We The People

The macabre murder of Shraddha Walkar has opened up a debate on partner violence - and the lack of conversation about it. We The People attempts to decode why women suffer domestic violence silently - and the role that society plays in helping women escape.

It is Day 7 of the probe into Shraddha Walkar's gruesome murder, with new details emerging, each grislier than the last. Yet, the discourse on mainstream media and in drawing room conversations remains largely toxic - choosing to focus on aspects like Shraddha's presence on dating apps, her decision to elope with her would-be killer Aftab and the live-in relationship she entered into with him. On We The People, we ask - is this toxic discourse straying from the topic at hand? Why is the victim, even in death, being vilifed?

On October 14, this year, 23-year-old Faizan Ahmed's body was found partly decayed in his hostel room. His family claims, their son died by suicide because he was ragged by his seniors. Despite laws, ragging continues to remain a persistent problem in educational institutions. On We The People we discuss, why and what's driving the young generation to continue this ragging ritual.

The central body that recommends actions to fight pollution in the national capital has removed some restrictions after air quality improved marginally. Entry of trucks into Delhi is now allowed, and the ban on non-BS 6 diesel vehicles has been removed. BS 6, short for Bharat Stage 6, mandates cleaner automotive fuels and engines. First Covid and now pollution, online education has somehow become the escape route for any form of crisis. While Delhi battles to breathe, children bear the brunt by missing out on schools. On We The People, we discuss the same. 

This week, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on wearing a hijab in school - while one said it would be the antithesis of secularism, the other felt asking a student to remove her hijab was an invasion of privacy. Amid all this, we ask - where is the woman's right to choose?

Events this week have revived the horrific memories of survivors who spoke up against their abusers during the #MeToo movement. Sajid Khan, the director who has been accused of sexual assault allegations by half a dozen women from different fields, has been invited as a contestant on the reality show Bigg Boss. This has led to an outrage.

The term 'moonlighting' - referring to the act of taking up a side job additional to one's primary job - has been making headlines of late. IT giants like Infosys and Wipro have publicly red-flagged the practice, terming it 'cheating' - while other companies like Swiggy have shown their support. Tonight on We The People, we decode what moonlighting really entails, and whether it is an ethical practice.

While antibiotics are undoubtedly important drugs, a new Lancet study has found that they are grossly misused in India. In such a scenario, antibiotics can actually harm you, given that your body will build up something called 'antibiotic resistance' - which is when humans stop responding to even the most powerful antibiotics. On We The People, we consult experts and find out how serious this problem really is.  

From The Wall Street Journal to The Economist, open any newspaper or tune into a podcast and one will hear the new buzz word - "quiet quitting". It is a new workplace trend where employees, returning to work after the pandemic, stay in their job but don't take on the extra work that might be causing them stress and affecting their mental health. They say "no" to requests to go beyond what they think should be expected of a person in their position, no to extra hours and working weekends. Is this an act of establishing healthy boundaries or is this slacking off? As the global economy picks itself up again, is it time to get back to "business as usual" or is it time to set the rest button?

Supertech's illegal twin towers in Uttar Pradesh's Noida were demolished successfully. Over 3,700 kg of explosives were used to raze the towers. Nine years after residents first went to court, it took just 9 seconds to bring down the towers. Will it send out a tough message to builders and authorities?

It's the summer of discontent for those who want to travel abroad - they may have to wait six months to a year just to get a visa appointment. But especially hard hit by the great visa slowdown are Indian students, who are finding that their dreams of studying abroad are quickly turning into a nightmare - with no student visa in sight. Students are having to defer admissions, and in worst cases, cancelling their admission altogether to look for alternative options last-minute. On We The People, we speak to some of those students.

Amid the 'Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', on We The People, we ask, what does Azaadi mean to us today? Has chest thumping nationalism drowned the true meaning of patriotism?

In the last fortnight, Tamil Nadu lost five students to suicide - all aged 17. While each case is being examined separately, the incidents have raised a singular, disturbing question - is there a lack of mental health infrastructure for students in India? On We The People, we ask why this is not being recognised as a grave crisis, and what we as a society need to do to tackle this.  

August is just around the corner and many students are gearing up to go to foreign universities. While this isn't a new trend, of late there has been a post-pandemic uptick in students wishing to go overseas to pursue higher education. Many of these students come from Tier 1 or 2 cities, but recently, even students from rural areas, markedly Punjab and Haryana, are desperate to head abroad. On We The People, we ask what is driving this move? And can the so-called brain drain be reversed?

India's population is expected to surpass China's by next year, according to a UN report, sparking a debate on a potential population control law - and whether such a law would be legal as per the constitution. Also, raising questions on its implementation and effect on citizens. On We The People tonight, we discuss whether India needs to act legally to control population, especially against the backdrop of a declining fertility rate, and how much of this debate has been politicised.

People around the world are anxious to step out and travel again as pandemic restrictions are lifted - but is news of flight safety concerns, cancelled flights, skyrocketing airfare and long queues at airports a dealbreaker for some? The aviation industry seems to be hit with chaos amid news of frequent bird hits, smoke in cabins, shortage of airport staff and delayed luggage showing up in headlines every day. Tonight on We The People we ask - is it a bumpy ride ahead for flyers?

This week saw a number of incidents that brought into question the idea of free speech in India, as well as its limitations. From India's leading fact-checker Mohammed Zubair being arrested for a 4-year-old tweet, to the Supreme court judges who criticised the BJP's Nupur Sharma facing social media attacks themselves for their comments, all happening in a week where the PM joined the G7 in a pledge to 'protect free speech'. In the light of these developments, We The People asks - how free is speech in India, really?  

With the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra, the focus is back on resort politics. A predictable charade of political parties moving their MLAs to resorts and hotels has begun. A dissident group of Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde is in five-star Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahti - an all-expense paid stay. This even as common people in the flood-affected parts of the state can't access clean drinking water. Over 125 people have died in the Assam so far. People can't cremate or bury the dead in Silchar as all crematoriums are flooded.

The past week has been marked by protests over the Agnipath scheme across eight states in India - some of which turned violent. While there are political and social ramifications of this scheme, there are also several unanswered questions about whether it was poorly thought and rolled out. On tonight's episode of We The People, we address what this scheme means for aspirants who have dreamt about serving in the Armed Forces.

Tweets, memes and Instagram reels dominated the narrative of the defamation trial involving actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, wherein the former sued the latter for $50 million dollars for defamation in a civil litigation case in a Virgina court. An overwhelming majority of the internet came out in steadfast support of Depp - and on the flip side - Heard was 'memeified', vilified and harassed by online users. What does the public reaction to the verdict reveals about society itself - and how does this high-profile trial impact other survivors of domestic abuse? On tonight's episode of We The People, we ask - Amber Heard became the punchline, but is the joke on us?