jain The atrocities faced by the Muslim community adversely affects their mental well-being “It doesn’t matter if we have a stable job or not, if we’re economically independent; the fear of getting arrested purely due to our religion never stops.” Khadijha from Mushidabad “My past experiences with a mental health practitioner were unproductive and[Read More…]
Among the many challenges India faces, the most underappreciated is the ongoing mental health crisis. Mental illness is actually India’s ticking bomb. An estimated 56 million Indians suffer from depression, and 38 million from anxiety disorders. For those who suffer from mental illness, life can seem like a terrible prison from which there is no hope of escape; they are[Read More…]
There can be no health without mental health, despite this clear evidence nowhere in the world does mental health enjoy parity with physical health in budgets, policies and practice. According to World Health Organisation, Mental Health Atlas, Globally it is estimated that less than 7 percent of health budgets is allocated to address mental health. Persons with mental illness constitute[Read More…]
by Dr. Urvashi Priyadarshini, Dr. Arathi P Rao and Dr. K. Rajasekharan Nayar The concept of being “healthy” is commonly associated with physical health, and mental health normally occupies a secondary role although it is contained in the WHO definition of health. It was and is considered a taboo and, people with mental health problems feel uncomfortable discussing their issues[Read More…]
“About a third of my cases are suffering from no clinically definable neurosis, but from the senselessness and emptiness of their lives. This can be defined as the general neurosis of our times.” -Carl Jung I thought I knew what depression looked like. It looked like locked rooms and phone calls which were never answered back. An incapacity to socialize,[Read More…]
Recently, the news about the sad demise of renowned Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput at his residence in Bandra apartment in Mumbai on June 14 staggered the whole country and the Bollywood fraternity en masse. Prima facie report revealed the anoxic strangulation by hanging himself to death. Following the news, there were many speculations that would have forced him to[Read More…]
We have witnessed multiple debates on social media over the suicide of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput in the last few days. The Bollywood ‘fraternity’ reacted instantly after his demise. No wonder- their views are categorically distinct from one another. A group of celebrity suddenly poured their sympathy for Sushant by concerning mental health. Few other celebrities are pointing towards[Read More…]
With the demise of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh, suddenly whole India has started talking about mental health. There are several poems, stories, and messages which are circulated on social media regarding mental health. I am asking to all fellow citizens that do we need news on famous suicide to talk about mental health? Can’t we talk about mental health in[Read More…]
As we trudge along amidst a global pandemic, surrounded by stories of doom, despair, and death, it is no easy feat to stay upbeat. Big words are floating in the virtual world, Everybody has something to say. A much public piece of sad news has shaken us, Particularly since the times are so grey. There are self-determined labels,[Read More…]
Are people with mental health issues ready to open up and are people ready to listen without judgements? Sitting at lunch, swiping through social media and suddenly receiving the grave news of Sushant Singh Rajput dying of suicide, left me in utter shock. I remember discarding the news as fake and checking at least 10 websites before letting it sink[Read More…]
Co-Written by Hemraj P Jangir & Mamta Yadav It has been more than four months but the whole world is still grappling with the pandemic. Every day we are getting distressing news and images on social media. The COVID-19 has brought many changes in our daily lives. These changes have not only been of staying at home, dining at[Read More…]
Co-Written by Jitamanyu Sahoo & Syed Mujtaba Hussain The current pandemic situation across the globe has accentuated the pre-existing trend of mental health issues to the global forefront. What is more alarming is most of the world is under complete or partial lockdown and people living or developing mental health issues are unable to access the basic treatment. The emergence[Read More…]
I am sure we will recognise that there are some things in our society, some things in our world to which we should never be adjusted. There are some things concerning which we must always be maladjusted if we are to be people of good will. We must never adjust ourselves to religious bigotry. We must never adjust ourselves to[Read More…]
It is generally accepted among the environmental geographers that there is no such thing as a natural disaster. In every phase and aspect of a disaster—causes, vulnerability, preparedness, results and response, and reconstruction—the contours of disaster and the difference between who lives and who dies is to a greater or lesser extent a social calculus. —-Neil Smith1 As the[Read More…]
Among the many challenges India faces, the most underappreciated is the ongoing mental health crisis. Mental illness is actually India’s ticking bomb. An estimated 56 million Indians suffer from depression, and 38 million from anxiety disorders. For those who suffer from mental illness, life can seem like a terrible prison from which there is no hope of escape; they are left forlorn and abandoned,[Read More…]
World Mental Health Day-10 October 2018 Among the many challenges India faces, the most underappreciated is the ongoing mental health crisis. Mental illness is actually India’s ticking bomb .The National Mental Health Survey of India (2016), the largest exercise to count the numbers of those affected by mental disorders, reported that one of every ten adults experiences a clinically significant[Read More…]
HEALTH-this term needs no introduction after all our cordial conversations are filled with it which goes like this, “kya haal,sehat cha theeki” (how are you and how is your health?). But how often do we use the term “mental health”?” “zehni tabyat cha theek” (how is your mental health)perhaps our etiquettes don’t allow it!! But why? Are not our[Read More…]
(World Mental Health Day -10th October 2017) According to an India Spend report, the number of Indians suffering from mental illness exceeds that of the population of South Africa. At present, the mentally ill account for nearly 6.5 percent of the country’s population and it is estimated that by 2020 this number will increase to a staggering 20 percent. Further, the[Read More…]
As ‘mental health’ issues gain more attention, sympathetic and otherwise, in a wide variety of contexts and countries around the world, the opportunity for inaccurate perceptions of what causes these issues, and how to treat them, are likewise expanded. So if you or someone you know is supposed to have a ‘mental illness’ such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive[Read More…]
An Open Letter to The Honourable Chief Justice, Andhra Pradesh High Court 
It Takes Courage To Admit Error: Repealing the new Farm Laws 
Indian farmers challenge return of ‘Company Raj’ 
Farmers’ Organizations Can Strengthen Rural Communities on the Basis of Justice, Environment Protection and Social Reform 
Corona-year takes away half-a-century Indian journalists 
Me Too Khalistani 
Racism and lawfare in the United States 
A Day in 2071 – Chapter- 5 : Dream 
The David McBride Case: Whistleblowing, Afghanistan and Australian War Crimes 
Australia’s Afghanistan War Crimes: A Case of Old Habits Die Hard? 
Insanity reigns — the US, Israel and Iran 
Why we need a Bunker Roy in Literature? 
Climate Change in India: On-ground reality and Solutions 
Over 40 million people captive in modern slavery worldwide: ILO 
United Nations Failure And Sri Lanka’s Defiance 
Eisenhower’s Ghost Haunts Biden’s Foreign Policy Team 
Asbestos in 15% of the talc-based cosmetic products, finds study 
A Day in 2071 – Chapter 4: Battle 
The Past Lives On: The Elite Strategy To Divide and Conquer 
The History of the Decline and Fall of the American Empire Or What It Means to Fall on a Failing Planet 
What Is the Alternative Farming and Food System That India Needs? 
Canadian Prime minister’s statement on farmer protest is not an interference in our internal matters 
Many Voices, Still Many Worlds 
Can We Win? 
Establishment journalists are piling on to smear Robert Fisk now he cannot answer back 
The Twin Essence of Our Times 
A Day in 2071 – Chapter 3- Revolt 
Khalid Hosseini’s “A Thousand Splendid Suns”: Giving Voice to the Voiceless 
French government’s u-turn: Controversial bill curbing filming of police dropped, new version to be written 
Mainstream The Madrasas, Don’t Shut Them 
Moving Past Apartheid: One-State is not Ideal Justice, but It is Just and Possible 
Time for an Economic Transfusion!! 
A Plate of White Marble: A Woman’s Journey 
Maharashtra and Hindu nationalists 
Yes, The Three Controversial Farm Laws Should be Scrapped, But We Also Need to Look Beyond This 
The corporatisation of agriculture a death knell for farmers 
Number Has Decreased But the Overall Threat From Nuclear Weapons Is Increasing 
Democratic values, like Humpty Dumpty, could have a great fall: Former SC judge 
Lubna Sarwath – A Compassionate Fighter All The Way 
The Muslim world’s changing dynamics: Pakistan struggles to retain its footing 
This article is based on the 25th Chandrashekar Memorial Lecture delivered on 20 September 2020. The original lecture was delivered in Hindi and the event was organized by Punashcha, the Indian People’s Theater Association (IPTA) and Koshish. Friends, comrades gathered here; I am very honoured to be invited to deliver the Chandrashekhar Memorial Lecture this year but I cannot say[Read More…]
