An essay based on my experience inside Tihar. For the first time since my father's death last year, I was happy that he was no more, for, at his age, he wouldn't have been able to take this pain. And yet as I sit down to write this, there’s no one I miss more because my life was always about talks with him. And the only person who would have truly appreciated and actually understood and enjoyed this essay was him. I dedicate this to him. A couple of months back a completely illegal arrest wrt to a service tax issue, made a magistrate send me to Judicial Custody in Tihar. At first, I was of course very angry, but by the time the formalities got completed, the anger changed into a quest for knowledge about a system that my father, Dr Malay Chaudhuri and I had written extensively about in our 2003 book 'The Great Indian Dream' (in the chapter 'Indian Jails: Innocents inside Criminals outside'). After all how many people with an interest in jail reforms get a cha
No child should need to risk their lives to get educated. In the name of EDUCATION, Can we stop TORTURING little kids, please? Here's some bitter truth about the education we give and why our kids NEED NOT RISK their lives for that. It's been beyond painful to see my 9-year-old nephew (he turned 9 on 21st June and I told him this article will be his birthday gift) sit in front of the laptop for hours during the Lockdown. Why this torture? So that schools can get the fees on time? Schools and colleges do require funds to run, I realize. So, reduce costs and request parents to pay part fees this year or the government to step in and support. But why make little children go through this pathetic torture?? In any case, our education system and schooling have failed us miserably. Instead of doing fakery like they did with me for 13 years of my school life, it's really time to change our education system. And if you can't; Then at least during these extremely tough times aro