By Lipi Mehta: 

2015 was an iconic year for politics, gender and equal representation. It was also momentous because of the way we as a people reacted to both natural disasters and violent acts of terrorism. The human spirit emerged victorious in spite of it all. As our freedom of speech and expression stood threatened, voices defending the same got louder. And while we still need learn and unlearn many a lessons, these 21 moments from 2015 are an attempt to look back at a glance, at the year that was…

1. Nepal faced its biggest disaster till date, with earthquakes in April and May

Earthquakes in Nepal in April and May killed close to 9,000 people and injured thousands. Villages near the epicentre were flattened and thousands were left homeless. Experts suggest that it will take a few years to rebuild Nepal’s economy in the wake of this disaster.

Also see:

This 2 Min. Video Captures The Terrifying Moment When The Earthquake Hit Nepal

The Fault Lines With Us: Why The Next Earthquake Will Be Our Doing

2. Sania Mirza became the first Indian woman to win a double’s grand slam after her Wimbledon victory and Saina Nehwal became the first Indian woman to be World No. 1 in badminton!

3. On her period, Kiran Gandhi ran the London Marathon without a tampon and shattered menstruation taboos!

In India too, there was a nationwide campaign against menstruation taboos, after 20-year-old Nikita Azad’s letter on Youth Ki Awaaz went viral and challenged the age-old stigma of menstruation women not being allowed in temples.

Also read:

‘A Young Bleeding Woman’ Pens An Open Letter To The Keepers Of Sabrimala Temple

Nikita Azad On How Her Letter On Youth Ki Awaaz Started The National Campaign #HappyToBleed

4. Delhi became the most polluted city of the world.

With air pollution in Delhi rising to a threatening level and the Delhi High Court calling the city a ‘Gas Chamber’, a ‘red alert’ is issued by the Delhi government and measures to reduce pollution are being set in place.

Also read:

Delhi’s Odd-Even Number Plate Experiment: Will It Succeed?

32,000 People In Delhi Will Be Dead By 2025, All Because Of This Avoidable Reason

5. #LoveWins: The Supreme Court Of The United States legalises same-sex marriage across all 50 states of America

6. Sundar Pichai became the CEO of Google.

43-year-old Sundar Pichai was Product Chief at Google until he was made CEO this year. He is an IIT Kharagpur graduate and the first Indian to hold the top-most position at Google.

Also read:

Google CEO Sundar Pichai Speaks Up On Intolerance In USA. And There’s A Lesson For India

7. The displacement of Syrian refugees became the worst refugee crisis the world has seen since the Rwandan genocide in 1994

Three-year-old Aylan Kurdi’s body was washed ashore when the boat he and his family were travelling in capsized. Those who stand to lose the most from all this are the Syrian children, for whom home and family have been all but shattered, leave alone their education and future careers.

Also see:

All Of Us Are Responsible For Why 3 Year Old Aylan Kurdi Is No More

[Y]ral: Watch To Understand What The Life Of A Refugee Fleeing His Homeland Looks Like

8. 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested from his school in Texas for building an electronic clock that ‘resembled a bomb’.

Ahmed’s arrest led to worldwide outrage as this was a clear example of racial profiling and Islamophobia leading to the outrageous notion that “all terrorists are Muslim”. Post this, US President Barack Obama condemned the incident and invited Ahmed to the White House.

Also see:

USA’s Most Wanted: Ahmed’s Clock

9. Viola Davis became the first woman of colour to win the Emmy Award for ‘Best Actress In A Drama Series’

Viola Davis gave a stirring speech after her win stating that the biggest thing that separates women of colour from anything else is opportunity. She added, “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”

10. Writer M. M. Kalburgi was murdered, leading to a raging debate on freedom of speech and expression in India.

After Dr Kalburgi was shot dead, many writers, scientists and filmmakers across the country returned their state-conferred awards in protest. A nationwide debate on intolerance arose, with various protests all over the country.

Also read:

The Murder Of Dr. Kalburgi Signals The Death Of Free Speech, Reasoning & Dissent In India

As Over 30 Indian Writers Return Their State Awards, Will Those In Power Please Stand Up?

11. An angry mob attacked and murdered Mohammad Akhlaq, a man in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, after accusing him and his family for eating beef.

Akhlaq’s death caused a huge uproar all over the country. Along with the imposition of a beef ban in some states across the country, this incident started a nationwide debate on religious intolerance and atrocities committed against minorities in India.

Also see:

After Dadri Lynching, Read Farhan Akhtar’s Powerful Letter To The Govt. And People Of India

[Y]Ral: Is The Beef Ban Justified? This Is What The People Have To Say

12. A Youth Ki Awaaz visual started a global conversation on abortion rights.

As part of our #AbortTheStigma campaign, illustrator Maitri Dore made this visual that reached close to 5 million users online and garnered more than 170,000 reactions from people across the world. Various conversations about sexual and reproductive health rights and a woman’s right over her own body started because of this visual and they continue till date.

Also read:

From “We love this!” to “Fetus Fetishists”: What You Felt About Our Illustration on #AbortTheStigma

13. It was a great year for transgender rights in India!

Also read:

What Does India’s First Trans College Principal Think About LGBT+ Rights? A YKA Exclusive

Kolkata’s First Durga Puja By Transgenders Promises To Be Amazing

14. Nitish Kumar became the Chief Minister of Bihar for the third time

In what was considered a historic election, Nitish Kumar won Bihar Elections 2015 and took over his third term as Chief Minister. The elections were important also because it was a defeat for BJP, a significant one considering PM Modi’s landslide victory in the 2014 General Elections.

Also see:

Youth Ki Awaaz’s Coverage Of The Elections: Bihar Elections With Ojha

Video Series: Bihar Ki Baat

15. #ParisAttacks: City faced two terrorist attacks, in January and in November

Also read:

Je Suis Charlie – No One Deserves Death For An Expression

How NOT To Respond To The Paris Attacks

“City Of Love Is Heartbroken Today”: Social Media Reacts To #ParisAttacks

16. Suicide bombings in Lebanon, Beirut, killed over 40 people.

The suicide bombings in Lebanon were the worst terrorist attacks in Beirut since the end of the Lebanese Civil War. They happened on November 12, 2015, a day before the Paris Attacks. There was heavy criticism on the difference between the reactions to both the attacks with the media and governments being questioned about whether the lives of citizens in first-world countries matter more than others.

Also read:

If You’re Outraged About Paris Attacks But Clueless About Beirut Then Read This

17. Awaaz Network projected an image of PM Narendra Modi alongside the Nazi Swastika on the Palace of Westminster, to protest against his UK visit.

Also see:

Awaaz Network Explains Why They Used The Nazi Swastika To Protest Against PM Modi

14 Photos That Show The Other Side Of Modi’s UK Welcome That The Media Didn’t Show You

18. Chennai faced the worst floods in a 100 years.

In November and December, the city of Chennai battled with the worst floods in almost a century with close to a 100 lives being lost. However, human spirit defeated this calamity as organisations and relief initiatives were set up in real time to prove help and people across the country contributed to these efforts in numerous ways.

Also see:

14 Photos That Show How Chennai Rains Haven’t Dampened The People’s Spirit

An IAF Helicopter’s Amazing Rescue Of A Pregnant Woman During The Chennai Flood

19. Members from India’s LGBT+ community came together in Delhi to celebrate pride and raise their voice against Section 377.

The 2015 Delhi Queer Pride March was proof of how discriminatory laws can’t dent LGBT pride in India. With the Indian Parliament recently rejecting MP Shashi Tharoor’s bill to scrap Section 377, this is a crucial time for the fight for equality to continue.

Also see:

14 Beautiful Photos That Show How Discriminatory Laws Can’t Dent LGBT+ Pride

‘Officially A Homophobic Country’ Cries Twitter After Parliament Rejects Bill To Scrap 377

20. Canada PM Justin Trudeau created history by welcoming Syrian refugees as Canadian citizens

“Tonight, they step off this plane as refugees, but they walk out of this terminal as permanent residents of Canada,” Trudeau said. The Prime Minister also made news for his Cabinet, which is the most diverse in history. When asked why he chose the ministers who he did, he said, “Because it’s 2015!”

Also see:

That Moment When Justin Trudeau Created History By Welcoming Syrian Refugees To Canada…

21. A fiasco took place at the Miss Universe pageant 2015 when Miss Columbia was announced as the winner instead of Miss Philippines.