The year that was: Read the best long-form stories we told in 2021

While loss and despondency mingled with healing and hopefulness over the last 12 months the Midday Online features desk kept a finger on the pulse of Mumbai Our culture coverage examined the shifts in sentiment the change of seasons the schisms in polity and the human urge to understand and create through it allSpanning communities representation and lifestyle these were 15 of the best stories we told in 2021Revival looms for the lsquolugrarsquo How two Mumbaikars are saving an East Indian sari from obscurityCitybased tour guide Mogan Rodrigues and textile heritage expert Savita Suri have teamed up to recreate a vintage East Indian sari called the lsquolugrarsquo which has been disappearing from wardrobes and memories in the last 50 years Their effort could sow the seeds for wider textile revival in Maharashtrahttpswwwmiddaycomlifestyleculturearticlerevivalloomsforthelugrahowtwomumbaikarsaresavinganeastindiansarifromobscurity23172852Eco Anxiety Not just the young climate change is making everyone restlessThere is no escaping climate change and its catastrophes Mumbaikars have been navigating coping and fighting in the face of eco anxiety annually flooding houses existential dread and alarmist headlines These are their hopes and concernshttpswwwmiddaycomlifestylenatureandwildlifearticleecoanxietynotjusttheyoungclimatechangeismakingeveryonerestless23188229Seasonal Seafood How Mumbairsquos Kolis relish dried fish on rainy daysThe cityrsquos fisherfolk adapt their cuisine when the monsoon makes seas too rough to navigate The communityrsquos seasonal delicacies mainly feature fish that were sundried and stored in the summer and some of the tiny catch available closer to shorehttpswwwmiddaycomlifestylefoodarticleseasonalseafoodhowmumbaiskolisrelishdriedfishonrainydays23181458UAPA has become an instrument to jail dissenters for years without any trial Fr Stanrsquos lawyerThe custodial death of Father Stan Swamy brought attention to the problems of delays in trial and poor prison conditions in India Mihir Desai Swamyrsquos advocate and a human rights lawyer says questioning the establishment is now viewed as sedition and criticism as waging war against the countryhttpswwwmiddaycomlifestyleculturearticleuapahasbecomeaninstrumenttojaildissentersforyearswithoutanytrialfrstanlawyer23183760Cogs in Mumbairsquos Machine A new book spotlights the resourceful yet invisible workers who prop up the citylsquoBombay Brokersrsquo comprises 36 colourful and vibrant profiles of Mumbaikars who help run the city though their work is not formally recognised Its editor and two contributing writers talk about the idea behind the book and what they mean by lsquobrokersrsquohttpswwwmiddaycomlifestyleculturearticlecogsinmumbaismachineanewbookspotlightstheresourcefulyetinvisibleworkerswhopropupthecity23178846Dilip Sahabrsquos Bombay Retracing the legendary actorrsquos footprints in the cityDilip Kumar arrived in Mumbai in the 1930s going on to make a career and life in the bustling metropolis Here are snapshots of the city that shaped him and was shaped by himhttpswwwmiddaycomlifestyleculturearticledilipsahabsbombayretracingthelegendaryactorsfootprintsinthecity23181793Why khadi Gandhis lsquofabric of freedomrsquo could do with more independenceThe Indian fabric popularised by Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom struggle is sold through various channels today but all that is marketed as khadi is not necessarily authentic Ahead of Independence Day experts explain why the true essence of the cloth has diminished and suggest ways to bring it backhttpswwwmiddaycomlifestylefashionarticleindependencedaywhykhadithefabricoffreedomcoulddowithmoreindependence23187554Marching to the ghumats beat Why this fading folk drum deserves more loveThe sound of the ghumat played mainly by East Indians in Mumbai isnrsquot as popular as it once was As its sales dwindle one member from the community has been attempting to revive the percussion instrument through a band while another has been gifting it to people as a mark of his culturehttpswwwmiddaycomlifestyleculturearticlemarchingtotheghumatsbeatwhythisfadingfolkdrumdeservesmorelove23198531Intrsquol Girl Child Day Why it is urgent to bring girls at risk of dropping out back to the classroomMarriage domestic work digital gaps and disrupted income regularly push Indian girls away from formal learning On the occasion of International Girl Child Day and as schools and colleges reopen across the country we look at ongoing efforts to bring girls back in touch with educationhttpswwwmiddaycomlifestyleculturearticleintlgirlchilddaywhyitisurgenttobringgirlsbacktotheclassroom23195907Taking charge How young people are encouraging sexual health conversations among peersBarely 137 of Indian youth have had a parent discuss reproductive processes with them While stigma lack of information and socioeconomic barriers often discourage conversations about sexual needs and reproductive health young people from advocacy programmes are gradually helping adolescents open up about sex pleasure and contraceptionhttpswwwmiddaycomlifestylerelationshipsarticletakingchargehowyoungpeopleareencouragingsexualhealthconversationsamongpeers23197310Why it is urgent to address castebased discrimination in Indian medical institutionsThe rise in the number of suicides of NEET aspirants and medical students from marginalised communities has brought into focus the unaddressed issue of caste in the Indian medical system On World Science Day public health expert Dr Sylvia Karpagam shares nuanced insights on how caste privileges lead to systemic exclusion of SC ST studentshttpswwwmiddaycomlifestyleculturearticleworldsciencedaywhyitisurgenttoaddresscastebaseddiscriminationinindianmedicalinstitutions23199784Repeating onersquos truth Why coming out is a never ending process not a onetime eventAs the US observes National Coming Out Day on October 11 MidDaycom spoke to LGBTQIA individuals in India to understand their diverse experiences and delve into the psychological burden of having to come out over and over againhttpswwwmiddaycomlifestyleculturearticlerepeatingonetruthwhycomingoutisaneverendingprocessnotaonetimeevent23196047Rewriting the dress code Why school uniforms need to be genderneutralA government school in Kerala recently made headlines for introducing gender neutral uniforms MidDaycom delves into the significance and impact of the move as educators parents children and a mental health expert share their viewshttpswwwmiddaycomlifestyleculturearticlerewritingthedresscodewhyschooluniformsneedtobegenderneutral23203128Rave on How techno music evolved during the pandemicThe outdoorsy dancedriven genre of electronic music suffered a blow when the pandemic halted inperson gigs MidDaycom spoke to techno artists enthusiasts and industry folk to understand what changed and how they kept the show goinghttpswwwmiddaycomlifestyleculturearticleraveonhowtechnomusicevolvedduringthepandemic23204490Luxury in naturersquos lap How lsquoglampingrsquo is gradually overtaking traditional campingFrom staycations to camping and glamping in the cityrsquos outskirts Mumbaikars are exploring all possible options for a quick breather in December As travel season reaches its peak we look at why glamping which promises both safety and comfort is becoming popular among vacationershttpswwwmiddaycomlifestyletravelarticleluxuryinnatureslaphowglampingisgraduallyovertakingtraditionalcamping23202758