Barkha Dutt is consulting editor, NDTV, and founding member, Ideas Collective. She tweets as @BDUTT.
Articles by Barkha Dutt
Stir by wrestlers uncovers a dark nexus of abuse
Our sportswomen have brought home global laurels. They have battled social and economic odds to get to where they are. Yet, as the ongoing protests against the wrestling federation chief show, taking on patriarchy, sexism, power and bullying remains an unwinnable fight
Updated on Jan 20, 2023 07:34 PM IST
Another depressing year of normalised gendered violence
From a woman being hit and dragged for several kilometres by a car of men to another being urinated on by a drunk man on a flight, women are suffering. Worse, every Indian woman can imagine being on the receiving end of this kind of violence. This is an indictment of our society
Published on Jan 07, 2023 12:37 PM IST
Elections 2022: Three parties, three messages
If the BJP’s mega win in Gujarat is a reminder of the remarkable support for PM Modi, the other big story of the election season is the arrival of the AAP on the national stage. And for the Congress, despite the win in Himachal Pradesh, there is more trouble ahead
Updated on Dec 09, 2022 07:45 PM IST
Shraddha Walkar case: Ask the right questions
Instead of zeroing in on what this tells us about the violence that women experience in relationships and why they find it so difficult to walk out instantly, the media and political debates have been swamped by the rhetoric of “love jihad”.
Published on Nov 25, 2022 08:24 PM IST
Hijab: The fight in Iran and Karnataka is not the same
The hijab debate must not become a sordid excuse for Muslim bashing, especially in the context of identity assertion in the age of majoritarianism. And, the priority must be the education of girls
Updated on Nov 11, 2022 08:33 PM IST
Pakistan is at war with itself. Can Khan reset the ending?
An unprecedented speech by the ISI chief spotlights the battle between Imran Khan and the army. But doubts persist about his success in a country where the military has always decided the balance of political power
Published on Oct 28, 2022 07:35 PM IST
What the row over mass conversion says about politics
The attempt to criminalise conversions has been building up in India. With several elections around the corner, this issue will dominate political discourse. Unfortunately, what will not be discussed is the plight of marginalised communities
Updated on Oct 14, 2022 08:32 PM IST
Congress needs a disruption. But will it take the risk?
In Mallikarjun Kharge, the Gandhis may find the sort of leader they are comfortable with. In contrast, Shashi Tharoor has remained his own person. In him, the Congress has a chance to offer a new face to the country, when it is jaded and battling for relevance
Updated on Sep 30, 2022 07:56 PM IST
Places of Worship Act now seems redundant
While a protracted legal battle over the Gyanvapi mosque may help preserve the status quo, it may not provide a sustainable resolution. If India is to avoid religious strife and maintain social harmony, solutions will have to come from the people
Updated on Sep 16, 2022 07:42 PM IST
For India’s women, a time of heartbreak, horror, and betrayal
We are witnessing in India the worst side of human behaviour — with the release of Bilkis Bano’s rapists, Seema Patra’s inhumane treatment of Sunita, her house help, and Ankita and Naina, who faced cruelty and torture by men whose harassment they fought. We need to remember their names
_1662129396551_1662129415750_1662129415750.jpg "In some cases, there is selective silence, and in others, there is selective outrage. The religion of the criminal and of the survivor has been made a basis for who speaks and on what. Effectively, there is no politician who will speak for every woman. So, we have to speak for ourselves. (HT Photo)")
Updated on Sep 02, 2022 08:51 PM IST
The Bilkis Bano case should matter to every woman
Despite devoting 17 years of her life to battling for justice, the 11 men who violated Bilkis were released early from jail. This is an unspeakable injustice. Can any woman’s fight for justice end like this?
Updated on Aug 19, 2022 08:09 PM IST
What Indian liberals might want to learn from Jon Stewart
I can’t think of a single Indian figure who, like presenter and satirist Jon Stewart, is fiercely pluralistic and progressive, but also has a sustained focus on the armed forces and the rights of soldiers and veterans
Published on Aug 05, 2022 07:12 PM IST
Don’t overlook the demands of Kashmiri Pandits
The suffering of Kashmiri Hindus has long been at the heart of Right-wing politics. Unfortunately, today, as they protest, asking only that they not be coerced into working where they don’t feel secure, it seems no one is prepared to listen
Updated on Jul 22, 2022 08:11 PM IST
Zubair, Chitale and why we all should care
The cases are a signal to all to watch what we say, be cautious before we express ourselves, and be aware, chillingly aware, that if the law enforcement agencies decide to come after a person, a substantive accusation is not even necessary
Updated on Jul 08, 2022 08:52 PM IST
Maha lessons for family focussed parties in India
The debacle is an instructive reminder from the BJP to its challengers that no battle is too small to attempt a fight. It is also a warning to all dynasty-driven parties that the family name is not bulletproof to the assaults of the competition, both within and from competitors
Updated on Jun 24, 2022 08:21 PM IST
Prophet row: India must learn to self-correct
The BJP could possibly have avoided the negative fallout from the controversy by removing Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal immediately after what they said about Prophet Mohammed
Updated on Jun 10, 2022 08:45 PM IST
When marriage is not a safe and essential space
The ordeal of Sujata Khullar, a victim of domestic abuse, is a reminder of how too many women sacrifice too much of themselves for marriage, assuming it to be a safe space. Her experience — and her courage — should also make us connect the dots to the larger debate around why marital rape is still not a crime in India
Updated on May 27, 2022 07:48 PM IST
Why India must come clean on Covid-19 deaths
The WHO may not have covered itself in glory over the handling of the pandemic. But the debate around India’s uncounted deaths is not about arithmetic. It’s about truth-telling. And what we owe as a nation to ourselves. And to the people
Updated on May 13, 2022 05:52 PM IST
From Rajasthan, the tragic tale of two women
While the death by suicide of a gynaecologist paints a sordid picture of extortion, blackmail, and a compromised legal process, the death of her patient — a young mother — shows an ugly patriarchal culture that often denies women their reproductive rights
Updated on Apr 01, 2022 08:38 PM IST
Excerpt: To Hell And Back: Humans Of Covid by Barkha Dutt
Journalist Barkha Dutt’s new book, To Hell And Back (published by Juggernaut Books), tells the story of the Covid-19 pandemic in India and draws from her own reporting on the subject. This excerpt is taken from the chapter Asphyxiated, which deals with the second wave in 2021 and the oxygen-shortage crisis
Updated on Feb 25, 2022 10:28 PM IST
Muslim women and their right to an education
It doesn’t matter whether you are for or against the headscarf. Or if the conversation should be about legality or religion. At its core, the hijab controversy is about access to education
Updated on Feb 18, 2022 08:00 PM IST
In Punjab, the Congress is at war with itself
After Amarinder Singh’s exit, Sunil Jakhar, Navjot Sidhu and Charanjit Channi were meant to be an Amar-Akbar-Anthony troika. The plan backfired and the party descended into a gang war, underlining its inability to urgently resolve the mess
Updated on Feb 04, 2022 09:08 PM IST
Punjab elections: It’s Channi versus Kejriwal
If Channi scores a win, it will be despite his party. If Kejriwal does, you will hear more of the ‘Delhi Model’ nationally, as you once did of the ‘Gujarat Model’. For now, it’s advantage the AAP, courtesy the Congress
Updated on Jan 21, 2022 08:35 PM IST
A new Covid-19 wave is here. Junk old rules
Omicron is not the last variant. A new way has to be found of living with it — and despite it. Stop random testing, spread the message about the latest home isolation norms, and open educational institutions with necessary safeguards
Updated on Jan 07, 2022 09:33 PM IST
Let’s not normalise hate speeches, mob violence
The Haridwar hate-mongering is not just vile; it is a national security issue. It goes to the very heart of the people we are and the people we want to be
Updated on Dec 24, 2021 08:28 PM IST
Covid-19: It’s time to make vaccines mandatory
More than 120 million Indians have not taken their second dose. As our primary armour, vaccines are the only way to fight variants such as Omicron. Pass an executive order
Updated on Dec 10, 2021 08:14 PM IST
Ajay Mishra Teni’s position is untenable
Teni’s statements about the incident, the SC’s intervention, his remarks on protesting farmers, and the language he has used, all point to the need for him to step down
Updated on Nov 12, 2021 07:15 PM IST
The Aryan Khan case is about constitutionalism
There has been a complete lack of proportionality in the system’s response. With the lower courts taking little risk, and the NCB dragging Aryan Khan’s name through the mud, the case is now a spectator sport, with little to no evidence
Updated on Oct 29, 2021 06:57 PM IST
The SRK son story: Deflection or escapism?
The Shah Rukh Khan-Aryan real life starrer is not just about easy ratings for TV media; it is also the perfect distraction from more troubling and important issues exploding all around us
Updated on Oct 15, 2021 06:34 PM IST
Punjab’s message: The eroding authority of the Gandhis
What used to be said off-the-record in the Congress is now out in the open. The family is harming the party
Updated on Oct 01, 2021 03:32 PM IST
