Why act?

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a socialist.Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a trade unionist.Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I … Continue reading Why act? →

So what’s India like? 10 things I love about India

This article was originally published in 2017 on my blog "Alena in India". In it, I reflect on what makes India lovable. I realize now that I misinterpreted many cultural gestures. For instance, I do not agree with my claim made about political correctness anymore. Nonetheless, I wanted to share this again. "One of the … Continue reading So what’s India like? 10 things I love about India →

Legal education in India needs a radical reform

My boyfriend is a medical student in Delhi. Today, he sent me the following photo of a quiz he had in class today as part of a preparatory course to do his post-graduation. This quiz was not more in-depth than it needs to be; in fact, questions exactly like these will be asked in the … Continue reading Legal education in India needs a radical reform →

Wir brauchen Männer!

Ich habe mich mit meinem indischen Freund über Feminismus und #MeToo unterhalten, und ich glaube, dass er mir in den meisten meiner Punkte zustimmt. Trotzdem wird er vermutlich für einen Politiker stimmen, der der Vergewaltigung angeklagt ist, weil er ein "gutes" Wahlprogramm hat. So sehr ich mich darüber freue, wie progressiv mein Freund ist und denkt, so sehr bezweifle ich, dass ihm die Ausmaße des Problems bewusst sind.

Men: Please read. We need your help.

As much as I appreciate how progressive my boyfriend and his best friend are, I doubt that they realize how far-reaching the problem is. And actually, the same goes for many women who come from privileged backgrounds, including myself – we have to be careful not to forget that just because we upper-class women are gaining equality through a policy, that doesn’t mean women of other backgrounds do.

Uncomfortable Thoughts on Political and Civil Rights

[The] more I write and research, the more I feel that I am not helping the situation at all by doing so. Instead of properly lobbying, I am pouring oil into the flame of societal divisions. [...] It is very, very easy to learn how to call out for people’s rights. It is much more difficult to find a path to actually help people. And I am utterly confused about how to do the latter.

What bothers me about Slumdog Millionaire

This article was first published on February 16, 2017 on my blog about my time in New Delhi. The opening scene shows Jamal Malik. He is hanging from the ceiling, drool dripping from his mouth, and he is chained.The so-called police officer is electroshocking him to unconsciousness - apparently Jamal cheated in the famous show … Continue reading What bothers me about Slumdog Millionaire →

India’s 2016 Demonetization: A Miscalculation of Impacts and Incentives

This paper was submitted as an undergraduate essay in December 2017. The article is in no way peer-reviewed, and received an o.k. grade. Regardless, this topic is close to me and valuable to study, and I would therefore like to share my thoughts. Again, it is just an educated guess. When theIndian government on November … Continue reading India’s 2016 Demonetization: A Miscalculation of Impacts and Incentives →

Thoughts on Bhutan

This post was originally published in May 2018 after attending an event by Amnesty International. Back in 9th grade, I learned about Gross National Happiness. At University, I stumbled upon it again, and found it to be an appealing way to measure the prosperity of a country - not guided by purely economic factors or … Continue reading Thoughts on Bhutan →

Narratives of hatred and division might drastically change the Indian elections

In April 2019, the Indian populous will vote for its direct representatives. On a Wednesday evening, students gathered in a bookstore cafe to discuss the general atmosphere, worries and hopes.