Lessons in love

After all the depressing hate speeches and divisive politics we've seen since the beginning of 2020, the sense of love, patriotism and community I experienced in Sundarnagri was a breath of fresh air

On Valentine’s Day, I was following Google Maps through the crowded narrow bazaar lane of Sundarnagri when I saw two children with a placard that read Happy Valentine’s Day India. I put away my phone and tailed them to Sundarnagri’s very own Shaheen Bagh, where local women have occupied a neighborhood park since January 20, to protest against the CAA and NRC. The park was full of women and children, chanting slogans, singing songs and waving the tricolour. The atmosphere was made even more festive because the Mahila Ekta Yatra, a large group of women from representing NGOs and diverse