Durga Vahini

'Hindu State is the only answer to Islamic State': 15,000-strong 'dharma sena' in UP readies for war with terror outfit

In India, an army of 15,000 soldiers are ready to fight the Islamic State. Hindu Swabhiman, an outfit from the outskirts of India's capital to the Uttarakhand border, have trained an army to wage war against the terror organisation.

World Before Her: Filmmaker Nisha Pahuja talks about violence and stories that will bring change

The World Before Her, a documentary about women empowerment by Nisha Pahuja, is being screened in rural India by the filmmakers in an effort to share the stories that will bring about change.

Rise of right wing Sadhvis: The dubious feminism of Prachi, Niranjan Jyoti et al

Let's be honest. VHP's Sadhvi Prachi makes about as much sense as Baba Sehgal songs, Shaktimaan, Govinda's shirts and other such phenomena that defy reason. The latest shot she fired at the world was aimed at Mahatma Gandhi, who she has dubbed a 'British agent'. Gandhi is not the first to have irked Prachi.

Kareena Kapoor on magazine cover: Why is Durga Vahini acting like alleged 'love jihadists'?

Kareena Kapoor's morphed image appeared on the cover of a Durga Vahini magazine.

Hindutva brigade pick Kareena Kapoor as their cover girl for 'love jihad'

The latest issue of Durga Vahini’s magazine Himalaya Dhwani is devoted to love jihad and has Kapoor’s face on the cover. Half of her face is in black, but for a slit through which an eye can be seen. The other half of Kapoor’s face shows the actress with a bindi and sindoor in her hair.

Documentary on Durga Vahini and Miss India nominated for Emmy Awards

Nisha Pahuja's documentary, The World Before Her, has been nominated for the prestigious Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Coverage of a Current News Story category.

The World Before Her review: An important, provocative film

Durga Vahini is the female counterpart of the Bajrang Dal, a subsidiary of the Hindu nationalist organisationVishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). If you think you know about this extremist group from media coverage, that’s not the half of it.

The iPad Fallacy: Why there’s nothing modern about Akhilesh

Modernity is hard work requiring blood, sweat and tears not a consumer good. It cannot be bought off Amazon or Flipkart or in a mall. And now as Akhilesh Yadav has shown us it’s clear that the iPad does not make the man.

The World Before Her review: Who wins the Durga Vahini vs Miss India war?

A militant Hindu nationalist camp for girls, or a beauty contest — if you had to take a wild guess, which would you say produces the more independent woman? When these two are the subjects of a documentary by a Canadian filmmaker, most people would expect the beauty contest will have the filmmaker's sympathy.

Brainwashing in VHP's Durga Vahini camp shocked me: Filmmaker

Pahuja's film follows the lives of Prachi, a twenty year old trainer at Durga Vahini, and a number of Miss India (2011) contestants.