DARAKSHAN: Issue No. 01, [November, 2026]

Where Human Stories Meet Social Transformation

Publication Details

Issue No.: 01
Date: [November, 2026]
Publisher: Middle East Outlook
Editor: Premanand Mishra
Compiled & Designed by: Ameena Alvi, Nishat Anjum & Adnan Khan
File Format: PDF

About This Issue

The first issue of Darakshan: Redefining Transformation brings together contributions that examine the human dimensions of social change. It engages with questions of identity, displacement, gender, discrimination, cultural memory, inequality and human dignity, drawing attention to experiences that often remain outside mainstream public discourse.

Through research-based articles, personal narratives and critical reflections, this edition explores how social structures and institutional practices shape everyday lives. Its contributions examine the challenges faced by marginalised communities, the persistence of social inequalities and the possibilities for change through awareness, dialogue and collective action.

At its core, this issue advances a simple proposition: understanding transformation requires listening to the people whose lives are shaped by it.

Editor’s Note

Darakshan begins with a commitment to bringing human experiences into conversations about society, conflict and transformation. Public debates on social change often focus on institutions, policies and political developments. These perspectives are important, yet they can leave the everyday experiences of individuals and communities insufficiently examined.

This publication seeks to address that gap. It provides space for stories and perspectives that question established assumptions, examine structures of exclusion and bring attention to the experiences of people whose voices are frequently overlooked.

Our understanding of transformation extends beyond formal institutional change. It includes the everyday struggles for dignity, recognition, equality and belonging. It also involves the willingness to reconsider inherited attitudes, challenge discriminatory practices and recognise the humanity of those whose experiences differ from our own.

The first issue brings together these concerns through a range of subjects and perspectives. We hope it will encourage readers to look beyond familiar narratives, engage with difficult questions and reflect on the possibilities of a more inclusive society.

We welcome readers, researchers, writers and practitioners to join this conversation.

Inside This Issue

The inaugural issue of Darakshan is organised around five thematic sections, each exploring a distinct dimension of human experience, social inequality and the search for dignity and belonging.

1. Dareeche (دریچیں)

Health, Sanitation and the Politics of Dignity

Health and Sanitation: A Sociological Perspective
Importance of Hygiene
The Scavenger’s Song
An Overview
The Broom
Recollection
Epilogue

2. Rangzen (རང་ཟེ ན།)

Tibet, Displacement and the Search for Home

The Voice of Tibet
Search for Home
Refugee
How Do the Tibetans Feel?
The Restless Heart
The Story of the Unseen
The Second Home
Hope

3. Bandishein

Dowry, Gender and the Struggle for Social Justice

Confronting Dowry in Metropolitan India
Aurat
Policy Gaps and Recommendations
The Way to Transformation
Last Word from the Other Half

4. Buu

Food, Identity and the Politics of Social Acceptance

Politics of Food and Smell
Hierarchy of Meat
The Sense of Smell
Where Does the Onus Lie?
Acceptance

5. Muhajir

Rohingya Displacement, Exile and the Question of Belonging

Rohingyas in Exile
A Country with No Home
The Reluctance
Way Forward
The Last Key