Preamble
Veralap is an open forum where people share ideas on business, agriculture, technology, politics, culture, literature and more. We protect free speech: the right to question, disagree and propose bold ideas. We also protect the dignity of every person and community. Freedom of expression here comes with one condition: no speech that attacks people for who they are.
The one rule
Criticising an idea, policy or action is allowed. Attacking a person or group for who they are is not.
What we welcome
- Original articles, essays, poems, stories and shayari
- Personal experience, field lessons and case studies
- Your thought process: the question, the doubts, the reasoning and the conclusion
- Critical analysis of policies, companies, products and ideas, backed by reasoning
- Unpopular or contrarian opinions, argued respectfully
What is not allowed
- Hate speech: content that attacks, demeans or dehumanises people based on religion, caste, race, ethnicity, nationality, region, language, gender, sexual orientation or disability.
- Hurting religious or community sentiments: mocking gods, scriptures, rituals, symbols or traditions of any faith or community.
- Racism and casteism: slurs, stereotypes, or claims that any group is inferior.
- Incitement: calls for violence, boycott of a community, discrimination or social exclusion.
- Harassment and personal attacks: insults, threats, doxxing, or targeting a private individual.
- Misinformation: knowingly false claims, fake data, or edited quotes presented as fact.
- Plagiarism: copying others' work, or passing off AI-generated text as your own without disclosure.
- Obscene or sexual content.
- Illegal content: promotion of illegal activity or content that breaks Indian law.
- Spam and hidden promotion: paid or sponsored content must be clearly labelled.
Where free speech ends
| Allowed (free speech) | Not allowed (hate speech) |
|---|---|
| "This farm policy hurts small farmers; here is the data." | "Farmers from that state are lazy." |
| "I disagree with this company's leadership decisions." | "People of that religion should not run businesses." |
| "This practice needs reform, for these reasons." | Mocking the beliefs or symbols of a community |
| Respectful debate on social or economic issues | Slurs, stereotypes or calls to exclude any group |
When in doubt, the editor decides, and the writer can always ask for an explanation.
Literature: originality first
Poems, stories and shayari must be your own original work. If you share someone else's work, you must name the original author clearly. Posting another person's writing as your own leads to removal.
Images and videos
Use only images you created yourself, or images with a free licence (such as Unsplash or Pexels). Always write the source or credit in the caption. "Found on the internet" does not mean free to use. Videos must be your own, shared through YouTube.
Writer responsibilities
Every writer is verified by the editorial team before their first article is published. Verified writers agree to:
- Write original work and credit every source, data point and image
- Clearly separate facts from personal opinion
- Declare any conflict of interest (own company, sponsor, employer)
- Meet agreed deadlines, or inform the editor early
- Respect fellow writers in all discussions, including the Writers' Room
- Accept edits for clarity, accuracy and guideline compliance
Writing for Veralap is a voluntary contributor role. It does not give any ownership, shares or equity in Veralap.
Editorial review
No article is published without editorial review. The editor checks it against these guidelines, for facts and for quality, then approves it, asks for changes, or rejects it with a reason. Articles in Politics, Geopolitics and Society receive an extra, closer review. The editor never changes a writer's opinion or argument, only how it meets these guidelines.
Comments
The same rules apply to comments. Disagree with the argument, never insult the writer or other members. Comments that break these guidelines are hidden or removed.
Enforcement
| Level | When | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Warning | First minor violation | Content edited or removed; the person is informed |
| 2. Suspension | Repeat violation | Writing or commenting access paused for 30 days |
| 3. Removal | Hate speech, incitement, or third violation | Account blocked; verification revoked permanently |
Hate speech, incitement to violence or deliberate communal content leads to immediate removal, without warning.
Appeals: you can appeal any decision within 7 days by writing to veralap.official@gmail.com. We review and reply within 7 days.
Reporting content
Signed-in members can report any article with the "Report this article" link, or write to veralap.official@gmail.com. Every report is reviewed within 48 hours, and the reporter's identity is kept private.
Amendments
These guidelines may be updated as Veralap grows. Every change is announced to writers and published here with its date. By reading, writing or commenting on Veralap, you agree to follow these guidelines.