Editor’s note: One of the headline items on Adidas sports bras features a collage of women’s breasts that may not be suitable for your workplace. We have placed it at the very end to make it easier for you to scroll past if you’re in a public space.
The hijab ban: The latest update
If you haven’t been tracking this story, you can check out our explainer.
One: The Karnataka High Court has directed students to go back to classes and declared that “till the matter is pending before the court these students and all stakeholders will not insist on wearing religious garments”—but it did not pass an order demanding they do so. (Indian Express)
Two: The phone numbers, parents’ names, and home addresses of six Muslim students who have been fighting the ban have been leaked—and are making the rounds on WhatsApp groups. The information is available on their admission forms—which have been leaked by someone inside their college in Udupi. The young women are now receiving abusive phone calls—and some have now opted for a full burqa out of fear of being identified. Mission accomplished? (The Quint)
Three: An Indian Express investigation revealed that at least two of the eight Muslim students––whose insistence on wearing the hijab triggered the protests—had been speaking to members of a radical Muslim outfit Popular Front of India (PFI). It also shows that the parents were negotiating with the principal to let the girls wear a hijab. An alliance of Muslim organisations (Okkoota)–-including PFI—got involved, and some Muslim civil rights activists blame PFI for escalating the issue:
“The Muslim Okkoota held several meetings with the principal, the CDC, the local MLA and the parents and it was agreed that it’s a minor issue that can be tackled at the school level. The CFI agreed to all this in the meeting, but then went ahead and shared pictures of the girls sitting outside their classrooms. That went viral. And the BJP, of course, happily lapped it up. They got an issue on a platter.”
Four: A News Minute investigation revealed the role of a Hindutva group Hindu Jagarana Vedike in distributing saffron scarves and turbans to students. Also making the rounds: This clip of students returning their accessories to HJV members:
Also going viral: this clip of three men assuring a group of students of the support of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal.
The great pandemic: A quick update
- First, the numbers. India recorded 57,471 new cases—and 640 deaths.
- Indian authorities have approved a nitric oxide nasal spray that blocks the virus from reaching the lungs in infected people—and helps prevent serious disease.
- Anti-vaccine protesters in Canada have blocked a key border crossing with the US—a route that carries 30% of the annual trade between the two countries.
ED accuses Rana Ayyub of fraud
The Enforcement Directorate has seized over $236,542 (Rs 1.77 crores) belonging to the journalist—best known for her fierce criticism of the government. Officials claim that she raised money for charitable campaigns on Ketto but did not use it for the stated purpose—and instead parked the funds in one fixed deposit and two bank accounts. The action was spurred by a police complaint filed by Vikas Sankrityayan, founder of an NGO called the Hindu IT Cell. Ayyub has not publicly responded to the allegations. The Hindu and The Telegraph have more details.
Linkedin says no to politics
Determined to avoid the fate of social media giants, the platform is testing out a ‘no politics’ tool that filters out any content about “political parties and candidates, election outcomes, and ballot initiatives”—which is identified using keywords. The feature allows the person to opt out at the click of a button. It will be rolled out to everyone if the test users find it useful. Wall Street Journal via Mint (paywall) has more on why LinkedIn is the most peaceful platform right now. Fortune has a curation of the WSJ story.
A #MeToo debacle at Harvard
The allegations: A highly respected professor of anthropology—John Comaroff—has been accused of repeatedly sexually harassing and assaulting female students for years. The university ignored complaints that were first filed in 2017—and did not investigate the matter until 2020. In fact, it did nothing until the campus newspaper started carrying accounts of abuse. Comaroff was finally put on unpaid leave in January—though the university only found him guilty of verbal misconduct and not “unwanted sexual contact.”
The lawsuit: Three former students have now sued Harvard, alleging: “He kissed and groped students without their consent, made unwelcome sexual advances, and threatened to sabotage students’ careers if they complained.” Equally notably, when Comaroff was placed on leave, 38 professors wrote an open letter in support of him. But now that the lawsuit has been filed, 35 have backtracked, saying they lacked “full information” of the case when they signed. (NBC News)
Women have a ‘broken heart’ problem
Medical experts have noticed a big surge in women suffering from Takotsubo cardiomyopathy aka the broken heart syndrome: “The rare but dangerous form of heart disease is triggered by intense emotional or physical stress when a sudden flood of hormones is believed to stun the heart into pumping less efficiently.” The spike occurred during the pandemic, but scientists don’t know whether it is a factor. What is most striking: cases have risen upto 10 times faster among middle-aged and older women than among younger women and men over the last decade. The disease is most common in this demographic as well. The leading cause for this disease: stress. (ABC News)
Four things to see
One: It’s amazing the damage a bored security guard can do—especially if he’s working at an art gallery. One of them drew eyes with a ballpoint pen on a painting—‘Three Figures’ by Anna Leporskaya—that was insured for $1.3 million. The exhibit’s curator said: “His motives are still unknown but the administration believes it was soe kind of a lapse in sanity.” Needless to say, he has been fired. FYI: It was his first day on the job. (The Guardian)
Two: The trailer for ‘The Fame Game’—a thriller starring Madhuri Dixit—just dropped:
Three: The trailer for ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’—the final instalment of the Jurassic franchise—is definitely a must-watch:
Four: The US won the gold in the men's singles figure skating competition for the seventh time. Watch the stunning performance by three-time and reigning world champion Nathan Chen below:
Five: Adidas has unveiled a new collection of 43 sports bras—to fit every kind of breast shape and activity level. They were designed with the help of breast health and biomechanics experts and created by an all-female team. According to the company, ill-fitting bras can lead to breast pain and tissue damage. The stat that blew our mind: “[U]nsupported breasts could travel an extra four miles on their own during a marathon and lead women to experience the same G force as an F1 driver.” As part of their body-positivity campaign, Adidas also featured a collage of women’s breasts—which you can see below. (Quartz)
