Latest news with #Renu
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Rishikesh woman who donated kidney to husband wins 13-year mediclaim battle
Dehradun: A Rishikesh woman who donated a kidney to her husband during a 2012 transplant surgery won a 13-year legal battle after the insurer denied her hospitalisation claim, saying she was not a patient. The Uttarakhand State Consumer Commission on Friday ordered National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) to pay the dues with interest and compensation to Renu Bansal. Renu had filed a complaint against NICL for denying expenses incurred during her hospital stay as an organ donor. Her husband, Jagannath Bansal, had taken a mediclaim policy covering himself and family, which he had renewed continuously for 13 years. In Feb 2012, he underwent a kidney transplant surgery, with Renu as the donor. While NICL partly reimbursed Jagannath's costs, it refused to cover Renu's hospitalisation, arguing that she was not the patient. In 2014, the district consumer commission ruled in her favour, but NICL challenged the decision before the state commission. Jagannath died during the prolonged legal process, but Renu continued to fight the case. The state commission upheld her claim, ruling that the policy covered donor expenses up to 50% of the sum insured. "As per the clause, donor Renu Bansal, who was insured for an amount of Rs 65,000 on the date of kidney transplantation and incurred an amount of Rs 66,667 towards costs of transplantation, is entitled to get a maximum of 50% of the sum insured, which is Rs 32,500," the commission said. NICL was directed to pay Rs 32,500 along with 7% annual interest from the date of the complaint in 2012. The commission also awarded Rs 25,000 to Renu as compensation for mental agony and litigation expenses. Organ donor coverage in India varies widely between insurers. While some mediclaim policies include hospitalisation expenses for organ donors, many others exclude them or cap them under sub-limits. A 2022 industry review found several insurers refusing new policies or renewing existing ones for people who had previously donated an organ. Policy clauses are not standardised, which often results in disputes.
The Wire
6 days ago
- General
- The Wire
The Novel and the Nation: Revisiting Phanishwar Nath Renu's ‘Maila Aanchal' 70 Years On
Literature plays a crucial role in shaping discourses of emancipation by offering a space to imagine freedom, challenge oppressive systems, and give voice to marginalised experiences. It documents lived experiences of oppression – be it colonialism, slavery, patriarchy, or class exploitation – and often portrays characters who resist or transcend these conditions. This makes literature a vehicle for critiquing injustice and proposing alternatives. For understanding the past, and therefore the present, it is often important to look at novels as a repository of a discourse particularly in addition to sources such as archives, which do not simply preserve and store historical knowledge, but also represent the memory of a certain discourse complete with its own silences. It is in this context that Phanishwar Nath Renu, a prominent figure in post-independence Hindi literature, is relevant even today. Renu's novels and short stories appeared as a powerful tool of social emancipation by foregrounding the lives, struggles, and agency of India's rural poor, Dalits, tribals, and marginalised communities – groups often ignored in mainstream narratives. The determination to not hide the ills of the society His works, particularly the celebrated novel Maila Anchal (1954) are vital in shaping vernacular discourses of emancipation rooted in local realities rather than elite, urban ideologies. While Renu's writings, including Parti Parikatha and Maare Gaye Gulfam, all occupy their own niche space in India's literary history, the novel this article is concerned with is significant for its engagement with the making of an independent India and its focus on a region in Bihar i.e. Purnea (Kosi), gaining it the epithet of the first 'regional novel'. Growing up in times when nationalism has been reduced to loud, violent and vengeful calls, with history being used as a checklist of avenging wrongdoings; imagined or exaggerated, what stands out in Renu's work is the determination to not hide the ills of his society. It is perhaps the most important part of Renu's work, captured in the titular line. Written merely seven years after India gained independence from British rule, Renu pointed to the many ' daag' (stains) on Bharat Mata's aanchal – of communalism, casteism, segregation and inequalities besides of superstitious beliefs and absolute lack of rationality. It also expressed a concern for many unfreedoms that plagued (or plagues) Indian society after achieving formal independence. The novel follows the last few years of the freedom movement in 'Marygunj', a fictional village placed in the very real Purnea district of Bihar. The name of the village itself carries traces of colonialism and the influence of the 'indigo sahebs'. The story begins with Martin's wife Mary falling prey to the might of malaria. Her death leads him to realise the need for a hospital in the village. Thus enters Dr. Prashant or ' dagdar babu', the closest to a titular character in the traditional sense, to conduct research on malaria, kalaazar and other epidemics plaguing the region. The doctor becomes an entry point to understand the village and its politics. The narrative surrounding his 'origin story', not knowing his birth parents and therefore his caste, gives insight into the caste-based identification embedded in the social landscape to determine social value. The arrival of a young doctor, Prashant, symbolises hope and reform. But Renu doesn't romanticise state intervention – he shows how bureaucracy, corruption, and caste prejudices undermine development efforts. Emancipation, Renu suggests, cannot be outsourced to institutions. It must be internally driven by the agency of the community itself. Through this fictionalised 'Maryganj', Renu offers a narrative rich with descriptions of villages situated in the Kosi region of Bihar. That disease, particularly malaria, caused catastrophe in the region was not simply a fictionalised literary trope. The District Gazetteer of Purnea (1963) referred to its inhabitants as 'weak and devoid of stamina owing to the malarious climate.' It brings two points to the fore – first, geographical location of the region plays a crucial part in its cultural and social life. Regional history is marked by flooding of the Kosi (referred to as the cruel, angry sister of Ganga in folk tales), the floods combined with issues of drainage and lack of embankment, bringing a bout of epidemics like Malaria and cholera. Traversing the hegemony of standardised Hindi An 'East India Gazetteer' talks of the Purnia region with 'advantages of soil and climate such that it was considered one of the most productive in the province of Bengal', but the continued association of 'diseased' towns led to removal of civil authorities in 1815 to healthier stations. Second, it points to an important facet of colonialism through which it imposed certain negative characteristics as intrinsic to the landscape of the colony. The Orient was seen as different and opposite to the West or the 'Occident' such that the negative tropical attributes of the colonised land and environment came to be seen as affecting Europeans negatively – leading to debility or death, and creating the space for 'civilisational reforms'. A 1949 book, 'Bihar: The Heart of India', puts it succinctly, the opening lines on Purnea being – ' Na zahar khao, na mahur khao. Marna hai to Puraniya jao. '. Though Maila Aanchal is now seen as one of the greatest Hindi novels, at the time of its publication it was accused of several 'impurities', something that Renu compiled and published as an additional advertisement for the novel. This included the claim that the work did not contain a single sentence in 'pure' Hindi; the collection of folk songs and of 'corrupted' words all of which was seen as unsuitable for literature. A significant portion of the dialogues and conversations are in Bhojpuri, Maithili and Magahi which has come to be recognised as one of the most distinctive strengths of this novel. Renu has written how his characters would have spoken their words, traversing the hegemony of standardised Hindi. The village is divided into different 'tolas' or segregated living spaces for different castes. These areas do not just vary in their spatial nature but also in the type of language spoken by its residents. These fine differences in speech are used by Renu to particularise his characters. The Sanskritised, 'pure' Hindi was in fact alien to the villagers, as shown in a scene where a character, Baldev Yadav, receives a letter in Hindi from a Congress party secretary. He asks a young man to read it out to the villagers, but it seems meaningless to the villagers and they insist that the boy explain it. So, words like high court become haikot; injection becomes jakshain; district board is distibot; meeting is mitin. These aren't mere misspellings, rather words that look corrupt but match how the word is pronounced in the region. So, in spelling words how they sound Renu breaks the standard literary language and brings a realistic tone of local speech and linguistic patterns to his work. Phanishwar Nath 'Renu'. Photo: Social media Songs associated with Holi and seasonal changes ( phag, jogira, purvi ), songs sung at birth ( sohar ), marriage ( nachari ) and mourning ( samadaun ) find a place through incorporation of the oral traditions within the narrative of village life in Maryganj. The festival of Holi becomes a site for the inversion of the sociopolitical order through songs ( jogira ) which are used to point to the hypocrisy of the purity – pollution associated with the caste hierarchy. A Brahmin accepting water or food from a person deemed to be 'low-caste' is seen as an instance of 'pollution' but a lower-caste woman's sexuality is seen as something he can access easily with acceptance under the Brahmanical ideological structure. 'Arey ho budbak babhbna, arey ho budbak babhna ….jolaha dhuniya teli telaniya ke piye na chhual paniya. Chumma leve mei jaat nahi re jaye!' (Translation: 'You foolish Brahmin You would not drink water touched by a weaver, washerwomen, even oil-presser's wife, but you have no problem kissing them.' Renu brings the subaltern rural subject to the centre of literary discourse. His characters are not passive victims but complex, resistant, and rooted in their local cultures. He uses local dialects (Maithili, Bhojpuri), folk traditions, and oral storytelling to preserve their voices. This linguistic and cultural inclusivity in literature is itself an emancipatory act – it affirms the value of local knowledge, resisting linguistic and cultural homogenisation. An act of resistance to the idea of 'purity' in the dominant Hindi literature Hence Renu's work is an act of resistance to the idea of 'purity' in the dominant Hindi literature of the period. And much like 'Aadha Gaon' of Rahi Masoom Raza, he decided not to give faux tongues of 'pure language' to his characters in the novel. The everyday functions of a caste-based order are made explicit through the focus on commensality. Brahmins refused to eat in a public feast unless separate arrangements were made for them; the Rajputs and Kayasthas would not eat in the same row as the Yadavs, who in turn would refuse to eat with Dhanuks. Ambedkar's conception of graded inequality as characteristic of the caste system in India, where the castes exploited by the 'upper' castes seek to dominate those placed lower than them in the caste hierarchy, is notable. Renu was a key figure in the Aanchalik (regionalist) literary movement, which emphasised local landscapes, dialects, and everyday life. His use of social realism allows him to document not just hardship, but also community resilience, folk wisdom, and indigenous forms of resistance. The work highlights that folk songs, idioms, festivals, and oral traditions are not decorative – they are central to the community's survival and moral compass. These cultural elements act as tools of resistance to cultural erasure and state-imposed modernisation. The portrayal of this village is important as it does not resort to painting a quaint, serene countryside based on difference, distance or nostalgia. Influenced in large part by Gandhi, the imagination of the Indian village during the nationalist struggle, came to be seen as the repository of traditional Indian social life. In Gandhi's view, village life embodied the very essence of India, while the emergence of modern urban centres symbolised Western dominance and colonial control. As a result, he believed that true swaraj, or self-rule, could only be achieved by revitalising India's village communities and restoring their civilisational strength. What Gandhi highlighted as the 'essence of civilisation' is primarily what Ambedkar critiqued about the village society – 'The Hindu society insists on the segregation of the untouchables. The Hindu will not live in the quarters of the untouchables and will not allow the untouchables to live inside Hindu quarters… It is not a case of social separation, a mere stoppage of social intercourse for a temporary period. It is a case of blatant territorial segregation… every Hindu village has a ghetto..'. The village life came to be romanticised in novels as opposed to the hustle-bustle of 'town life'. Renu however doesn't characterise it as an unchanging, generalised character of rural India but infuses it with specifics which are useful in their insights and reminiscent of a village study. His characters are not idealised possessors of antique virtues or fundamental goodness. Renu does not stand with Gandhi's model of the Indian village as a singular cognitive unit, a republic of sorts but bares it as an entity divided along class, caste and gender lines with prejudices shaping the contours of different identities and the social formations. The villagers of Maryganj have the word Suraaj i.e. Swaraj on the tip of their tongues – Gandhi ji has promised so, he will bring it about. The phenomenon of Gandhi, something which the historian Shahid Amin has written extensively about, in the eyes of the 'subaltern' or non-elite in rural India can also be gauged in this novel. 'Gandhi mahatma' is evoked often, not only by Congressmen but by villagers who have heard of him through others. Renu questions the penetration of these values of the freedom struggle and whether the Congressmen were actually able to take their ideas to the 'masses' beyond words, concluding that ' suraaj' has not reached the minds of the nation's citizens. Or at least not in the manner the Mahatma would have thought of. However, in more ways than one, Renu, instead of glorifying Western-style progress or industrialisation, proposes a model of alternative modernity – one that respects rural wisdom, collective solidarity, and ecological harmony. This questions dominant notions of development and emancipation tied solely to urbanisation or capitalism. Renu's political experience helps him reshape the discourse of emancipation Renu's personal life and the politics he practiced cannot be divorced from his writing. An active participant in the 1942 Quit India Movement, he was jailed for the same. Having completed his matriculation from Nepal he also participated in the movement against monarchy and for the establishment of democracy in the country. In his essay titled 'The role of the Writer in the making of the Nation' published in 1957, Renu wrote that being 'enslaved by the coloniser' was the main problem during the freedom struggle, and as an independent nation the main issue is that of building a nation. Modernity which was to bring about independent thinking and independent power to the individual has not happened even 10 years after independence. Thus his political experience helps him reshape the discourse of emancipation by primarily validating rural life and subaltern subjectivity with a subterranean yearning demanding a challenge to caste and class oppression. And the text also offers a bottom-up vision of freedom tied to social justice and cultural authenticity. A testimony of Renu's conviction was further seen during the Emergency when he wrote to the President returning his Padma shri, particularly after the violence meted out to the protests led by Jayaprakash Narayan (JP). In his letter Renu strongly protested saying 'How long will the government, of which you are the President, continue to try to suppress the will of the people using violence and state repression? In such a situation, this honour of 'Padma Shri' has become ' Paap shri' (a sin) for me'. The novel's themes become particularly important when 76 years after Independence, the Chief Justice of 'modern' India publicly states his belief in and propagates to the nation, ayurveda and ayurvedic medicines. It necessitates questioning political propagation in the garb of 'personal choice' when religious superstition and lack of access to quality health services continues to impact everyday life of more than a billion in the country. When the everydayness of irrationality seeks to normalise harking back to ancient glory, of 'reclaiming' civilisational (reducing the Civilisation to 'Caste Hindu' values) – pillars of the state actively legitimising it, it increases the urgency to remember the tenets of independence and voices documented in the Maila Aanchal. In a letter to JP, Renu highlighted his dissonance with this 'free' country. He wrote – '…a few days ago someone said to me that there's a difference between the prisons of colonial India and that of free India. Well indeed, Purnea Jail can be an example of this 'independent' India of our present where even human beings have become animals. Maybe out of one thousand one hundred and twelve prisoners, even one person cannot be termed healthy. Maybe hell is like this… what is the difference between 1947 and 1972?' And what indeed is the difference between 1947, 1972 and 2025, as thousands of people remain as undertrial prisoners in different jails across the country. Many of these are young minds arrested for protesting against unequal citizenship laws and for demanding the freedom to be and the freedom to become across university campuses in India. In the novel, after the achievement of independence in 1947, the Adivasis of Santhal regions are disillusioned as they continue to grapple with local oppressors, and the state and its justice systems continue to be dominated by upper castes. The constitutional promise of justice appeared hollow when it remained structurally denied. The contradictions of unfreedoms in a 'free' nation continues to make this novel relevant. Stories exposing deeply embedded inequalities which persist even after independence In Maila Anchal, Renu critiques feudal oppression, caste discrimination, and bureaucratic apathy. His stories expose how deeply embedded inequalities persist even after independence, pointing out that political freedom did not automatically translate into social justice. Unlike didactic or revolutionary narratives, Maila Anchal doesn't offer a grand solution. It presents partial, fractured progress, emphasising that emancipation is slow, contested, and deeply contextual. Renu's writing, rooted in the reality of rural India, speaks directly to the need for social justice, making him an important voice in the literary canon of Indian writers committed to egalitarianism. His characters often embody the hope for a more just society, even if it is only reflected in small, personal victories. What we can borrow from Renu is a simple virtue called empathy. Renu's deep empathy for the marginalised and his understanding of the complexities of rural life reflect his belief in an egalitarian society. It is time for the Republic to stick to it with the necessary sense of urgency. The writer has an MA in modern history from Jawaharlal Nehru University and currently works with Oxford University Press. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bigg Boss Malayalam 7: Renu Sudhi reacts to rumours of her participation in the show
Amidst fervent speculation surrounding Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 7 contestants, Renu Sudhi, widow of comedian Kollam Sudhi, addressed rumors of her participation. While clarifying she hasn't received an official invitation, Renu expressed keen interest in joining the show if offered the opportunity. Other names circulating include actors Maya Viswanath, Jishin Mohan, model Nila Nambiar, and influencer Jassil. As excitement continues to build around Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 7, social media has turned into a guessing game, with fans speculating who might step into the iconic house this year. One of the most talked-about names is Renu Sudhi, model and wife of late comedian Kollam Sudhi. Renu, who gained recognition through her modeling and appearances in music albums, has finally responded to the rumours. In a recent media interaction, Renu clarified that she hasn't been contacted by the Bigg Boss Malayalam team yet. However, she expressed genuine interest in participating if given the opportunity. 'I will definitely contest in the show, if I get a chance. But, I am not called yet. If I enter, I will surely try my best to rock there and sustain. Will be myself in the house,' Renu said. Following the tragic demise of her husband Kollam Sudhi, Renu stepped into the limelight by entering into modelling and digital content. She had receiving mixed responses from netizens for her videos with influencer Shanmughadas aka Dasettan. Earlier, Star Magic fame Anumol also responded to the rumours about her entry into Bigg Boss Malayalam 7. Reacting to a video that mentioned her as a contestant, Anumol humorously remarked that she herself hadn't been informed about it yet. While the official contestant list is still under wraps, other names doing the rounds include actors Maya Viswanath , Jishin Mohan, model Nila Nambiar and social media influencer Jassil. Bigg Boss Malayalam 7, hosted once again by Mohanlal , is expected to hit screens in early August. The show will be filmed at EVP Film City in Chennai, with preparations for the grand set currently underway.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Mothers: Unsung heroes behind class 10 high scorers
Lucknow: In a heart-warming tale of perseverance and dedication, Renu Singh, a govt primary school teacher, embarked on an arduous to-and-fro journey of 120km from Lucknow to Bahrauli in Sitapur. Her unwavering commitment was not for her own ambitions, but for her daughter Adya Singh Chauhan's bright future. Every day, Renu's arduous commute was a testament to her support for Adya's the efforts paid off when Adya secured an impressive 99.6% in ICSE class 10 results . She secured full marks in biology, 99 in maths and chemistry and 97 in physics. While Adya basks in the glory of her achievement, her mother remains the unsung hero, whose sacrifices and encouragement paved the way for this remarkable achievement is not just a personal triumph, but a reflection of her mother's dedication. Operation Sindoor India-Pakistan Tensions Live Updates: India hits back after Pakistan violates ceasefire; Nagrota sentry hurt in brief gunfire Operation Sindoor Live Updates: Drones shot down at multiple places in J&K as Pakistan violates bilateral understanding Pak drones enter Indian airspace, explosions heard just hours after truce deal As Adya looks forward to new challenges and opportunities, she carries with her the values and support of her mother, who stood like a rock behind her. "The journey towards securing 99.6% was made possible through systematic preparation and unwavering maternal guidance. My mother's approach was comprehensive and practical. She devoted countless hours to solving Hindi papers, ensuring my command over the subject was thorough and refined. In biology, her assistance with intricate diagrams proved invaluable. The practical demonstrations in chemistry made abstract concepts more tangible and easier to understand," Adya, a resident of Jankipuram Extension, told preparation strategy involved regular practice, conceptual clarity, and consistent revision. Renu created a supportive learning environment that allowed Adya to focus on her studies without feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of examinations. This balanced approach helped maintain Adya's motivation throughout her success story of the CMS Aliganj-I student demonstrates how parental support, especially maternal guidance, can positively impact a student's academic performance. "As a responsible mother, I never mounted a pressure on Adya. Instead, I stood behind her in every step," said student Gauri Kotwal, who secured 95% in ISCE class 10 exams, credits her mother for her success. A student of CMS Mahanagar, Gauri said: "My mother has always been by my side through thick and thin. On late nights and early mornings, the one staying up along with me was my mother. There was a time in class 10 in 1st preboard when I scored less, but my mother helped me cope with the situation & try harder next time. My mom is my motivator, helper and role model, who works really hard to make all us happier."
Time of India
30-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Bhagwat performs Kanyadaan of 125 girls in ‘one mandap'
Varanasi: Busy promoting the idea of 'One temple, one well and one crematorium' for Sanatan unity, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Chief Mohan Bhagwat sent out a louder message of 'one mandap' by performing the 'Kanyadaan' (giving away of bride) ritual of a tribal girl, Renu and 'pad-prakshalan' (washing feet) of her groom, Akash on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya at Sankuldhara Pond in the city on Wednesday. The event was a mass wedding ceremony of 125 couples from upper, backward, and Dalit sections. Blessing newlyweds at the event, Bhagwat called for breaking barriers of caste, region and language and focusing on strengthening the family, which is the base of any society. "A strong society is a must to make a nation prosper and ensure world peace," said Bhagwat, praising the organiser for giving priority to the interest of society instead of focusing on the pleasure and celebration of their own and their family by organising this mass wedding. Bhagwat also talked about the philosophy of family and said a roof above four walls to house a woman as a wife and have children never solves the purpose of making a family. "A family is formed by familiarity, which in turn grows when a girl goes from one family to another and embraces the values and culture there. There is a need to focus on values and culture to turn families into bricks for the foundation of such a strong society, where everyone takes care of the needy and carries forward this tradition." Before the arrival of Bhagwat, wedding processions were taken out at 4pm from Sankuldhara Pond and they culminated at the same venue after going up to Dwarkadhish Temple amidst beats of dhol, bands, DJ and fireworks. As many as 125 grooms from upper, backward and Dalit classes boarded chariots and horses and were welcomed by dignitaries from various sections of society playing the role of guardians. The latter performed the rituals of washing feet of the bridegrooms. On reaching Sankuldhara, the grooms occupied their allotted place for completion of rituals. The Karmkandi (ritualists), who were from different castes too, started chanting mantras with the arrival of the grooms. It was followed by completing rituals performed before the Sankalpa of Kanyadaan by Sangh's Kshetra Karyawah Virendra Jaiswal, one of the capable Sangh functionaries who avoided holding a reception party after his son's marriage and decided to host this mass wedding for 125 girls from poor families, inspired by the RSS Chief. Around 6.15pm, Bhagwat reached the platform where the chief ritualist was performing the rituals and supervising the entire event. One bride, Renu, from a tribal family of Sonbhadra and her groom, Akash, were present there to represent 125 couples. Amid the chanting of mantras, Bhagwat performed the rituals of Sankalp of Kanyadaan of Renu and later washed the feet of Akash.
