News / Author / Danish Raza

Danish Raza

Danish Raza is a special correspondent with the Hindustan Times. He covers gender, identity politics, human rights, conflicts and online speech.

Articles by Danish Raza

Academic and activist: Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani rises in Gujarat

Lawyer Jignesh Mevani mobilises his community for 10-day foot march from Ahmedabad to Una, where Dalit men were flogged in public for skinning a dead cow.

Lawyer Jignesh Mevani is leading the Aazadi Kooch (March for Freedom) in Gujarat. “My work is apolitical. Period,” he says.(Siddharaj Solanki/ HT photo)

india news

Updated on Aug 07, 2016 12:46 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, Dholka, Gujarat

Dalit freedom march begins in Gujarat, with promise of change

Leaders of protest say poorest Dalits and the youth have galvanised movement.

Dalits shout slogans as they start their ‘Azadi Kooch’ foot march to Una in Ahmedabad.(Siddharaj Solanki/ HT photo)

india news

Updated on Aug 12, 2016 02:03 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad to Una: The great Gujarat Dalit march for ‘freedom’ begins Friday

Thousands of Dalits in Gujarat will start a 10-day march from Ahmedabad to Una on Friday to protest against the growing atrocities against the community in the state and the ruling BJP government’s apathy.

Members of the Dalit community participate in a protest rally in Ahmedabad. (Siddharaj Solanki/HT Photo)

india news

Updated on Aug 04, 2016 10:23 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, New Delhi

Lost childhood: How 16-year-old Munna became a child trafficker

Trough a comic strip, HT explains how juveniles have been turning to trafficking to escape poverty

india news

Updated on Aug 01, 2016 07:26 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza

‘Juvenile trafficker’: How human traffickers are training hundreds of minors in the job

As part of organised syndicates, juveniles in India’s poverty-stricken regions have been trafficking children to big cities

Regions with extreme poverty are hunting grounds for human traffickers(HT file photo.)

india news

Updated on Jul 31, 2016 03:54 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza

Eat, walk and ride in Delhi. Sounds like a good weekend plan to us

Heritage and history walks are common in Delhi now. Food tours by night-bus aren’t. This week, we tried one of them

Take a night-bus for a food tour with Seek Sherpa.(HT Photo)

lifestyle

Updated on Jan 04, 2017 06:08 PM IST

ByDanish Raza

Sultan: A first-hand account of what it means to be a Salman Khan fan

The madness and high emotional quotient for a Salman Khan film is unmatched. And if its an Eid release, it has to be witness to be understood. Presenting a first person account of Sultan screening in Delhi.

Salman Khan’s young fans await the screening of his new film Sultan in Delhi on Thursday.(Saumya Khandelwal/HT Photo)

entertainment

Updated on Jul 09, 2016 04:13 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza

Experience kite flying in Dilli 6

A recently-restored haveli is trying to revive the traditional Old Delhi terrace sport of kite-flying. For the passionate aficionado and the nervous novice

Haveli Dharampura is hosting kite flying evenings with a sumptuous high tea.(Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

lifestyle

Updated on Jul 02, 2016 09:57 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, New Delhi

Bihar school topper scandal: Police may have sent a minor to jail

The student is a minor and has not been given a chance to produce age-related documents.

Ruby Rai, who is accused of topping Bihar School Examination Board higher secondary exam by unfair means, after her arrest in Patna.(PTI)

opinion

Updated on Jun 28, 2016 08:01 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza

Ramzan charity goes online

This Ramzan, many organisations and individuals are using social media to tell people where all they can give money meant for charity.

(Photo credit: Who is Hussain? campaign)

india news

Updated on Jun 26, 2016 11:03 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, New Delhi

The feast after the fast: An iftar trail in Old Delhi

HT goes for an iftar trail in the Walled City and discovers it’s as much about food as about experiencing the culture of this part of the city.

Families in the courtyard of Jama Masjid, Delhi, on sixth day of the month of Ramzan , June 2016(Arun Sharma/ HT Photo)

lifestyle

Updated on Jun 18, 2016 10:57 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, New Delhi

The reign of the trolls: Who’s your nemesis on social media?

From a platform on which one could have meaningful discussions, constructive criticism and on which numerous communities of like minded people once thrived, Twitter has apparently become an outlet of vitriolic statements often passed by people running anonymous handles

Many users are taking time off Twitter citing negativity.(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

lifestyle

Updated on Jun 14, 2016 07:20 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza

Old world charm: The many phases of Indian women’s magazines in Urdu

How women’s magazines in Urdu are coping up in the in the age of soap operas and internet.

Fareed Farooqui with his wife Shabana at their office in Old Delhi. The two co- edit Khatoon Mashriq , one of the oldest surviving women’s magazines in Urdu(Raj K Raj/ Hindustan Times)

books

Updated on May 02, 2016 02:07 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza

Exploring the many lives of Mirza Ghalib

Sayeed Alam’s play on Mirza Ghalib portrays the poet with all his flaws and strengths.

Ghalib, the play by Pierrot’s Troupe, portrays four phases of Mirza Ghalib’s life.(Pierrot’s Troupe)

lifestyle

Updated on Apr 30, 2016 04:39 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza

Juvenile crime: The new age of offence

The recent hit-and-run case in Delhi involving a minor has again turned the spotlight on the issue of juvenile crime. But what makes minors break the law? And is there a solution?

india news

Updated on Apr 17, 2016 06:32 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByPoulomi Banerjee & Danish Raza

In pictures: Exhibition traces rich cultural history of Zoroastrianism

An exhibition starting this week at the National Museum traces the rich cultural history of Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s oldest religions.

Gilded silver dish from Rasht, Gilan.(Photo courtesy: National Museum)

lifestyle

Updated on Mar 19, 2016 03:55 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, New Delhi

Gun Rajya: Armed and dangerous for fighting elections

Guns are found in abundance around the eve of local as well as national elections in India, sometimes used for murders and at others, resulting in accidental killings

Family members of late Mohammad Shami at their home in Shamli, western Uttar Pradesh(Ravi Chaudhary/Hindustan Times)

india news

Updated on Mar 06, 2016 02:42 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza

How terror accused Aamir struggled for 14 years to prove his innocence

Mohammad Aamir Khan’s memoir of the 14 years he spent in prison is the story of institutionalised discrimination against minorities in Indian jails and of the numbness atrophying Indian society.

Mohammad Aamir Khan at the launch of his book with Congress leader Kapil Sibal, co- author Nandita Haksar and activist Shabnam Hashmi at IIC, New Delhi.(Picture courtesy: Mohammad Aamir Khan)

books

Updated on Feb 27, 2016 12:15 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza

‘Jat quota protester held sword to photographer’s neck’

A young Jat protester holds his sword to the neck of an HT photographer, asking him to put his camera away or face the wrath of the 100-or-so men who have ringed him.

The Jat quota protest spilled into Ghaziabad where road and rail traffic was disrupted.(Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

india news

Updated on Feb 22, 2016 08:45 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, Kumaspur

This will go very far, says a protester on Jat quota agitation

Amit Rathi, a resident of Sonipat’s Kundli village, feels that the Jat community never got its due. “This is fight for our honour,” he says.

People walk past an overturned mobile urinal during a demonstration by members of the Jat community in Bahadurgarh, Haryana.(Reuters Photo)

india news

Updated on Feb 22, 2016 11:12 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, Sonipat

Haryana: 10 killed in Jat quota stir, army deployed to quell protests

The government rushed 1,200 army personnel on Sunday to violence-hit Haryana to quell rampaging Jat protesters who vandalised shops, blocked highways and set fire to a railway station ticket counter, demanding reservations in jobs and education.

Indian army soldiers conduct a flag march at Rohtak.(AP Photo)

india news

Updated on Feb 21, 2016 04:15 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByNeeraj Mohan and Danish Raza, Rohtak/murthal

Jat quota violence flares in Haryana, death toll rises to eight

Two more protesters were killed on Saturday as the Jat quota agitation unleashed fresh violence across the state with mobs burning down government buildings, damaging vehicles and looting shops, forcing authorities to clamp curfew in three more towns.

Since Friday, when the agitation turned violent, five protesters have been killed in firing by security forces and Army deployed in eight of the state’s 21 districts.(Mohd Zakir/ Hindustan Times)

india news

Updated on Feb 21, 2016 11:52 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByNeeraj Mohan and Danish Raza, Rohtak

Women qazis is a step towards righting the Sharia balance

Jaipur’s Jahan Ara and Afroz Begum have been opposed by clerics who claim that according to the Quran a woman can never be a man’s ‘hakim’.

Jaipur resident Jahanara (extreme left) was one of the two women who were the first to complete a course for qazis. In this photo she is sitting with unidentified friends.(HT file photo)

editorials

Updated on Feb 12, 2016 11:09 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza

All the reasons why this year’s Surajkund Mela is a must-visit!

Great shopping and fantastic performances makes this year’s Surajkund crafts mela a must-visit!

The Turkmenistan stall at the 30th edition of the annual Surajkund International Crafts Fair has been drawing huge crowds. Available at: Stall no. FC 29. At least 23 countries and all the states of India are participating.(Abhinav Saha/ HT Photos)

lifestyle

Updated on Feb 06, 2016 11:15 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, New Delhi

Chaos in data a key challenge in fighting slavery and trafficking

The 2014 Global Slavery Index estimates India and Pakistan alone account for over 45% of total global enslaved population and have highest prevalence of modern slavery in Asia.

A trafficking survivor at her home in Jharkand ‘s Khunti district (India). (Vipin Kumar/ Hindustan Times)

world news

Updated on Jan 20, 2016 06:03 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, New Delhi

The art of evolution: Take a walk through Museum Bhavan

Museum Bhavan, a collection of the works of artist Dayanita Singh, reinterprets editing, sequencing and archiving of images.

lifestyle

Updated on Dec 27, 2015 01:28 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, New Delhi

Reformed or remorseless: What’s the Dec 16 gangrape convict like now

Child rights activists argue that the State is abdicating its reponsibility by only making stronger laws.

Most intervention programs provided for juveniles in detention facilities are believed to have fallen short on various counts.(Illustration: Jayanto)

india news

Updated on Dec 19, 2015 02:56 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, New Delhi

Jodhpur: Riffing on collaborations

In its ninth year, the Rajasthan International Folk Festival continues to encourage collaborations between traditional folk and international artistes.

Scottish saxophonist and composer Brian Moliey performing with Rajasthani artists at RIFF.(OIJO/JODHPUR RIFF)

lifestyle

Updated on Nov 08, 2015 03:57 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza

Hindutva warriors: Hard- liners in UP redraw communal lines

From training a class 9 student in sword-fighting so he can ‘fight the ISIS’ to ‘saving girls from Love Jihad’: The Dadri beef lynching incident has shifted the spotlight to Hindu hard- line groups in Western Uttar Pradesh that are redefining communalism in the region.

Bhupendra Singh Tomar (centre) with members of Hind Kranti Dal in Ghaziabad.(Photo by Ravi Choudhary/ Hindustan Times)

india news

Updated on Oct 18, 2015 05:37 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, New Delhi

In pictures: Delhi’s present, rooted in its past

Through a series of black and white images that juxtapose the opulence of royalty with contemporary chaos, JJ Valaya pays tribute to both, Delhi’s rich past and its vibrant present.

lifestyle

Updated on Oct 03, 2015 10:53 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByDanish Raza, New Delhi

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Danish Raza

Danish Raza is a special correspondent with the Hindustan Times. He covers gender, identity politics, human rights, conflicts and online speech.

Lawyer Jignesh Mevani mobilises his community for 10-day foot march from Ahmedabad to Una, where Dalit men were flogged in public for skinning a dead cow.

Leaders of protest say poorest Dalits and the youth have galvanised movement.

Thousands of Dalits in Gujarat will start a 10-day march from Ahmedabad to Una on Friday to protest against the growing atrocities against the community in the state and the ruling BJP government’s apathy.

Trough a comic strip, HT explains how juveniles have been turning to trafficking to escape poverty

As part of organised syndicates, juveniles in India’s poverty-stricken regions have been trafficking children to big cities

Heritage and history walks are common in Delhi now. Food tours by night-bus aren’t. This week, we tried one of them

The madness and high emotional quotient for a Salman Khan film is unmatched. And if its an Eid release, it has to be witness to be understood. Presenting a first person account of Sultan screening in Delhi.

A recently-restored haveli is trying to revive the traditional Old Delhi terrace sport of kite-flying. For the passionate aficionado and the nervous novice

The student is a minor and has not been given a chance to produce age-related documents.

This Ramzan, many organisations and individuals are using social media to tell people where all they can give money meant for charity.

HT goes for an iftar trail in the Walled City and discovers it’s as much about food as about experiencing the culture of this part of the city.

From a platform on which one could have meaningful discussions, constructive criticism and on which numerous communities of like minded people once thrived, Twitter has apparently become an outlet of vitriolic statements often passed by people running anonymous handles

How women’s magazines in Urdu are coping up in the in the age of soap operas and internet.

Sayeed Alam’s play on Mirza Ghalib portrays the poet with all his flaws and strengths.

The recent hit-and-run case in Delhi involving a minor has again turned the spotlight on the issue of juvenile crime. But what makes minors break the law? And is there a solution?

An exhibition starting this week at the National Museum traces the rich cultural history of Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s oldest religions.

Guns are found in abundance around the eve of local as well as national elections in India, sometimes used for murders and at others, resulting in accidental killings

Mohammad Aamir Khan’s memoir of the 14 years he spent in prison is the story of institutionalised discrimination against minorities in Indian jails and of the numbness atrophying Indian society.

A young Jat protester holds his sword to the neck of an HT photographer, asking him to put his camera away or face the wrath of the 100-or-so men who have ringed him.

Amit Rathi, a resident of Sonipat’s Kundli village, feels that the Jat community never got its due. “This is fight for our honour,” he says.

The government rushed 1,200 army personnel on Sunday to violence-hit Haryana to quell rampaging Jat protesters who vandalised shops, blocked highways and set fire to a railway station ticket counter, demanding reservations in jobs and education.

Two more protesters were killed on Saturday as the Jat quota agitation unleashed fresh violence across the state with mobs burning down government buildings, damaging vehicles and looting shops, forcing authorities to clamp curfew in three more towns.

Jaipur’s Jahan Ara and Afroz Begum have been opposed by clerics who claim that according to the Quran a woman can never be a man’s ‘hakim’.

Great shopping and fantastic performances makes this year’s Surajkund crafts mela a must-visit!

The 2014 Global Slavery Index estimates India and Pakistan alone account for over 45% of total global enslaved population and have highest prevalence of modern slavery in Asia.

Museum Bhavan, a collection of the works of artist Dayanita Singh, reinterprets editing, sequencing and archiving of images.

Child rights activists argue that the State is abdicating its reponsibility by only making stronger laws.

In its ninth year, the Rajasthan International Folk Festival continues to encourage collaborations between traditional folk and international artistes.

From training a class 9 student in sword-fighting so he can ‘fight the ISIS’ to ‘saving girls from Love Jihad’: The Dadri beef lynching incident has shifted the spotlight to Hindu hard- line groups in Western Uttar Pradesh that are redefining communalism in the region.

Through a series of black and white images that juxtapose the opulence of royalty with contemporary chaos, JJ Valaya pays tribute to both, Delhi’s rich past and its vibrant present.

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