iWorld
The Quint partners with MP Dr Shashi Tharoor to make stalking a non-bailable offence
MUMBAI: In August, The Quint started Talking Stalking, a campaign to give a voice to all those who face stalking every day and yet find that they can’t speak out.
The overwhelming response to the campaign compelled us to look for a way which would ensure that stalkers are held accountable by the law and that stalking complaints are taken seriously. As we studied the existing law, we realised that one important change could make a huge difference – stalking as a non-bailable offence
As a result, we have partnered with MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor and senior advocate Kamini Jaiswal to propose an amendment to Indian criminal law that will make stalking a non-bailable offence, in the form of a Private Member’s Bill.
On December 20, 2017, The Quint organised an event at Oxford Bookstore, New Delhi to raise support for the Bill. A packed house participated in a discussion with a distinguished panel, which was also broadcast via Facebook Live.
On Stalking and the Bill
Dr. Shashi Tharoor, talking about why this Bill was important, said: “Now is the time to talk about stalking. Stalkers in India have a sense of impunity as it is a bailable offence”. He noted that while he had submitted the Bill to amend the law, “Maneka Gandhi should take this issue up personally.” This would help ensure it gets passed in Parliament: “Those who aren’t allowing this Bill to prevail are doing an insult to the Varnikas and Laxmis of the country.”
Supreme Court advocate Karuna Nundy, who has argued several important Constitutional matters in the courts, including most recently a challenge against marital rape, said that “Stalking being a bailable offence is a massive lacuna in our legal system. It enables criminals to [commit] murder, rape & acid attack”. Pointing out that stalking was supposed to be made non-bailable when it was introduced in 2013, she criticized Parliament for changing this at the last minute: “Parliament caused a lot of women being attacked, raped and killed when it failed the stalking bill in 2013”. She concluded with a strong message: “Women are Indian citizens and have a right to NOT be stalked”.
“Why should their stalking make us lose our freedom?”, asked Varnika Kundu, whose fight against her stalkers in Chandigarh helped bring the problems with the law on stalking to light. She is also fronting a petition with The Quint on Change.org to support the Bill, which has over 1,30,000 signatures: “The big reason I am fronting this petition — everyone who has survived stalking is so done with living with fear. Strike the fear of them losing their freedom. What is flattering is not actually flattering but terrorising”.
Laxmi, acid attack survivor and activist also gave a fiery speech, and urged society to change its attitude towards stalking. “I did not live like a victim. I am a survivor. I am not a “poor thing”. I have all rights to live my life to the fullest. I have made a place for myself. Support yourself, and only then will others support you… Why should I be ashamed? The man who attacked me and those who supported him should be ashamed.”
Geetha Nambisan, director of Jagori, which works with women who have faced crimes like stalking, and has agreed to partner with The Quint on its #TalkingStalking campaign, added that “When people will understand that there is a concrete punishment for stalking, that there’ll be consequences, then the crimes will go down”.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
