This issue – Morality is Freedom – is being released at a time when there is a burning discussion across the country about sexual assault, misogyny, harassment and gendered violence in the wake of the RG Kar rape and murder case. India struggles with high rape cases, low reporting, and low conviction rates. Additionally, due to the social stratification and inequity that characterises Indian society, sexual violence against marginalised women – Dalits, Adivasis, minorities, especially Muslims, and persons with disabilities often goes under-reported by mainstream media. Horrifying cases from Bihar, like the rape and murder of a 14 year old Dalit girl, the rape and murder of a Muslim nurse in Uttarakhand, and the sexual assault of two four-year old girls in Thane also shock the conscience, but have received relatively less attention. The numbers we see every year in the National Crime Records Bureau and National Family Health Survey data on various forms of violence against women both inside and outside their homes is only the tip of the iceberg because it is only a record of what is reported. Many cases are suppressed or go unrecorded, deliberately or otherwise.

Additionally, with the release (albeit redacted) of the long-delayed Hema Committee report, the conversation around the safety of women in the workplace and the reality of rampant harassment and sexism has found new life. The Committee, headed by former Kerala High Court judge K Hema, was constituted in the fallout of a high-profile sexual assault case in 2017 and submitted its findings in 2019. The report detailed rampant sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry, the influence of power groups, pay disparity, and alarming working conditions for junior artists.

This special issue seeks to ask the tough questions and expose the rot in society regarding the question of morals and values. Going beyond sporadic and intermittent reactions to incidents of spectacular violence, we must ask ourselves whether morals govern our families, personal relationships, workspaces, organisations and mindsets, and if so, what kind of universal morals will answer the rampant degradation of our society. As a women’s magazine, what positive role models are available for young men and women growing up buffeted by competing ideologies, complex new situations, and highly commercialised media that refuse to ask the necessary questions to the ruling powers? We must highlight the contributions of the brave women who worked day and night in Wayanad who put their lives on the line to rescue and bring relief to the survivors of the disaster; of the steadfastness of women like Amal Haniyeh, the wife of Ismail Haniyah who bid farewell to her family members with dignity and endurance, and the unknown, unnamed crores of working-class women in this country whose safety, security or freedom is rarely a topic of discussion or protest. This issue seeks to expand the conversation around morality beyond an empty buzz-word and towards a concrete vision for the future generations.