Latest news with #Divan
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Adolescence, consent & the grey zone for Pocso
Indian law puts the age of consent at 18. This means that sex with a girl below the age of 18, even if she consents, amounts to rape under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) law. The law does not recognise the relationship between the 14-year-old girl and the 25-year-old man. In a trial court, the girl told the judge she loved the man and wanted to live with him. Sorry, said the judge, and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The man was able to get bail and appealed before the Calcutta High Court (HC). In October 2023, the HC acquitted him but not before a bizarre digression into adolescent sexual urges and advice to young women everywhere to 'control sexual urges as in the eyes of the society she is the looser [sic] when she gives in to enjoy the sexual pleasure of hardly two minutes'. Steeped in patriarchy, stereotypes and outdated notions of chastity, the judge's remarks led to considerable outrage — and the attention of the Supreme Court. Pocso was intended to protect adolescents and children. But the increasing criminalisation of consensual teenage sexual activity has become a problem in a country where every fifth Indian is an adolescent. A five-state study by the Centre for Child and the Law at the National Law School found that in 20% of Pocso cases, the victim said she was in a consensual relationship, or marriage, with the accused. Who files these cases? In one third of rape cases being tried in Delhi and Mumbai in 2013, it was the parents of daughters who had filed complaints — maybe her boyfriend was of a different caste or faith or maybe they were just upset at her exercise of agency. This desire for control extends to khap panchayats and even elected leaders who have said parental consent should be mandatory for love marriages. The irony of weaponising a law intended to protect adolescent girls to control them is evident. 'This was a classic Pocso case,' says Madhavi Divan, amicus curiae in the matter. 'But the truth is more complicated. The girl is very sure of her choices and determined to protect her small family.' One solution to prevent the abuse of Pocso could be a 'Romeo and Juliet' clause adopted this year in the UK that exempts consensual teenage sex from mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse. The clause is intended to provide some discretion in limited situations to avoid 'unintentional consequences'. But a more long-term solution suggested by Divan is to have a national sex education policy so that adolescents are made aware of the consequences of a sexual relationship. The Supreme Court has asked the Union government to consider devising such a policy. In a country where 22% of female adolescents are married as children, sex education remains a red flag. A Unesco report found that 71% of youth aged between 13 and 30 in 17 states said they had not been taught about sexuality by either teachers or parents. The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of the man for sexually assaulting a minor girl in 2018 but refused to sentence him, noting that the victim would be the 'worst sufferer' if he was to be jailed again. The girl, meanwhile, told the court she wants to complete her education and get on with her life. Namita Bhandare writes on gender. The views expressed are personal
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Conductor Daniel Barenboim says he's been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Conductor Daniel Barenboim says he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The 82-year-old issued a statement Thursday on Instagram. He has appeared more frail since 2022, canceling scheduled performances that included a new production of Wagner's Ring Cycle in Berlin. 'I am planning to maintain as many of my professional commitments as my health permits,' he wrote. "As ever, I consider the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra my most important responsibility. It is essential for me to ensure the orchestra's long-term stability and development. I will continue to conduct the Divan whenever my health allows me to. At the same time, I will take an active role in ensuring that the Divan has the opportunity of working with excellent conductors going forward. I have been navigating this new reality of mine and my focus is on receiving the best available care.' See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. A child prodigy pianist who made his Carnegie Hall debut at 1957 at age 14. Barenboim has been chief conductor of the Orchestre de Paris (1975–89) and music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1991–2006) and Milan's Teatro alla Scala (2011–14) and general music director of the Berlin State Opera (1992-2023). He founded the West–Eastern Divan Orchestra with academic Edward Said in 1999 to promote understanding between Israelis and Palestinians.
Associated Press
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Conductor Daniel Barenboim says he's been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Conductor Daniel Barenboim says he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The 82-year-old issued a statement Thursday on Instagram. He has appeared more frail since 2022, canceling scheduled performances that included a new production of Wagner's Ring Cycle in Berlin. 'I am planning to maintain as many of my professional commitments as my health permits,' he wrote. 'As ever, I consider the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra my most important responsibility. It is essential for me to ensure the orchestra's long-term stability and development. I will continue to conduct the Divan whenever my health allows me to. At the same time, I will take an active role in ensuring that the Divan has the opportunity of working with excellent conductors going forward. I have been navigating this new reality of mine and my focus is on receiving the best available care.' A child prodigy pianist who made his Carnegie Hall debut at 1957 at age 14. Barenboim has been chief conductor of the Orchestre de Paris (1975–89) and music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1991–2006) and Milan's Teatro alla Scala (2011–14) and general music director of the Berlin State Opera (1992-2023). He founded the West–Eastern Divan Orchestra with academic Edward Said in 1999 to promote understanding between Israelis and Palestinians.
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Conductor Daniel Barenboim diagnosed with Parkinson's
Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim has announced he has Parkinson's disease. The 82-year-old Argentinian- Israeli, who has performed at the BBC Proms and been given an honorary knighthood, was head of the Berlin State Opera until 2023. Writing on Instagram on Thursday, Barenboim said: 'I know that many people have been concerned about my health. I have been very touched by the support I have received over the last three years. 'I would like to share today that I have Parkinson's disease. Looking ahead, I am planning to maintain as many of my professional commitments as my health permits. 'As ever, I consider the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra my most important responsibility. It is essential for me to ensure the orchestra's long-term stability and development. 'I will continue to conduct the Divan whenever my health allows me to. At the same time, I will take an active role in ensuring that the Divan has the opportunity of working with excellent conductors going forward. 'I have been navigating this new reality of mine and my focus is on receiving the best available care. I thank everyone for their kindness and well-wishes.' Barenboim was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Jewish-Russian parents in 1942, and later moved to Israel, where he grew up. He met his wife, the British cellist Jacqueline du Pre, in London and they married in Jerusalem in 1967. She died in 1987 after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In 1998, a film was made of Pre's life starring Dune: Prophecy actress Emily Watson as the cellist and True Blood star James Frain as Barenboim. Hilary And Jackie earned Watson and Muriel's Wedding star Rachel Griffiths – who played Pre's sister Hilary – Oscar nominations for best actress and supporting actress respectively. A year later, Barenboim founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra with Palestinian writer Edward Said to bring together Israeli and Palestinian musicians, and later the Barenboim-Said Academy. Barenboim has recorded with the Philharmonic Orchestra, delivered a 2006 BBC Reith Lectures in London, picked up the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal, and in 2011 was honoured with an honorary knighthood. He was the first to perform Wagner's opera at the BBC Proms as the 200th anniversary of the composer was marked in 2013, having previously done a debut of Wagner's entire 15-hour Ring Cycle in 2006 on BBC Radio 3, while conducting in Germany. Barenboim also founded the Daniel Barenboim Foundation to support cultural conversations through concerts. On a visit to Germany in 2019, Charles met the chairman of the Daniel Barenboim Foundation, Tabare Del Hum Perlas. He said at the time he played cello 'very badly', after being taught by Barenboim. Barenboim is also a Classic Brit and Grammy winner, and last year BBC Four released the documentary Daniel Barenboim: In His Own Words, about his life.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Daniel Barenboim announces he has Parkinson's disease
The conductor Daniel Barenboim has revealed that he has Parkinson's disease. The 82-year-old musician has been in failing health for some years, and in January 2023 resigned from his position as the general music director of the Berlin State Opera. Although increasingly frail, he has continued to make occasional appearances as a conductor, most recently in London with his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra at the 2024 Proms and then at the Royal Festival Hall in November. 'I know that many people have been concerned about my health and I have been very touched by the support I have received over the last three years. I would like to share today that I have Parkinson's disease,' he said in a statement released on Thursday. 'Looking ahead, I am planning to maintain as many of my professional commitments as possible. If I am unable to perform, it is because my health does not allow me to.' 'As ever, I consider the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra my most important responsibility. It is essential for me to ensure the orchestra's long-term stability and development. Barenboim, who was born in Argentina to Jewish parents, jointly founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in 1999 with Palestinian-American academic Edward Said. Based in Seville, the orchestra consists of musicians from around the world – of Egyptian, Iranian, Israeli, Jordanian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, and Hispanic backgrounds. The musician is a lifelong supporter of the two-state solution to the Israel Palestine conflict and a frequent critic of Israeli government policy. 'You can't make peace with an orchestra,' Barenboim said in an interview in 2008, 'but one can create the conditions for understanding and awaken the curiosity of each individual to listen to the narrative of the other. The Divan was conceived as a project against ignorance. It is absolutely essential for people to understand what the other thinks and feels, without necessarily agreeing with it.' His statement continued: 'I will continue to conduct the Divan whenever my health allows me to. At the same time, I will take an active role in ensuring that the Divan has the opportunity of working with other excellent conductors going forward.' 'I have been navigating this new reality of mine and my focus is on receiving the best available care. I thank everyone for their kindness and well wishes.'
