An Equal Music

The fight for equality has exploded in social conversations over the past decade.

- Naandika Tripathi

Fought mostly on social media, India’s #MeToo movement brought the establishment to its knees. While skeletons tumbled out of corporate cabinets, noted journalist-turned-politician MJ Akbar had to step down as Union minister after a raft of allegations surfaced against him. Akbar has now filed a defamation suit against the journalist who first called him out on social media. The case is being fought in a Delhi court. Despite the outcome, there’s no denying that it signifies a key step for women looking to reclaim their space. This, and many other issues, have thrown open debates in the past few years, bringing about a paradigmatic change in social conversations.

According to senior advocate Indira Jaising, this churn was in the making for many years. “What you see as an issue has been in the making for the last 10-20 years, so I don’t agree that these issues were not relevant ten years ago... they were pertinent 20 years ago. It is just that now actions have been taken as everyone is becoming more aware,” she says.

A lot of social issues are yet to come into the limelight, she adds. “In future, there will be issues relating to technology, freedom of speech and expression, the integrity of the Constitution of India and the way the legal system is functioning, is it functioning for the people or not, I think more and more people will begin to understand injustice by the executive… and also cleaning up of the judiciary is likely to become a big issue.”

Forbes India looks at some of the issues through the eyes of those who fought for them.

DECRIMINALISING HOMOSEXUALITY