articles by Nikita Doval

India

Land Pirates of Tamil Nadu history forgot

The Narikuravas are among the most vulnerable communities, with very low education levels

India

Life in the Hangman’s Shadow

Freed by the Supreme Court after 16 years spent on death row for a crime they did not commit, five men are desperately trying to rebuild their lives. More than a cause for celebration, their acquittal is reason to ask: how many more are wasting away in our jails?

India

The pen that has left an indelible mark

For those committed to the art of writing, the fountain pen's entirely handmade Indian identity is a more powerful calling card

India

Jobs crisis in India spiking cynicism among youth towards politics; 'timepass generation' now puts its faith in TikTok, tequila shots

A dissatisfied educated youth population can impact the social, economic and religious fabric of a society like India’s

India

The last drags of a famed Trichinopoly cigar

Fenn Thompson, Hunter & Co, John Mayer and others once supplied customers across the Empire. Fenn is the only survivor of Trichy’s great British heritage

India

The unanswered prayers of Tamil Nadu's Dalit priests

Despite government push for training schools, Dalit priests have not been able to find jobs in state-owned historic temples

India

Remembering Jallianwala Bagh tragedy: Why independent Bharat too is in Dyer straits

Centenary of Jallianwala Bagh massacre led by General Dyer is as good a time as any for the State to reflect upon the way it deals with its citizen protests and where it needs course correction

India

A dazzling show of ‘rock stars’

This is the third time that the Nizam’s jewels have been exhibited following their purchase by the Government of India in 1995 for a relatively paltry sum of Rs 210 crore.

India

The muck stops here: Bhadreswar, a small town in West Bengal, is remarkable for nothing except its filth

First prize for being India’s dirtiest city isn’t an honour Bhadreswar wants, and it’s working hard to lose it when new ratings are released this year.

Politics

Politics is a drug and BJP's Ruby Phugat Yadav is high on it: Ex-beauty queen has eyes on South Delhi Lok Sabha seat

Ruby Phugat Yadav, who has several beauty titles to her credit and is now a member of the executive committee of the BJP's Delhi wing, says it is easy to let power go to your head in politics, but one has to be professional.

India

India's tiger population rises, but shrinking forests raise chances of man-animal conflict manifold

As the tiger population grows in our finite wildlife reserves and parks, the scourge of man-eaters returns to reignite the man-animal conflict debate.

India

Monumental neglect: In dire need of reinvigoration, Red Fort's 'superficial' conservation lacks the right approach

India’s celebrated monuments, including the Red Fort, are in dire need of reinvigoration.

India

Tigress Avni killed: Farce of a hunt ends as 'man-eater' finally put down, but question of her cubs looms large

Conservation cannot be romanticised for the sake of one animal, but shooting dead a new mother whose cubs are yet to be weaned off cannot be the answer

India

#MeToo: Trauma of patriarchal terms like 'eve-teasing' shed dominance as 'sexual harassment' takes over

Feminists have long argued about the gendered nature of language and how it furthers patriarchy.

India

Gujarat’s call for mass exodus leaves hapless migrants in lurch; workers struggle for rights and livelihood

Displaced from their own states with no political patronage or access to state benefits, migrant workers — who form the backbone of India’s informal work sector — are a vulnerable group.