Vol 1 Issue 3 | October-December 2021
On The House
Story by Varud Gupta | Art by Harsho Mohan Chattoraj
On The House is not just a story for these pages. It exists as a cautionary tale of the voices around us and the inequality in India that divides us. So, if you have already made it this far, I urge you to spend a moment longer understanding some of the themes that were intertwined in the story, exploring Data Leaks, The Rise of Hip-Hop, and the Income Inequality Gap.
Leaky Data
The story started from a very inconvenient truth: that privacy, in regards to our online data and activity, might no longer truly exist. All our information is now stored digitally. But populations around the globe from the US to India are at risk when these data points leak online. The use of forms of digital identification is not going to go away – but we definitely need better government oversight and security, because our data should be our right.
Further Reading:
• https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/nation/you-have-access-to-billion-aadhaar-details
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-42575443
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/new-dark-web-audit-reveals-15-billion-stolen-logins
• https://restofworld.org/2021/inside-israels-lucrative-and-secretive-cybersurveillance
• https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/31/aadhaar-data-leak/
• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/data-breaches-expose-emails-passwords
The Beats of India
India is home to countless individuals from diverse cultures and classes, each searching for their voice in a congested world. From Punjab to the alleys of Dharavi, the beats of hip-hop and rap have pioneered a new form of expression for Indian youth, those of marginalised backgrounds, and the underprivileged. Our story tries to push this boundary just a small bit forward: that when it comes to forms of art such as rap, it isn’t only about having a voice. But also, about being heard.
Further Reading:
• https://www.redbull.com/in-en/why-gully-rap-is-liberating-indian-youth
• https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2019/06/the-rise-of-hip-hop-and-rap-culture-in-india/
• https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/could-hip-hops-next-global-superstar
The Gap
Unfortunately, we are not all born equal and the GINI Index, which tracks income inequality in nations such as India, asserts this point. Data collected by The World Bank show that India not only ranks poorly amongst nations, but also indicate a trend of this gap widening over the past decade. But we should and can strive to work towards improving social justice.
Further Reading:
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-36186116
• https://www.livemint.com/Politics/IMF-warns-of-growing-inequality-in-India-and-China.html
• https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2017/10/world/i-on-india-income-gap/
• https://www.oxfam.org/en/india-extreme-inequality-numbers
Hello, Stranger
When your login or identification data is out into the world, hackers can come crawling into your personal spaces – they can access our information or even steal it in exchange for a ransom. To prevent your accounts from being overtaken, here are a few steps to get you started: change your passwords, monitor them for any leaks, download an antivirus solution, and set up two-factor authorisation on your online accounts.
• https://www.nytimes.com/guides/privacy-project/how-to-protect-your-digital-privacy
• https://www.npr.org//your-technology-is-tracking-you-take-these-steps-for-better-privacy
• https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/26/privacy-queen-of-human-rights-in-a-digital-world/
