Online sorority

The diary is dead. Indian women with a view are finding their voice in blogosphere. Eve-teasing to newborn babies, heartbreaks to phobias, everything is fair game...

Hi everyone, today is Tom Cruise8217;s 45th birthday. He8217;s been in the news a lot. I ran his Birthday Report to see what8217;s in store for him for the year ahead!
Don8217;t you ever get tired of the sheer effort of wearing a sari? I feel like it8217;s not the 5 minutes it takes to put on something a little dressier, it8217;s the 2 hours it took me on Sunday to find a bra that fits8230;
The wedding bells are making me turn blue. They say a marriage will open many doors and shut a few. The big day is round the corner and I cannot believe I have just 3 more days to be the carefree, indulgent, single girl!!!

Once upon a time there was the Dear Diary. Now it8217;s the blog. Once it was strictly private. Now it8217;s all about sharing and soliciting responses. From Manhattan to Mumbai, Canada to Chandigarh, everyday emotions, routines, triumphs, troubles, advice and recipes are being posted on the Net. The community has transcended all borders of caste, creed and culture. It8217;s the online sisterhood.

From eve teasing to blind dates, a newborn baby to mid-life crisis, heartbreaks to vehicle breakdowns8212;it8217;s all there on the blogs. No wonder that a recent global online survey concluded that worldwide women blog more than men. Persus Development Corporation found that 56 per cent of bloggers it polled were women. Only 44 per cent were men. While that may not be true of India, where it8217;s still believed that women lag behind men as bloggers, the number is growing.

8220;I blog daily and love it,8217;8217; says 27-year-old Sakshi Juneja, who started only to counter a blogger who had run down her favourite star Salman Khan. Before she knew it, she was hooked too. 8220;What gives me a high is the interaction with users from all over the world. It8217;s great fun to have people responding to your writing8212;even if it8217;s hate mail you invariably get from men when you write on contentious women8217;s issues. But then there are as many people appreciating your point of view,8221; says Juneja. The vivacious Mumbai-based marketing executive also dispels the notion that a blog is another version of the lonely-hearts club. 8220;I have made lots of friends through my blog but that8217;s because I am that kind.8217;8217;

For Melody, a freelance writer in Mumbai, her blog, Voices in my Head, was a logical extension of what she had been doing since the age of seven8212;writing a daily diary. 8220;Only this is more fun because it8217;s interactive,8217;8217; says the 28-year-old who says that the biggest plus is that many online friends are now friends offline too. In fact, she and Juneja have been organising a regular Mumbai8217;s Bloggers Meet for a year now. 8220;We8217;ve already had four meets,8217;8217; says Melody. And how does it feel putting your life on public display? 8220;You need to get only as personal as you want to,8217;8217; says Meghna Bhat, a senior copywriter with Wizcraft.

However, stalkers are a big worry for women bloggers. 8220;Many women do not use their real names,8221; says Juneja, who had a tough time shaking off a stalker from Hyderabad who had even started to post her pictures on his blog. Recently Melody also gave a presentation at the All India Bloggers Meet in Pune on how to handle stalkers.

Is this why men outnumber women in India on blogosphere? 8220;Women are holding themselves back. I know women who are very expressive. But they don8217;t want to attract unwanted attention,8221; says blogger Kiruba Shankar. 8220;Women are better at expressing their feelings.nbsp;They convey subtle things better.8221; Which is perhaps why more men than women read their blogs. It8217;s not voyeurism either.

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So be it a release, a way to de-stress, a way to solicit a view or simply to connect with like-minded people, blogging sure seems to be giving the Indian woman the space that tradition may have denied. Make that blogspace.

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More