We The People

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his maiden visit to Davos, talked about an India that promises peace, prosperity, health and wellness, back home the same India saw widespread violence including an attack on a school bus over the alleged dishonour brought to a mythical queen by the film "Padmaavat". On this episode of We The People, we ask: is the Indian society moving backwards? Has the film industry always been an easy target for cultural vigilantes? Why have the political parties kept mum about an issue that refuses to die down and continues to target innocent citizens?

Should one have the right to identify their own gender? This seems to be the main bone of contention when it comes to the recently introduced Transgender Persons Bill (Protection of Rights) 2016. The bill proposes that trans individuals be screened by committees to ascertain their gender identity. The bill has caused widespread protests across the country. On this episode of We The People, we ask: Who gets to decide what gender a person belongs to? Is screening individuals to ascertain their gender identity in line with their basic human rights? With no punitive mechanism in the bill against discrimination of transgenders in education, health, work, will the bill be yet another toothless piece of legislation?

For another year, NDTV's weekly talk show We The People held up a mirror to what Indian society thinks and feels. In a show that unfailingly captures the pulse of public opinion, the debate often turns its gaze inwards, forcing people to examine themselves. As the year comes to a close, we revisit 2017's most memorable debates on We The People.

Christmas carolers roughed up in Madhya Pradesh, a Christmas event disrupted in Rajasthan, schools warned against Christmas celebrations in Uttar Pradesh has prompted Christian groups in India to raise a safety alarm with the Union Home Minister. On this episode of We The People, we ask: what seems to have brought on this nervousness around Christmas celebrations? Do festivals like Christmas, that are celebrated across religions, warrant the fear of "forced conversions"? In a country that guarantees the right to practice any religion, is the space for that liberty shrinking?

From a senior Congress leader calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'neech aadmi' to the PM's own allegations of Pakistan's role in Gujarat elections, the Gujarat poll campaign has seen some of the most hateful political rhetoric in recent times. While the state of Gujarat will pronounce its mandate on December 18, on this episode of We The People, we ask: Is everything fair in a political war? Does the hateful discourse during campaign permanently malign the society's fabric or is the damage only short-lived?

According to a report, the richest 1% Indians possess 58% of all wealth in the country. With the country's growing income gap, the silver lining seems to be the deepening philanthropic streak in India's ultra rich; the Nilekanis being the latest addition to the list of Indian billionaires who have pledged a portion of their wealth for social betterment. On this episode of We The People, we ask: can the Indian rich help narrow down the widening inequality? Is philanthropy enough to push our development agenda without a streamlined structure and proper execution? Are CSR and inheritance tax feasible tools to help improve the way our resources are allocated?

A bill of Rs 16 lakh for dengue treatment in a case where the 7 -year-old patient eventually succumbed to the illness; a living newborn declared dead - cases of alleged wrongdoing or negligence at the hands of private hospitals in the last fortnight have again called into question the efficiency of India's healthcare system. On this episode of We The People, we ask: is it time the government increased public expenditure on healthcare, which, currently is much below the global average? Is public-private partnership the panacea that Indian healthcare has been waiting for? Between inadequate public healthcare and unaffordable private healthcare, where is the average citizen to go for health issues?

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court issued guidelines to curb the alleged misused of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, meant to deal with cases of dowry-related abuse. While men's rights activists claim the law is a tool for extorting husbands and their families, women's rights activists feel the dilution of 498A will be an attack on gender justice. On this episode of We The People, we ask: Is 498A really the most abused law in the country? With no bankable data on the level of abuse of the said law, did the Supreme Court jump the gun with the July ruling? Will the top court, in its upcoming review of the law, be able to find a middle ground between the warring groups?

In October this year, a young Indian lawyer created and released on social media a spreadsheet where Indian women spoke up anonymously about unwanted advances from professors and older colleagues. It was a list of almost 60 academicians from 28 Indian colleges who have allegedly sexually harassed their students. A list where the names of the complainants were kept anonymous. This list of alleged sexual predators in Indian universities has circulated widely on the internet, creating a storm. On this edition of We The People, we ask, is this unvetted, crowd-sourced, public shaming online vigilantism? Is it a disrespect of due process and a setback to true accountability? Or is it is the last resort for unheard young women?

The Indian Medical Association has declared a public health emergency in Delhi. With a thick cloud of smog hovering over the capital city, the question of India's pollution crisis is back in focus. On this episode of We The People, we ask: with PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels much above the WHO safe levels in most Indians cities throughout the year, shouldn't the pollution issue be dealt with on an emergency footing across the year? With the Delhi government yet again pushing for its odd-even scheme despite no real success last year, has India run out of ideas to deal with this looming health crisis?