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Namita Bhandare
Namita Bhandare is an award-winning journalist with nearly 30 years of reporting experience for various publications, including magazines Sunday and India Today, and the daily The Hindustan Times. In 2013, she was appointed India’s first gender editor for Mint newspaper and remained in that position until 2016. She is at present an independent journalist who writes a fortnightly column on gender for The Hindustan Times and also writes for Mint, IndiaSpend and Foreign Policy.
Sessions
Sex and the Supreme Court
Saurabh Kirpal, Ritu Dalmia, Justice Madan Lokur in conversation with Namita Bhandare
The Supreme Court of India has in recent times set on a path of progressive societal reforms. Sex and the Supreme Court: How the Law is Upholding the Dignity of the Indian Citizen, edited by Saurabh Kirpal, is a collection of narratives that provide insight into landmark judgements that uphold the rights and liberties of sexual minorities and women in India. Justice Madan Lokur is a retired Supreme Court judge. Saurabh Kirpal is a lawyer and LGBTQ activist. Ritu Dalmia is a renowned celebrity chef and restaurateur and has stood up vigorously for LGBTQ rights. Well known journalist Namita Bhandare writes on gender and social issues. Together, they discuss the societal and political processes that led to these crucial judgements and the role of the highest court in maintaining the dignity, privacy and safety of all its citizens.
Dystopian Realities: Writing Rural Distress
Namita Waikar and Kota Neelima in conversation with Namita Bhandare
Rural India continues to remain in the periphery of social and media consciousness and agrarian protest and unrest get little media attention even at this moment of present crisis. In conversation with journalist Namita Bhandare, novelists Namita Waikar and Kota Neelima, whose narratives revolve around rural themes, examine the causes and consequences of this indifference and the issues that need to be consistently centre-staged to address this imbalance. A session that seeks to spotlight the crucial gaps in public perception and understanding as well as in the realtime coverage being given to these devastating issues.