The Finger Wrap: Nigerian Girls, Malayali Men, Indian Politicians and more

When activist Shabnam Hashmi and an associate went to Rae Bareli to distribute leaflets criticizing Narendra Modi, they were manhandled by a group of BJP supporters who threw out their leaflets, threatened to burn their vehicle, and threatened to rape Hashmi. In a separate incident, a BJP worker was gang-raped, allegedly by over 20 men from her community, in punishment for her political affiliation.

If you need any more convincing on why we need to improve the way we approach victims of sexual assault, read this account of how a rape was dealt with.

Over two hundred girls in Nigeria are missing, abducted by Boko Haram, but no one in the government seems to care. Here’s a heartbreaking story on the girls and their families, and the rising anger that no attempt is being made to rescue them.

Here’s the alarming case of Nandita Narain, a teacher at St Stephens facing an inquiry into alleged misconduct and possible dismissal after a newspaper quoted her critical remarks – allegedly distorted – about college principal Valson Thampu for the curfew controversy a year ago. Colleagues see this as a personal vendetta against Narain, who has raised her voice against the establishment in the past.

What is the point of an education if it hasn’t helped you cultivate a respect for the girls you go to school with, asks this blog post on the Internet and the Malayali man.

As coverage of George Clooney’s and Jennifer Aniston’s relationships show, a woman is portrayed undesirable object of pity when she’s older, but men aren’t treated the same. And in this super-awesome story, Slate rewrites the news of Amal Alamuddin and George Clooney’s engagement, but focuses on the former’s achievements instead.

A bit more Hollywood: Why Melissa McCarthy is Hollywood’s top star. Jennifer Lawrence (not) responds to a patronizing blog post in Esquire. Gabourey Sidibe knows why you keep asking about her confidence. And Amy Schumer talks about how she became her own fairy godmother.

Heard of Mrs Kaul, Vajpayee’s other half, who passed away? Or of Digvijaya Singh’s relationship with Amrita Rai? We’d like to ask: when did loving a woman become taboo?

Meet 22-year-old Durga Gudilu, the Mumbai woman who convinced the all-male caste panchayat that got her sister betrothed at birth to change their minds.

This chilling story talks about the sense of entitlement men like Gurbaksh Chahal feel, and how their bootstraps fantasy leaves little room for seeing women as beings of value.

Where are the women table players, asks Uzma Aslam Khan, and then asks herself – did she have to ask the woman question and spoil it all?

And don’t forget: Speculative Fiction 2013, an anthology of the year’s best online reviews, essays and commentary on speculative fiction put together by The Book Smugglers, is out. Why is it so special?  Because it contains our very own essay on the Burka Avenger by the one and only Mahvesh Murad! Don’t miss it!