LGBTQ-Friendly Travel In India Is Here, But Are We Ready For It? – Homegrown
In 2009, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) – the provision criminalizing sexual intercourse that is “against the law of nature” – was scrapped as it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Indian constitution. Four years later, the LGBTQ community collectively mourned the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the provision once again. Almost a decade since this fight for equality first found its space in mainstream media, the LGBTQ community in India has grown exponentially. From Mumbai’s Queer Azaadi Pride March each year to a Gay Prince who recently opened the gates of his palace for the community, the LGBTQs of the country have been striving to create an inclusive environment for themselves, and so far, they’ve succeeded.
Shimla Has Run Out Of Water And Irresponsible Tourism Has A Lot To Do With It – Homegrown
We have not spared our cities. Deforestation, excessive construction, rising pollution levels have all tremendously affected our ground water systems. For most of us urban dwellers, it is something that has become routine and we have made our peace with water shortages that appear in the form of huge water tankers and water cuts that last for weeks. But when problems like these make their way to the most spectacular of places that still struggle to thrive in all their natural beauty, it is imperative to realise what our irresponsibility, our lifestyle and unaccountability towards nature has done. Shimla’s ongoing water shortage seems to have surpassed all our imaginations. Taps are running dry, bottled water prices are soaring, farmers have been stopped from drawing water for their crops, and people are queuing up in front of public taps as the city is facing a crisis like never before. It has…