Economics, Socio-Politics, Petitions, Activism
As I have grown older I have become more aware of social issues and inequaties in India. I have been disturbed by violence and sexual assault against Indian women. The government in India is reluctant to pass laws protecting LGBTQ rights. It took the Supreme Court of India to decriminalize same sex relations because the elected legislatures had abdicated their responsibility. I felt immense shame when the Indian government passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). CAA allows illiegal migrants facing religious persecution to become Indian citizens, except for Muslims and a few other minorities. This racist law has no place in a modern democracy.
The injustices in society have propelled me to become an Activist. Listed below are some socio-political and economic activities that I have pursued.
Global Events Society [2021]
- I co-founded the “Global Events Society” at my school. The primary aim of this society is to encourage students to discuss socio-political events. The Global Events Society also encourages students to look at global events holistically and appreciate different points of views.
- The Global Events Society holds regular discussions. Recent events included a discussion on Afghanistan and the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Petition for Justice for Hathras Rape Victim [2020]
- In September 2020 a 19 year old Dalit (underprivileged) girl was raped in Hathras, in India’s most populous state, Utter Pradesh. The young girl died two weeks later.
- My friend and I started a petition to expedite the trial of the young girl. Over 17,000 people supported the petition.
Research Paper on Migration with Cambridge Professor [2021]
- I wrote a research paper on international development and global migration, focusing on Feminisation of Migration.
- This research paper was written under the guidance of Dr Saradamoyee Chatterjee, the director of Land Economy at Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge, and Affiliated Lecturer at the Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge.
Work with NGO “SNEHA” to understand COVID impact on Pregnant Women [2021]
- I am currently working with “SNEHA”, an Indian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), which focuses on maternal health, women empowerment and the prevention of violence against women and children.
- I am interviewing pregnant migrant women in Mumbai who live in informal settlements with the objective of understanding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on prenatal care for migrant women.
- I took up this assignment because the Global Migration research paper was on a global scale and I was curious to learn about migration (especially women migration) within my country.
“A Pen. A Paper” – Rhea’s Blog [2011 till date]
- “A Pen. A Paper” is my personal blog where I write articles on socio-political and economic issues. Its a great place for me to vent my feelings.
- Some recent articles in the blog are Performance of the BJP government, Indian Farm Bills and Fascism, Rape in India, Police Brutality in India, Analysis of the Indian economic stimulus package, Pandemics and Politics, The Chinese Demographic Crisis, State-Funded Coal Industries, Gun Violence in America, and Abortion ban.
Extended Economic Essay on the Indian Farm Bills [2020-2021]
- Currently writing a 4000-word paper on the impact of the 2020 Farm Bill on paddy farmers in the Indian state of Haryana.
- Interviewed award-winning journalist, Parth MN, to understand his work with farmers and gauge the perspectives of farmers on the legislation.