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niveditainfosys · 5 months

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Strategic Social Media Solutions in India

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, finding the right partner to elevate your brand’s online presence is crucial. Welcome to Nivedita, your gateway to unparalleled digital success. Here, we delve into the realm of social media marketing company in India, shedding light on why “Nivedita” stands as the pinnacle among social media marketing companies in India.

As you navigate the digital landscape, choosing the right social media marketing partner is a decision of paramount importance. “Nivedita,” emerges as not just a choice but the ultimate solution. Embrace success, amplify your brand’s voice, and let “Nivedita” propel you to unparalleled heights in the digital realm.

Strategic Social Media Solutions

Your Go-To Marketing Company in India

In the digital age, where connectivity is at our fingertips, social media marketing company serves as the heartbeat of online interaction in India. From Facebook to Instagram, Twitter to LinkedIn, the potential for brand visibility is vast. “Nivedita” understands this dynamic landscape, positioning itself as the torchbearer of effective social media marketing strategies. Crafting a successful social media strategy is akin to orchestrating a symphony. “Nivedita” takes pride in its meticulous planning, aligning your brand’s goals with the ever-shifting trends of social media platforms. From content creation to engagement strategies, every move is a calculated step towards digital triumph.

Actions speak louder than words. “Nivedita” boasts a stellar track record of catapulting brands to digital stardom. Our success stories are not just milestones; they are testaments to our unwavering commitment to our clients’ triumph. In the vast ocean of social media, reaching your target audience is paramount. “Nivedita” employs cutting-edge tools and analytics to identify and engage with the audience that matters most to your brand. It’s not just about numbers; it’s about connecting with those who resonate with your message.

#Social media marketing agency India #Indian social media promotion #Social media management services #Digital marketing company in India #India social media consultants.#smm services #social media marketing #digital marketing

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itscomhes · 1 year

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Importance of Digital Marketing Compared to Old-Time Newspaper Marketing

There is no denying that the Internet, coupled with technological advancements, has revolutionized the face of marketing. Earlier, the best and the most effective way to promote a business was to get display ads printed in newspapers. But times have changed. Today’s generation is more hooked to the digital world than printed media. Consequently, there is a growing need to shift focus on digital marketing. There is no exception for the healthcare industry as well.

What is Healthcare Digital Marketing?

In healthcare, digital marketing refers to using digital platforms such as social media and websites as tools for marketing communication. The “sponsored ads” that pop up on your social feed and the emails you get from healthcare companies are all a part of digital marketing.

Trends in Healthcare Digital Marketing in India

The past few years have been witness to India emerging as one of the fastest-growing digital economies globally. The period between 2014 and 2017 saw the digital adoption index growing by 90%. Regarding revenue, the Indian digital healthcare market stood at a valuation of $ 116.61 billion in 2018. The numbers will expectedly hit INR 485.43 billion by 2024, with a CAGR of around 27.41% during the years 2019–2024. (Source.)

Why Are the Downsides of Traditional Marketing?

The traditional marketing mode is a conventional method to reach out to a semi-targeted audience through various offline advertising methods. It usually comes in prints, broadcasts, direct mail, telephone, and outdoor advertising like billboards. However, conventional marketing has the following drawbacks:

Very costly

Almost no direct interaction with the audience

Making updates is not easy in a static newspaper ad or an already aired TV commercial.

No room for customizations to target a specific audience

Measuring ROI becomes tough.

The rate of leads converting into paying customers is meager.

Receiving feedback is not easy.

Why Go Digital with Healthcare Marketing?

As per ClickZ, the global population has 57% internet users with an average online activity of 6 hours 42 minutes each day. (Source) With different channels like social media, websites, content marketing, pay-per-click, and more, there can be no better time to tap the digital platform’s potential. While traditional newspaper marketing is still useful, technology makes it easier to broaden your outreach, especially when offering something essential, like healthcare services. So here are the top benefits of adopting digital marketing:

Better audience profiling

Direct interaction with the target audience.

Better prediction of customer behavior

Easier to get feedbacks on your service or brand

Tracking your marketing progress is easy.

Cost-effective compared to traditional advertising.

Enough scope for customizing and updating marketing communication

Conclusion

With progressive government policies, India’s robust digital footprint has played a vital role in nurturing the country’s digital healthcare ecosystem. Healthcare providers are turning to digital media to grow their business while offering their services to the public. Digital marketing has promising prospects for the future, far outweighing the limitations posed by traditional marketing.

What is Healthcare Digital Marketing?

Trends in Healthcare Digital Marketing in India

Why Are the Downsides of Traditional Marketing?

Very costly

Almost no direct interaction with the audience

Making updates is not easy in a static newspaper ad or an already aired TV commercial.

No room for customizations to target a specific audience

Measuring ROI becomes tough.

The rate of leads converting into paying customers is meager.

Receiving feedback is not easy.

Why Go Digital with Healthcare Marketing?

Better audience profiling

Direct interaction with the target audience.

Better prediction of customer behavior

Easier to get feedbacks on your service or brand

Tracking your marketing progress is easy.

Cost-effective compared to traditional advertising.

Enough scope for customizing and updating marketing communication

Conclusion

With progressive government policies, India’s robust digital footprint has played a vital role in nurturing the country’s digital healthcare ecosystem. Healthcare providers are turning to digital media to grow their business while offering their services to the public. Healthcare Digital marketing has promising prospects for the future, far outweighing the limitations posed by traditional marketing.

Source: https://comhes.com/

#There is no denying that the Internet #coupled with technological advancements #has revolutionized the face of marketing. Earlier #the best and the most effective way to promote a business was to get display ads printed in newspapers. But times have changed. Today’s gen #there is a growing need to shift focus on digital marketing. There is no exception for the healthcare industry as well.#What is Healthcare Digital Marketing?#In healthcare #digital marketing refers to using digital platforms such as social media and websites as tools for marketing communication. The “sponsored #Trends in Healthcare Digital Marketing in India #The past few years have been witness to India emerging as one of the fastest-growing digital economies globally. The period between 2014 an #the Indian digital healthcare market stood at a valuation of $ 116.61 billion in 2018. The numbers will expectedly hit INR 485.43 billion b #with a CAGR of around 27.41% during the years 2019–2024. (Source.)#Why Are the Downsides of Traditional Marketing?#The traditional marketing mode is a conventional method to reach out to a semi-targeted audience through various offline advertising method #broadcasts #direct mail #telephone #and outdoor advertising like billboards. However #conventional marketing has the following drawbacks:#Very costly #Almost no direct interaction with the audience #Making updates is not easy in a static newspaper ad or an already aired TV commercial.#No room for customizations to target a specific audience #Measuring ROI becomes tough.#The rate of leads converting into paying customers is meager.#Receiving feedback is not easy.#Why Go Digital with Healthcare Marketing?#As per ClickZ #the global population has 57% internet users with an average online activity of 6 hours 42 minutes each day. (Source) With different channe #websites

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coochiequeens · 4 months

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I don't like conservative "news" media like fox and this site but no one else is talking about how surrogacy gives pedos access to kids.

The fertility industry is handing designer babies over to men with zero vetting or scrutiny of their mental fitness or criminal history.

By KATY FAUST

Surrogacy is risky for children. Not just the risk of a primal wound via intentional birth mother separation. Not just the risk of identity struggles if their genetic mother is purchased from a catalog. Not just the risk of mother-hunger if they are raised in a home absent maternal love.

Surrogacy puts children at risk for the worst kinds of abuse.

That became glaringly obvious last month when YouTubers Shane Dawson and partner Ryan Adams announced the birth of twin boys. Dawson’s long history of sexualizing children is well-known and well-documented. Evie magazine detailed concerning incidents including Dawson pretending to masturbate while watching 11-year-old Willow Smith’s music video, referring to a 6-year-old fan as “kind of sexy,” justifying pedophilia as a mere “fetish,” typing “naked baby” in a child pornography search and remarking that the returns were “sexy,” and proclaiming, “I would rape all of you” when viewing a series of photos featuring young girls wearing his merchandise.

In one show, he instructed a 12-year-old to eat a “cocktail weenie” with the recognition that child molesters comprise a significant portion of his audience. Dawson and Adam have another 10 embryos in frozen storage should they decide they want a few more children around the house.

We hope no harm comes to the boys to whom Dawson and Adams have been granted (via surrogacy contract) parental rights. But other surrogate-born children were not so fortunate.

Contrary to what you may think, surrogacy isn’t just about helping infertile couples have babies. When we look at how surrogacy is actually practiced and promoted, we see surrogacy isn’t about babies, it’s about on-demand, designer babies shipped worldwide. And sometimes, those babies are shipped directly to child abusers.

We don’t know the raw numbers because, unlike organ donation, the medical wing of #BigFertility requires no tracking or follow-up of those who avail themselves of their services. (Apparently, there’s more concern about the survival of a kidney than a child.) And unlike adoption, which heavily vets and screens prospective parents and monitors the child post-placement, surrogate-born children are not known to social workers and often disappear across international borders.

Even when safeguards are in place, predators often go to great lengths to acquire children to abuse. In 2022, the country was horrified by the story of a suburban pedophile ring set up by two married men who raped and pimped out their adopted sons.

That children created by a fertility industry with no mechanism (and no desire) to scrutinize intended parents for things like mental fitness, criminal records, or predatory history end up in the homes of dangerous adults should surprise no one.

Absent any kind of record-keeping or follow-up on these children, those of us who reject surrogacy on the grounds that it violates the rights of children, must piece together the risks when stories of child victimization emerge.

These 5 Pedophiles Mail-Ordered Babies

Psychiatrist Jo Erik Brøyn held a high position in Norwegian social services responsible for child protection and was involved in several high-profile cases of child removal. He also acquired two boys through an Indian surrogate. In 2018, police discovered 20 years’ worth of child pornography in his possession — more than 20,000 images and 4,000 hours of videos — depicting child sexual abuse including “boys masturbating each other, fixed/sexualized violence against children, anal sex by men with boys or oral sex of children (including toddlers) on grown men.” He was sentenced to less than two years in prison. Some sources report that the boys have been returned to his care.

An unnamed German pedophile hired a Russian surrogate for €60,000 who birthed the baby in Greece. He then flew the child back to Germany. In 2020, a regional court found him guilty of child abuse and producing and possessing child pornography. His child was a subject of 16 of those cases between the ages of 2 and 3, and the defendant was in possession of 175,000 images of child pornography. He was sentenced to five years in prison. The child was removed from his custody.

In 2013, Mark Newton and Peter Truong were convicted of subjecting their surrogate-born son to “the worst [pedophile] rings … if not the worst ring I’ve ever heard of,” according to one investigator. After paying a Russian surrogate $8,000 to carry the child, the pair began to violate the boy as a newborn.

“The abuse began just days after his birth and over six years the couple traveled the world, offering him up for sex with at least eight men, recording the abuse and uploading the footage to an international syndicate known as the Boy Lovers Network.” Police believe the pair created the boy through surrogacy “for the sole purpose of exploitation.” The child was removed from their custody, and the men are serving decades-long sentences.

During the height of the Indian surrogacy boom, it was revealed that an Israeli sex offender had procured a little girl via surrogacy. Had #BigFertility had any kind of vetting in place or required fingerprinting or simply character references, it would likely have been discovered that the man had spent 18 months in jail for sexually abusing young children under his supervision. The discovery shocked authorities in both India and Israel, but because they couldn’t prove that abuse had yet taken place, there was no ground to remove the girl from his custody. It did however validate India’s decision to ban single men and gay couples, who composed 30-50 percent of intended parents, from the Indian surrogacy market.

In 2014, intended parents Wendy and David Farnell commissioned twin surrogate children in Thailand, then a global hotspot for surrogacy. The little girl, Pipah, was healthy, but the little boy, Gammy, had serious medical issues as well as Down Syndrome. A scandal erupted when the couple took the little girl back to Australia but abandoned Gammy to be raised by the Thai surrogate.

It was then discovered that David had been jailed in the late 1990s for sexually molesting two girls under the age of 10, and was charged, convicted, and sentenced again in 1998 on six counts of indecently dealing with a child under the age of 13. When his criminal record was revealed and investigated, a judge determined there was “a low risk of harm if Pipah stays in that home,” and she remained in the care of Wendy and David until his death in 2020. The “Baby Gammy” case was one of several scandals that prompted the Thai government to ban commercial surrogacy altogether.

Many of the above cases are older, the results of contracts that were drawn up when surrogacy was less common. Since then, the surrogacy industry has grown exponentially with a projected 1,000 percent increase by 2032. In addition, there are entire organizations devoted to delivering custom-ordered babies to men, none of which will have to submit to background checks or fingerprinting. So expect more cases of surrogate-born child exploitation in the coming years.

Whether or not the child ends up abused, whether it’s paid or altruistic, whether it’s traditional or gestational, and regardless of the intended parent’s household composition, surrogacy always violates the rights of the child. It is not a problem that can be solved through regulation. The only way to protect children is to ban surrogacy worldwide.

#Anti surrogacy #Surrogacy exploits women #Babies are not commodities #No one is entitled to biological children #Some people should not even be near kids #Are fertility agencies required to do background checks on potential parents?

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odinsblog · 1 month

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Musk reactivated the accounts of Brazilian far-right politicians Carla Zambelli, Gustavo Gayer, and Nikolas Ferreira. Ferreira, a Bolsonaro supporter, openly questioned the security of Brazil’s electronic voting machines, even though he won his local legislative race.

“All of these names have been problematic for years on social media,” says Flora Rebello Arduini, campaign director at the nonprofit advocacy organization Ekō. “They've been pushing for the far-right and election misinformation for ages.”

When Musk purchased Twitter in 2022, later renaming it X, many activists in Brazil worried that he would abuse the platform to push his own agenda, Arduini says. “He has unprecedented broadcasting abilities. He is bullying a supreme court justice of a democratic country, and he is showing he will use all the resources he has available to push for whatever favors his personal opinions or his professional ambitions.”

Under Musk, X has become a haven for the far right and disinformation. After taking over, Musk offered amnesty to users who had been banned from the platform, including right-wing influencer Andrew Tate, who, along with his brother, was indicted in Romania on several charges including with rape and human trafficking in June 2023 (he has denied the allegations). Last month, one of Tate's representatives told the BBC that "they categorically reject all charges."

A 2023 study found that hate speech has increased on the platform under Musk’s leadership. The situation in Brazil is just the latest instance of Musk aligning himself with and platforming dangerous, far-right movements around the world, experts tell WIRED. "It's not about Twitter or Brazil. It's about a strategy from the global far right to overcome democracies and democratic institutions around the world," says Nina Santos, a digital democracy researcher at the Brazilian National Institute of Science & Technology who researches the Brazilian far right. “An opinion from an American billionaire should not count more than a democratic institution.”

This also comes as Brazil has continued working to understand and investigate the lead-up to January 8, 2023, when election-denying insurrectionists who refused to accept right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro’s defeat stormed Brazil’s legislature. The TSE, the country’s election court, is a special judicial body that investigates electoral crimes and is part of the mechanism for overseeing the country’s electoral processes overall. The court has been investigating the dissemination of fake news and disinformation that cast doubt on the country’s elections in the months and years leading up to the storming of the legislature on January 8, 2023. Both Arduini and Santos believe that the accounts Musk is refusing to remove are likely connected to the court’s inquiry.

“A life-and-death struggle recently took place in Brazil for the democratic rule of law and against a coup d'état, which is under investigation by this court in compliance with due legal process,” Luís Roberto Barroso, the president of the federal supreme court, said in a statement about Musk’s comments. “Nonconformity against the prevalence of democracy continues to manifest itself in the criminal exploitation of social networks.”

Santos also worries that Musk is setting a precedent that the far right will be protected and promoted on his platform, regardless of local laws or public opinion. “They are trying to use Brazil as a laboratory on how to interfere in local politics and local businesses,” she says. “They are making the case that their decision is more important than the national decision from a state democratic institution.”

Though Musk has claimed to be a free-speech advocate, and X’s public statement on the takedowns asserts that Brazilians are entitled to free speech, the platform’s application of these principles has been uneven at best. In February, on order of the Indian government, X blocked the accounts Hindutva Watch and the India Hate Lab in India, two US-based nonprofits that track incidents of religiously motivated violence perpetrated by supporters of the country’s right-wing government. A 2023 study from the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard found that X complied with more government takedown requests under Musk’s leadership than it had previously.

In March, X blocked the accounts of several prominent researchers and journalists after they identified a well-known neo-Nazi cartoonist, later changing its own terms of service to justify the decision.

—Elon Musk Is Platforming Far-Right Activists in Brazil

#politics #brazil #elon musk #disinformation #twitter #nikolas ferreira #misinformation #libertarians #fascists #fascism #elon musk is an enemy of democracy #democracy #eugenics musk #apartheid clyde #crypro grifters #techno grifters #crypto bros #election interference #electioneering

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angryorbit · 5 months

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BLACKSWAN drama summarised:

BLACKSWAN is a Kpop group that originally started out as a five-member group with Fatou (Senegalese), Leia (Brazillian/Japenese), Judy, Hyeme and Youngheun (all Korean).

Fatou is the first African Kpop idol and was the only black Kpop idol for several years. Leia was the first Brazillian Kpop idol.

Blackswan underwent a massive lineup change after Hyeme, Judy and Youngheun left the group and Leia was kicked out for multiple reasons:

Leia groped Youngheun's breasts on a live stream, which she stated made her extremely uncomfortable. She groped Judy as well.

Leia started bullying accusations against Fatou that she later apologised for and said were fake

Fatou got a lot of extremely racist hate from people who believed the accusations and Leia's apology was very weak and did little to stop the hate.

Leia is... not a good singer. She spent 7 years as a Kpop trainee and remains a bad singer.

BLACKSWAN's new lineup consists of 4 members: Fatou, Sriya (Indian), Nvee (Mixed African American) and Gabi (Brazillian). Leia wanted to remain in the group and said she hadn't left, but Fatou confirmed that the 4 member lineup had no plans to be changed.

They are now the first Kpop group to have no Korean members. Their Indian-inspired song "Karma" was a hit and is BLACKSWAN's most successful song. Their single "Cat And Mouse" was listed as one of the best Kpop songs of the year. Fatou released a self-produced solo mixtape "Adaeh" that was promoted by Pop Base, multiple clips of BLACKSWAN went viral, and they performed at Waterbomb Music Festival.

Shit popped off when Youngheun liked Tweets calling out Leia and made posts against her, saying that Leia had been kicked out of multiple groups, she could have been in Pristin, but was talentless. Bearing in mind, neither Youngheun or any of the BLACKSWAN members have been able to do anything on social media without being harassed by Leia stans and also bearing in mind that Leia literally groped Youngheun and made her leave the group.

Many, many stans came to Leia's defence, completely ignoring what a shitty person Leia is, for no other reason than because she was Brazillian. They started out harassing YoungheunThey started an "anti-hate" campaign for Leia... primarily consisting of harassing BLACKSWAN and Youngheun on social media. The "anti-hate" campaign claimed that Fatou was a bully to the other 4 members and Leia, based off decontextualised TikTok clips, and that Fatou was a bully to Leia because she liked Youngheun's Tweet and Tweet's supporting Youngheun. Bearing in mind that Youngheun was one of the people who convinced her not to quite Kpop.

Despite the main runners of the "anti-hate" campaign claiming that they didn't endorse racism, Fatou went through an extreme amount of racist hate again, and Sriya and Nvee were targetted as well. Someone also attempted to post deepfake porn of Sriya (who is 19!!!).

Fatou asked her fans to send her the Tweets of the people that were harassing her (probably a lawsuit), and quite a few of the Twitter users instantly deleted their accounts. Sriya has also made it appear like she may be looking to sue. Their company (DR Entertainment), whilst known for being shitty, is working on protecting them better.

Leia stans are continuing to send hate to the members on Twitter under the guise of "freeing" Leia. Leia has nothing she could be freed from. She was kicked out of DR Entertainment and BLACKSWAN. All the "evidence" that Leia was ever bullied or a victim is extremely dubious.

TLDR: Leia, a half-white half-Japanese ex Kpop idol, groped 2 fellow members, started false bullying accusations against Fatou, a black Kpop idol, and was kicked out of her group and company. Leia's stans continued to harass her victims, spread racist hate and are spreading a misinformation campaign to defame Fatou and pretend that Leia is a victim.

Shorter TLDR: Leia is a fucking looser with racist fans who only like her because she's Brazillian and she gives them an excuse to harass a black woman.

Even Shorter TLDR: Fuck Leia lmfao

Anyways, show some love for BLACKSWAN if you can. They're really talented and do not deserve the hate they are recieving.

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metamatar · 5 months

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Hello di. I was wondering if you could help me. I am planning to pursue English lit as a stream of studies. I am from the science stream but I really don't have an interest in it. I am from a very modest background and I am aware of the realities that are there in Indian job market. Since you are a professional ( though in STEM) and are very practical, I am asking for some advise from you. I do definitely want to pursue English lit but I also have to keep the economy in mind. So what industries, job openings should I be looking into and what else should I be doing if I am to get a job with a English degree.

Hello, you're very brave and practical! So you definitely want to get into the best college you can rn, the selection effects are harsher when their are fewer jobs. Literature grads who aren't going into academia tend to work in publishing, journalism or marketing. You definitely want to intern early and try to get into prestigious fellowships where you can network with people. Talk to people who are doing the same thing. Stalk a professional who graduated with the same degree you have on LinkedIn. Stalk a professional online who has a job you want already and look at their career progressions. Cold email them and talk. Hearing about jobs that are hiring is half the battle. Knowing someone in the org who might vouch for you or recommend you, even better. And then people wonder why Indian white collar jobs are so caste stratified. Learn to copywrite, edit, maybe even some social media promotion. Have an online portfolio, a blog or a website or some kind of online presence. Submit to literature magazines or journals so you can point to public acceptance of your writing.

The best paid jobs for people who have writing skills are technical documentation roles tho. If you're willing to work with programmers/engineers, how frameworks for generating documentation work, the principles of that, a decent overview of how software is written and a little bit of scripting you're probably likely to have a less precarious career than many other writers. The issue is you'd be competing with writers who often have a technical background and you won't really learn any of these skills in college. You'll need to find a first opportunity to take a chance om you honestly. There's courses online you can bridge the gap with.

Maybe I'm very off base though so hopefully @wherestoriescomefrom who is a real literature grad in india who can weigh in.

edit: look at the replies also!

#you guys dont have to call me di!#asks #anon

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mariacallous · 10 months

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Shafiq Bagwan was hanging out with a few friends in his village of Hasnabad, which is in the Maharashtra state in western India, when he opened Instagram on his phone and saw that his younger brother Taufiq had posted an update. When he clicked on it, his heart fell.

Taufiq, who is 18, had posted a picture of a 17th-century Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, with a description of him as “the father of Hindu nationalists.”

“I immediately called him up and ordered him to delete the story,” Bagwan says. “I got scared for him, and I hoped that nobody had seen it.” It was too late. The next day, June 20, Taufiq was arrested and charged with“deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings.”

Taufiq had been caught up in an online crusade, initiated by Hindu nationalists in Maharashtra, who have taken it upon themselves to police social media for anything, no matter how tenuous, they can spin as offensive to Hindus. These groups, which appear to have links to local government and law enforcement, are turning Instagram and WhatsApp into hostile spaces for Muslims, who face harassment and arrest for seemingly innocuous posts. It’s another demonstration of how the Indian internet is coming to mirror the Hindu nationalist slant of politics under the government of Narendra Modi.

“What has happened offline has happened online,” says Osama Manzar, founder of the Digital Empowerment Foundation, an NGO. “The attitude remains the same. Social media is just another tool to subjugate.”

Aurangzeb died more than 300 years ago, but he’s recently become something of a protest symbol for Muslim youth in Maharashtra. During his rule, which lasted from 1658 to 1707, he expanded the Mughal empire across much of the Indian subcontinent. To some Hindus, he’s a tyrannical figure who imposed discriminatory taxes and destroyed temples and who was resisted by Shivaji, another warrior king who is revered in Maharashtra.

With tensions between communities running high, Aurangzeb has become an emblem for both the Hindu majority and its 13 million Muslims, who make up around 12 percent of the population of the state.

“Aurangzeb, a Muslim ruler, is just a political tool to target today’s ordinary Muslims,” says Surendra Jondhale, a professor in the department of politics at the University of Mumbai. “The right-wing groups have used Shivaji versus Aurangzeb—a battle between two kingdoms—to propagate a Hindu versus Muslim binary.”

In February 2023, led by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, the union government renamed the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra—named after Aurangzeb—to Sambhaji Nagar. In rallies that followed the renaming—and which were attended by members of the BJP—T Raja Singh, a party member and (currently suspended) lawmaker, said that any Muslim unhappy with the name change would be considered a traitor.

The BJP has been widely accused of stoking religious tensions across India, and of promoting a Hindu identity for India that runs contrary to the country’s founding principles of religious pluralism.

In response to often brazen hate speech and discrimination from public figures, young Muslims have adopted Aurangzeb as a symbol of defiance. “It comes from a place of angst and humiliation, where the Muslims are continuously being provoked,” says Imtiaz Jaleel, a lawmaker from Aurangabad. “Under normal circumstances, I don’t think the Muslims even think about Aurangzeb.”

But posting the former ruler’s picture often elicits serious consequences. Right-wing Hindu groups, which have been publicly supported by members of Modi’s BJP, have been keeping a close eye on Muslims’ social media posts, claiming that even a photograph of Aurangzeb hurts their religious sentiments.

This is what happened to Taufiq, who, Shafiq says, doesn’t understand English and so wasn’t aware of what was written alongside the image he posted. But before he had time to delete the story, someone in his village had taken a screenshot.

Rupesh Rathi, 40, works in Hasnabad for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a parent organization of BJP. He says that ever since Aurangabad was renamed, these situations have become more prevalent. “A Hindu friend of Taufiq in the village saw his story, took a screenshot, and sent it to me,” says Rathi. “After that, some seven or eight of us had a discussion on what to do about it.”

The consensus was to file a complaint. “Everybody found it objectionable,” Rathi says.

Armed with those screenshots, some 20-25 people turned up at the local police station and filed a complaint against Taufiq. Gradually, more people from the neighboring villages joined in, and the mob grew to over 100 people. The police were “extremely cooperative,” Rathi says. “We were assured that there will be a proper investigation into this. There were four or five more Muslim boys that had uploaded that status. As a result of the complaint, they deleted it.”

When authorities arrested Taufiq, they confiscated his phone so they could investigate who else might have circulated his post.

Shafiq bailed Taufiq out. The charges are still pending. Shafiq says his brother is scarred by what happened. “He is just 18,” Bhagwan says. “His health deteriorated quite a bit after the incident. He is still shaken because of the hostility with which he was targeted. The matter could have been resolved within the village.”

At least 13 similar cases in Maharashtra have been reported in the national media over the past four months.

Shirish Inamdar, a former deputy commissioner of police in Maharashtra’s intelligence department, says he thinks the police aren’t acting fairly, but that the cases reflect the state’s politics. Until June 2022, Maharashtra was ruled by a coalition government of three regional parties, but a year ago the BJP poached 40 of the lawmakers from one of the parties in the ruling coalition and came to power in the state. Ever since, Inamdar says, the persecution of Muslims has increased. “The local police do it to save their own skin,” he says. “The powers that be have told the police to register as many cases and vitiate the atmosphere.”

Inamdar says the cases filed against Muslims over social media posts are unlikely to succeed in a court of law. “Everybody knows that,” he says. “But the cases drag on, and it becomes a blot on the person’s record. They have to appear for court dates, they have to spend money on the lawyer. The process becomes the punishment.”

Madhav Bhandari, vice president of Maharashta BJP, defended the police, saying that “police cases over social media posts have happened under previous governments too” and that he also believes pictures of Aurangzeb “hurt religious sentiments in Maharashtra.” He adds: “Everybody is entitled to be proud of their religion.”

Prateek Waghre, policy director of the Internet Freedom Foundation, an NGO, says that this kind of campaign is a form of lateral surveillance of minorities, where people have to be constantly alert for anything that could be exploited to attack them. “It points to broader societal issues, where there aren’t too many degrees of separation between people reporting Instagram or WhatsApp updates and the ones being reported,” he says. “Many of them are on their contact lists. There is also a possibility of watch lists being maintained. It is scary.”

Since Modi became prime minister in 2014, there has been a notable increase in hate speech across the country, with Hindu nationalist groups calling for the mass rape of Muslim women and the extermination of the community. The RSS and other groups affiliated with the BJP have fueled unfounded conspiracy theories, including the “love jihad,” which alleges that Muslim men are seducing Hindu women en masse and converting them to Islam. There have been multiple incidences of assaults on minorities, and even lynchings.

“There will be people dismissing these as isolated events and saying there are only so many cases in a country of a billion people,” Waghre says. “But the ripple effect is hard to ignore and also hard to measure. It impacts people’s minds and their behavior.”

In Maharashtra, the campaign has widened the divisions between communities.

In June, police filed a case against a 14-year old Muslim boy in the central region of Maharashtra over an Instagram photograph of Aurangzeb. His parents are small farmers, and his uncle is a tailor in the village. “He is just a kid,” says the uncle, who WIRED is not identifying to protect the boy’s privacy. “He even made an apology video and promised to not do it again. He deleted his Instagram account and is scared to join back. But still a case was filed against him. We had to pay a lot of money for a bail bond in court to avoid arrest. This can potentially ruin or jeopardize his career. Is this where we want to head as a society?”

The boy’s Instagram post was reported by a young man living nearby who was working for a radical right-wing group. In the complaint, he said the photograph “hurt his religious sentiments.” The police charged the 14-year-old with “deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs” and “intention to incite offense.”

The uncle says that over four decades of living in the village, where he has developed relationships with people across communities, this is the first time he has felt exposed. “I have participated in Hindu festivals, I have very close Hindu friends,” he says. “But the politics of the state has ruined everything. Is there a ban on sharing pictures of figures from history?”

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mindofharry · 1 year

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SOCIAL MEDIA BLURB!

harry x poc indian actress!y/n

☄. *. ⋆

liked by harrystyles, tayrussell and five million others.

yourinstagram thank you to whoever caught this moment. i never thought i would see myself up on the big screen, it’s more than a dream come true. i hope you love pearl as much as i do. she’s truly amazing.

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harryfan89 i can’t believe harry gets to date her

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yourinstagram <3

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liked by harryfan78, ynfan203 and two thousand others.

ynandharryupdates Y/N WALKING OUT OF THE ARENA AFTER THE CONCERT TONIGHT!

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harryfan3 when does she not look beautiful

harryfan89 shouldn’t she be promoting her movie?

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ynfan34 the fact that her and harry are going to get married

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ynandharryfan78 and you can yourself a fan? 🙄

liked by yourinstagram, ynfan89 and 10 thousand others.

ynupdates harry being the cutest partner and telling people to go see y/n’s new movie pearl 🥹🥹

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ynfan89 SHE LIKED !!!

ynfan22 if he wanted to, he would guys!

yourinstagram my heart ♥️

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harryfan78 ARIANA WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE

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ynfan89 harry is so supportive i want him

harryfan67 i loved pearl but i love her earlier films in bollywood a little more

liked by gemmastyles, harrystyles and 20 million others.

yourinstagram pink for pearl ! 💕💐🌸💖💞

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gemmastyles beautiful sissy

yourinstagram miss u 🥹

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harrystyles gorgeous xxx

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ynandharryfan now this is camp

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liked by annetwist, gemmastyles and 50 million others.

harrystyles so fucking proud of you. PEARL IN THEATRES NOW!

tagged: yourinstagram

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yourinstagram sobbing

harryfan67 she’s so me coded

annetwist proud is an understatement!

ynfan89 from bollywood to a24. range.

harryandyn framing this

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harryfan78 saw it !! it was so fucking good !!

#harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles one shot #harry styles smut #harry styles fluff #harry styles angst #harry styles x y/n #harry styles fanfic #harry styles x reader #harry styles blurb

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zvaigzdelasas · 4 months

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Maldives president courts investors in China as Indian ties sag - Reuters

At an "Invest Maldives" forum in a southern Chinese port city, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu shook hands and exchanged words with smiling local officials on a China visit set to deepen bilateral ties as the archipelagic nation pirouettes [sic?] away from India.[...]

Muizzu became president of the Indian Ocean nation in November after winning on his "India Out" campaign platform under which he called New Delhi's huge influence a threat to sovereignty. His government has since asked dozens of locally based Indian military personnel to leave. And in an apparent snub to India, Muizzu is in China this week, before any visit to his country's giant neighbour. In Fuzhou, the Chinese city designated as the start of China's maritime "Silk Road", Muizzu said China remained one of his country's "closest allies and developmental partners", according to a statement released by his office. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Increasing export of fish products to China under the two countries' free trade agreement will be a key priority, Muizzu added. Fishing is the largest source of employment in the Maldives, where 99% of its territory comprises the sea. Aquatic products account for over 98% of exports by volume and value. Muizzu also said his government was keen to explore partnerships under Xi's Belt and Road Initiative, including the expansion of the country's central airport and commercial port.

Under the Belt and Road Initiative aimed at building a global trade and infrastructure network, China has already helped expand the Velana International Airport in Male and built the cross-sea China-Maldives Friendship Bridge.[...]

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was snorkelling last week in Lakshadweep, an archipelago of atolls and reefs off the coast of Kerala, a visit that some viewed as an attempt to draw tourists away from the nearby Maldivian islands.[...]

Modi's Lakshadweep visit prompted three Maldivian government officials to call him names including "a clown", leading some Indian tourists to share screenshots of cancelled bookings of Maldivian holidays. #ExploreIndianIslands became a trending hashtag in India on X. One of India's largest travel platforms suspended flight bookings to the tourism-dependent Maldives on Monday . "India's strained relations with certain countries in South Asia can be attributed to its perception of being the regional boss," China's Global Times reported on Monday, citing analysts. And, the newspaper added, quoting a Chinese academic, India's current "nervousness" about Muizzu's visit to China showed its "lack of confidence".

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promotion of tourism on an Indian island chain has sparked a row with the Maldives after senior officials from that country accused Modi of being a “puppet of Israel”.[...]

Maryam Shiuna, a deputy minister in the Maldives’ government, labelled Modi “a clown” and “puppet of Israel” on X. Another official slammed Modi as a “terrorist”.[...]

After the uproar, the Maldivian government said it had suspended three deputy ministers who made the critical remarks. Their social media posts were deleted and disavowed by the government. But Modi is close to Israel, and on Monday an account on X linked to the Israeli embassy in India appeared to turn the criticism against Modi into a sign of endorsement. “We were in #Lakshadweep last year upon the federal government's request to initiate the desalination program,” the social media post said. “Israel is ready to commence working on this project tomorrow.” Other social media users critical of Modi reacted to the news, seemingly praising the Maldivian officials.

9 Jan 24

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bm-blog01 · 11 months

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Short Musings: Netflix Tudum have done it again.....

After getting her name wrong in an earlier article promoting Queen Charlotte it seems Netflix Tudum writer Ariana Romero has now completely forgotten the Viscountess Bridgerton exists in the Bridgerton world.

In the latest article to promote Season 3, Ariana Romero has omitted Kate Bridgerton, played by Simone Ashley, from the list of Bridgertons returning, along with Florence Hunt (Hyacinth) and Wil Tilston (Gregory).

But it is easy to see why she omitted these three members of the Bridgerton family when you see the list of other returning cast members that she does list, including those playing Will & Alice Mondrich, and Brimsley.

The one thing all these cast members have in common are that they were included in the video made to announce Season 3 filming.

So, the question has to be: Does Ariana Romero regurgitate what is given to her? or does she do the bare basics of research (in this case watching one video that already omitted several cast members)?

Perhaps it would not be so noticeable if it was not that in the article with the first cast photos of Season 2 Kate Sharma, the lead female character, is only referred to by her first name, whilst Penelope Featherington is given the courtesy of her full name, and described as a favourite. Surely the same courtesy should have been extended to Kate for the Season 3 article considering she is a fan favourite, and has been since before the show even released. Kate is the most popular character across the Bridgerton books, and based on Social Media interaction she remains the most popular character in the show as well.

Omitting her from this article as a returning cast member is part of a pattern of how the Season 2 lead has been reduced to a secondary character during her season, and how publications really don't seem to be bothered with the character that is now the Viscountess. Many online are seeing this as more than just forgetting an actress or character, but rather a deliberate snub of the only dark skinned Woman of Colour lead in the Bridgerton Universe, and it is hard not to agree with this assessment.

The key will be how the production, Netflix and online publications such as Netflix Tudum handles the promotion going forward with the white female lead in comparison to how they promoted the woman of colour female lead from Season 2, any actual or perceived differences in the promotion will raise questions in the fandom as to whether the production, Netflix and these online publications have some kind of bias towards the white female leads in this show over the dark skinned Indian female lead.

#Bridgerton Season 3 #Kate Bridgerton #Simone Ashley #Viscountess Bridgerton #Netflix

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considernature · 1 year

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Consider Art I: 2022

Happy Holidays! I hope everyone is having a pleasant holiday season and has recovered from blacking out from Thanksgiving gravy poisoning. This holiday season, I’d like to introduce a new tradition at Consider Nature. As you may know, Consider Nature is dedicated to shining a spotlight on some of the animal kingdom’s most underrated members, animals who get overlooked despite being fucking awesome. To help highlight the beauty of these funky little guys, I would like to introduce the first Consider Art Competition!

For Consider Art, artists are asked to create pieces depicting or inspired by an animal covered in the Consider Nature blog. For those who are not familiar with the blog, I have written articles on the following animals:

Olm (Proteus anguinus)

Indian Purple Frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis)

Pygmy Hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis)

Scaly-foot Snail (Chrysomallon squamiferum)

Kaua’i Cave Wolf Spider (Adelocosa anops)

Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex)

Submissions will be judged based on their originality, quality, successful depiction of the animal, and whether or not the judges of the competition and I subjectively like it. All submissions are due JANUARY 6TH! Please check the submission guidelines below before entering your piece, as there is a specific process for entering a piece of art in this competition.

Prizes:

Here at Consider Nature, we are aware that exposure doesn't do a very good job of putting food on an artist's table. So, the top three art pieces submitted for the competition will receive prizes (they aren't going to be big prizes because I don't do this for money, but I'll do my best). The winning artists may choose to receive their prize as an Amazon or Etsy gift card (depending on how much they hate Jeff Bezos).

First place will receive a $50 Amazon or Etsy gift card.

Second place will receive a $25 Amazon or Etsy gift card.

Third place will receive a $10 Amazon or Etsy gift card.

All winning pieces will also be posted on the Consider Nature blog as well as on our social media (with full credit to the artists and links to their social media). Honorable mentions may also be awarded as part of this competition, depending on how many entries there are. These pieces will not receive a cash prize.

Submission Guidelines:

Any kind of art will be accepted for this competition. Keep in mind that if you make a physical drawing, painting, or sculpture, you will need to photograph or scan it to submit.

All submissions must be entered by January 6th, 2023. No entries will be considered after this time!

Please submit your piece as PDF, JPEG, or other common image file type. Pieces that cannot be opened by the judges on an average computer will not be considered.

To enter your piece into the competition, complete the following steps:

Email your submission to [email protected]

Post your submission on Instagram or Tumblr, using the hashtag #considerart2022.

When you post your piece, please provide a link to the Consider Nature article that corresponds to the animal represented in your piece. This will help other people find and enjoy Consider Nature.

Please make sure that you follow these submission guidelines, as improperly-submitted pieces may not be considered.

Rules:

Work submitted for this competition must be the artist's own original work.

Art made using AI tools such as DALL-E or Nightcafe will not be considered for this competition.

Pieces submitted must represent one of the animals covered in Consider Nature blogs.

Consider Nature has the right to reproduce pieces submitted for this competition on social media or on the Consider Nature website for the purpose of promoting the artist’s work or the Consider Nature blog. To be clear, pieces submitted for this competition will never be merchandised in any way without the artist’s express permission (and artists will be compensated).

#art #competition #considerart2022 #animals #considernature #conservation #wildlife #nature #biology #zoology #science #ecology #cute animals #environment

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yoga-onion · 2 years

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The Quest for Buddhism (118)

Buddhist cosmology

[Spinoff] Transcendental Meditation – One of the modern meditation methods.

As a comparison and contrast to Vipassana meditation (Ref) as an alternative medicine, we would like to mention Transcendental Meditation of Hindu origin.

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a form of silent mantra meditation technique derived from the Vedas, made known in the mid-1950s by Indian Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Maharishi summarised and presented the Vedic teachings in a form that was understandable to Westerners, using scientific language.

Advocates of the Transcendental Meditation movement (TM) claim that the technique promotes a state of relaxed awareness, stress relief, and access to higher states of consciousness, as well as physiological benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.

Transcendental Meditation is said to foster a higher consciousness and improve one's luck (described as receiving nature's support). When done in groups, it is said to promote very powerful attunement, creating harmony and positive influences in the environment (making the world a better place).

The connection between mantra and meditation is considered a "scientific technique" and is called the "science of creative intelligence. It is said to develop latent abilities, drawing out vitality, intelligence, and fulfillment, and even "transcending" thought. Maharishi states that "transcendence" is the transcendence of the mind over thought, the turning of the mind inward, beyond thought, beyond the conscious mind, to experience pure consciousness which being absolute bliss consciousness, totally unchanging and eternal. The "ultimate goal" of transcendental meditation is "God-realisation," the realisation of the value of "God" within oneself, and the attainment of God-consciousness.

Building on the teachings of his master Brahmananda Saraswati (known honorifically as Guru Dev), the Maharishi taught thousands of people during a series of world tours from 1958 to 1965, expressing his teachings in spiritual and religious terms.

Many celebrities and celebrities such as the Beatles studied Transcendental Meditation during this period, and its influence on the subculture was significant. It is known to have had a major influence on musicians during the Flower Movement, and among hippies in the 1960s, 'meditation' and 'zen' were seen as techniques that could provide similar psychedelic experiences without the use of drugs.

They were loved by hippies as a method for 'mental expansion' and so-called 'opening the doors of perception', with Transcendental Meditation being described in the rock media as the most 'effective' and known amongst young rock lovers.

Beginning in 1965, the Transcendental Meditation technique has been incorporated into selected schools, universities, corporations, and prison programs in the US, Latin America, Europe, and India. The technique has still been included in a number of educational and social programs around the world.

仏教の探求 (118)

仏教の宇宙論

[番外編] 超越瞑想〜現代瞑想法の一派

代替医療としてのヴィパッサナー瞑想（参照）との比較対照として、ヒンデゥー教由来の超越的瞑想について触れておきたい。

超越瞑想 (ちょうえつめいそう、ﾄﾗﾝｾﾝﾃﾞﾝﾀﾙ･ﾒﾃﾞｨﾃｰｼｮﾝ:TM) は、インド人のマハリシ・マヘーシュ・ヨーギーによって1950年代に知られるようになった、ヴェーダに由来するマントラ瞑想法である。マハリシはヴェーダの教えを、西洋人にも理解しやすい形で、科学的な言葉を使って要約し紹介した。

超越瞑想運動 (TM) の提唱者は、このテクニックがリラックスした意識状態、ストレス解消、より高い意識状態へのアクセスを促進し、心臓病や高血圧のリスク軽減などの生理学的効果もあると主張している。

超越瞑想を行うことで、より高次の意識が育まれ、運がよくなる (自然の支援を受ける、と表現される) という。グループで行うと、非常に強力な同調を促し、環境に調和と肯定性の影響が生み出される (世界がより良くなる) という。

マントラと瞑想の結びつきは「科学的テクニック」とされ、「創造的知性の科学」と呼ばれる。これによって潜在的な能力を開発し、活力、知性、充足感を引き出し、さらには思考を「超越」させるという。マハリシは、「超越」とは、思考を超えた心の超越であり、意識を超え、純粋意識を体験するために心を内側に向けること、純粋意識は絶対至福意識であり、全く不変であり、永遠であると述べている。超越瞑想の「究極の目標」は「神の実現」であり、自らの内にある＜神＞の価値に気づき、「神意識」に到達するとされる。

マハリシは、師であるブラフマナンダ・サラスワティ (敬称はグル・デヴ) の教えを基に、1958年から1965年までの一連の世界ツアーで何千人もの人々に教え、その教えを精神的、宗教的な用語で表現した。

この時期、ビートルズなど多くの有名人や著名人が超越瞑想を学び、サブカルチャーに与えた影響は大きい。フラワームーブメントの時期のミュージシャンに大きな影響を与えたことが知られており、60年代のヒッピーの間では、「瞑想」や「��」は薬物を使用せずに同様のサイケデリック体験ができるテクニックとして捉えられていた。

「精神拡張」、いわゆる「知覚の扉を開く」ための方法としてヒッピーたちに愛好され、中でも超越瞑想が最も「効く」とロック系のメディアで語られ、ロックを愛好する若者の間で知られていた。

1965年以来、超越瞑想法は、アメリカ、ラテンアメリカ、ヨーロッパ、インドの特定の学校、大学、企業、刑務所などのプログラムに取り入れられている。この技法は、現在も世界中の数多くの教育・社会プログラムに取り入れられている。

#transcendental meditation #modern meditation method #vedic tradition #hippie #matra #alternative medicine #mental expansion #flower movement #60s #meditation #psychedelic movement #philosophy #nature #art #history

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coochiequeens · 1 year

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“India has one of the highest rates of honor killing and dowry deaths, where newlywed brides are tortured, burnt, sometimes even murdered on the basis of sex. For a man with caste and class privilege living so far removed from the everyday realities of Indian women, Alok Vaid-Menon sure has audacity to call himself a ‘bride,'” she (Vaishnavi Sundar) said.

An American trans activist who identifies as ‘transfeminine’ was recently featured by the Indian publication Brides Today on their digital cover, prompting criticism on social media. Alok Vaid-Menon, 31, who uses “they/them” pronouns, was interviewed and photographed for the magazine wearing clothing resembling traditional attire for women.

Vaid-Menon’s April 19 appearance in the magazine was presented as a commentary on same-sex marriage, which is currently being debated at India’s highest court.

During the full interview, Vaid-Menon was asked his thoughts on topics such as marriage and love, stating “love is about expansion, not constriction. Permission, not prohibition… I want to be a living love poem. Every day I ask myself, ‘How can I love harder?’ Love breaks through binaries—man and woman, us and them, you and me… Love doesn’t live in should, it lives in what is.”

Yet despite the platitudes, Vaid-Menon has caused concern for a past statement in which he referred to “little girls” as being “kinky” and claimed to have himself once been “a cute little girl.”

In approximately 2016, when Vaid-Menon was using the moniker Dark Matter to promote himself as a performance artist and poet, he published a disturbing statement on his views of young girls’ presumed sexuality.

In the statement, Vaid-Menon rejects the notion that little girls need to be protected from “gender/sexual deviance,” and instead claims that “little girls, like the rest of us, are complicated people.”

Vaid-Menon was writing about legislation that had been introduced in the state of North Carolina that year establishing that public restrooms remain single-sex accommodations. House Bill 2, the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, was intended to protect women and children from being exposed to men while in a state of undress.

Vaid-Menon responded to the bill being signed into law by claiming that single-sex spaces were being upheld under a false narrative of protecting “innocent little girls” from “freaky” transgender people.

“There are no fairy tales and princesses here. Little girls are also queer, trans, kinky, deviant, kind, mean, beautiful, ugly, tremendous, and peculiar. Your kids aren’t as straight and narrow as you think they are,” Vaid-Menon wrote.

He went on to claim that he viewed the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist as being about “a little girl … exploring her sexuality (masturbation and so on) and her own demons/meanness.”

In 2021, quotes from the post began circulating on Twitter and prompting outrage, but users found themselves getting suspended for referencing or reacting to the text.

Conservative political pundit Lauren Witzke was suspended from Twitter for hate speech after retweeting a graphic showing Vaid-Menon’s quote, to which she commented that the views he expressed were “demonic.” Witzke was reinstated on the platform almost two years later, after Tesla CEO Elon Musk bought Twitter and offered “amnesty” on many previous suspensions.

The views expressed in Vaid-Menon’s Facebook post were criticized by the now-deceased lesbian activist YouTuber Magdalen Berns in a video she titled “Non-Binary Bullsh*t.” Berns concluded that in her opinion, his comments on girlhood made him “sound a bit like a pedo,” and remarked that “even his fans” disapproved, causing him to eventually delete the post.

The following year, in 2017, Vaid-Menon and fellow non-binary activist Jacob Tobia were profiled by Vice in an article titled “Why Can’t My Famous Gender Nonconforming Friends Get Laid.” The article was subject to widespread mockery for highlighting Vaid-Menon’s lack of success in dating, and included comments indicating that Vaid-Menon and Tobia had considered taking female hormones in order to date heterosexual men in an attempt to expand their dating pool.

Vaid-Menon has been a strong proponent for “neutralizing” women’s issues in order to make them “gender inclusive.” He has previously written about the importance of using gender neutral language when discussing abortion, pregnancy, or sex-based violence, also denouncing the term “women’s rights” as not being sufficiently welcoming to gender non-conforming people.

In 2020, Vaid-Menon was featured by menstrual hygiene company This is L and the Phluid Project – a “gender free” clothing and lifestyle brand based in New York – in a promotional video featuring individuals of varying “gender identities” to spread the message that periods are not specific to females. Vaid-Menon had endorsed this belief previously when, in 2019, he shared an articlefrom Seventeen magazine, a publication aimed at girls and young women, titled “What Trans & Non-Binary Menstruators Should Know About Periods.”

Women’s rights campaigner and filmmaker Vaishnavi Sundar blasted Vaid-Menon’s activism as “dangerous” while calling attention to the plight of women and girls in India.

In 2020, screenings of a documentary Sundar had produced titled “But What Was She Wearing?” were cancelled in response to previous tweets she had made opposing men in women’s spaces. Her film sought to address the sexual harassment and sexual violence that women in the nation experience, juxtaposing the contrast between what laws on paper purport and the on-the-ground reality.

“India is an extremely caste-riddled society. Indian women across all castes experience profound violence at the hands of men. A large majority still live under acute poverty, devoid of basic sanitation, education, safety, or legal recourse,” Sundar told Reduxx.

“To import gender identity ideology as some form of progressive ticket to freedom is not just obscene, it is dangerous. In a country that still kills the female newborns and blames young girls for being raped, gender identity is the last thing we want shoved down on us while we haven’t even saved ourselves from the existing misogyny,” Sundar added.

“The only group of people profiting from this ideology are the corporations, medical and pharmaceutical industries. Men like Alok Vaid-Menon are promoters of said industries under the veneer of being progressive and inclusive.”

#India #Brides Today #Alok Vaid-Menon #Trans identified males sexualizing girls and girlhood #Womb envy #Vaishnavi Sundar Spoke the truth

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therealdesitalk · 2 months

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Kya hamare desh mein freedom of speech jesa abb kuch baki hai? Kyuki aajkal ladakh , manipur jese incidents dekh k toh nhi lagta..

Yes freedom of speech exists in India but it's facing challenges the indian constitution's article 19 guarantees freedom of speech and expression this means you can freely express your opinions and beliefs even if they're unpopular

But there are some limits for example you can't promote violence or hate speech the government can also restrict speech if it threatens national security or public order

Recent events in Ladakh and Manipur involved the government shutting down the internet restricting speech the government argues these shutdowns are necessary to prevent violence and instability critics argue they're unnecessary and violate citizens' rights so the future of free speech in India is uncertain ..the government and citizens need to work together to protect it and prevent misuse

So here are what you can do to protect free speech -

1. Use internet : Spread awareness and educate people create community by creating blogs and making video and by creating social media pages

2.Educate yourself on the importance of free speech

3.Contact your elected officials and urge them to protect it

4.Support organizations working to defend free speech

5. Speak up when you see free speech being violated ....Free speech is a valuable right that needs protection by working together we can all do our part

#desi blog #desiblogger

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priyanka-branding · 22 days

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Embracing Diversity: Nina Davuluri against the backdrop of Fair & Lovely

I remember this vividly: in 2013, Nina Davuluri, an American woman of Indian descent, made headlines and history as she was crowned Miss America. Her victory was a moment of pride and celebration for many, especially those who saw in her win a broader acceptance of diverse beauty standards in America. However, the reaction to her crowning was not universally positive. Davuluri faced a barrage of racist backlash on social media, with some calling her un-American, and others linking her to terrorism. This stark response highlighted a deep-seated issue with race and beauty standards prevalent not only in America but also in other parts of the world, including India.

All I could feel was joy that a dark-skinned woman, of the same shade as me, was able to take such a prominent stage.

Parallel to this scenario in the United States is the ongoing controversy surrounding Fair & Lovely, a skin-lightening cream widely popular in India and other South Asian countries. Marketed by Hindustan Unilever, Fair & Lovely has been criticized for promoting fairness as a preferred aesthetic, implying that lighter skin is somehow better than darker skin tones. This message resonates with deep historical and cultural biases that associate skin color with status, beauty, and personal success. Many commentators even said that Nina Davuluri would not have been able to win the parallel Miss India competition because she was "too dark."

The Cultural Impact of Fair & Lovely

For decades, Fair & Lovely has dominated the skin-lightening market by promoting the idea that fairness leads to success and love. The brand's advertisements traditionally showcased transformational stories where a darker-skinned woman applies the cream and subsequently achieves her dreams—be it career success, marriage, or social approval. This narrative taps into the societal pressures and prejudices that exist around colorism—a form of discrimination based on skin color that is not just prevalent in India but globally.

The brand's influence is so pervasive that it has shaped beauty standards across generations, often marginalizing those who do not fit the 'fair skin ideal.' The impact of such branding is profound, affecting women's self-esteem and social dynamics. However, the narrative around beauty and fairness is changing, driven by social campaigns and changing consumer awareness about the implications of such products.

Changing Tides: Response and Responsibility

The backlash against Nina Davuluri in America and the criticisms of Fair & Lovely in India highlight a global need to reevaluate beauty standards. These events urge brands and societies to reflect on the messages they endorse and the values they propagate. In response to growing criticism, Fair & Lovely announced in 2020 that it would rebrand to "Glow & Lovely" and changed its advertising approach to emphasize skin health over fairness. This decision marks a significant shift in how beauty products are marketed, reflecting a more inclusive and diverse understanding of beauty.

Moreover, the response to Davuluri's crowning and her handling of the criticism also illustrates the resilience and grace with which individuals can confront entrenched stereotypes and advocate for a more inclusive vision of beauty. As the first Miss America of Indian descent, Davuluri used her platform to speak out against racism and promote diversity and cultural understanding, embodying the change she hopes to see in society.

Looking Forward: A Call for Inclusivity

The discussions around Fair & Lovely and Nina Davuluri serve as a reminder of the power of representation and the importance of inclusive beauty standards. They challenge individuals and corporations alike to think critically about the messages they support and the impact these messages have on individual identity and societal values.

As consumers become more conscious and vocal, brands must listen and adapt, not just for the sake of profitability but to foster a more equitable society. It's time for all stakeholders—corporations, consumers, and communities—to embrace a broader, more inclusive definition of beauty that celebrates diversity and empowers all individuals, regardless of the color of their skin.

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celtalks · 3 months

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Breaking Barriers: "Manjummel Boys" Captivates Tamil Nadu and Redefines Regional Cinema Success

Manjummel Boys Shatter Box Office Records in Tamil Nadu

The Malayalam cinema industry has reason to celebrate as the movie Manjummel Boys emerges as a sleeper hit, shattering box office records in Tamil Nadu. This motion picture, helmed by the proficient Soubin Shahir, has swiftly ascended beyond the illustrious 15-crore mark, underscoring its commercial success and audience appeal beyond linguistic barriers. Drawing crowds with its unique blend of humor and heartwarming narratives, Manjummel Boys showcases an impeccable ensemble cast, enacting a storyline that resonates with a wide audience. The film's triumph at the box office isn't just a win for the creators but also an indicator of the quality and potential reach of regional cinema.

Critical Acclaim and Audience Fervor

Critics have lauded Manjummel Boys for its engaging script and the superb performances by the cast, particularly celebrating Soubin Shahir's nuanced portrayal of his character. Audiences too have been swept up in the film's charm, flocking to theaters and sharing their praise on social media platforms, contributing to a robust word-of-mouth promotion that has undoubtedly played a role in the film's impressive box office journey. With such a potent mix of critical and commercial acclaim, the film has proven that content-driven cinema has the power to transcend regional boundaries and language differences, reaching into the hearts of movie-goers from all walks of life.

A Milestone for Regional Cinema

The runaway success of Manjummel Boys vindicates the dedicated efforts of regional filmmakers to craft universally appealing stories. The film’s earnings have set a new benchmark for Malayalam films within the competitive Tamil Nadu market, once dominated by local giants and occasionally Bollywood titles. The newfound fortunes at the revenue counters speak volumes of the shifting dynamics within the Indian cinematic landscape, where variety and relatability in storytelling are gaining unparalleled momentum. With the film industry often focused on star-studded vehicles, Manjummel Boys serves as a refreshing reminder that at the core of any successful movie is a good story, relatable characters, and the kind of authentic touch that resonates with viewers.

The Road Ahead

While it is still too early to predict the full extent of this film's impact, what's certain is that Manjummel Boys has carved a niche for itself, potentially opening doors for more films from the Malayalam industry to venture into and captivate adjacent markets. The film's performance is a testament to the timeless appeal of well-told stories and innovative storytelling techniques, coupled with potent marketing strategies. As Manjummel Boys continues its cinematic run, one thing is clear - the landscape of Indian regional cinema will never be the same again. In closing, this blockbuster from the south reminders creators and investors alike that good cinema knows no borders, and given the right platform, can leave a footprint in areas hitherto uncharted. As for movie enthusiasts, it's time to revel in the diverse cinematic experience that Manjummel Boys promises - a highlight in regional cinema's evolving storyline. Read the full article

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