Dear Reader, You probably don’t know me. But if there was one thing I’d like...
The Story Of Thoriyari Village Pond
Thoriyari village pond is a place to visit, a great learning resource to...
Fakirani Jats Of Kutch, Gujarat
Since I started working in the corporate IT industry, I've always been away...
Salma’s Home In The Forests Of Uttarakhand
This is an attempt to understand the world of a forest dweller who is trying...
Pulling The Maheshwari Threads Together
As I walk through the narrow lanes of Maheshwar, a symphony of sounds fills...
Who Are The Baigas?
My India Fellow journey got more purposeful when I reached Chhattisgarh after...
Water: From Scarcity To Abundance
"Come, come, sit under the tree. Yes, it's scorching hot anyways. Shall I make...
Rural Banks And The Blame Game
"The worst service I've ever got..." Those were my words as an unsatisfied...
About This Summer in Jalna
The Indian summer is great. It is that time of the year when we feel a stronger connection with the Himalayas. Not so much about soul-searching but to stay clear of the incomprehensible heat. I’ll gladly take a cold-storage mango in Winter, thank you! But another...
Friday Phenomenon In Schools : Eggs & Bananas
I believe that every problem in the universe has a cause and one or more solution(s). Before getting on to the Friday phenomenon as mentioned in the headline, I'd like to talk about the mid-day meal (MDM) program in schools. Interestingly, the history of Pondicherry...
From Durga to ‘Hudur Durga’: The Other Side Of The Story
Durga puja – the name is more than sufficient to bring joy and thrill among Bengalis. Durga Puja is not only a festival in West Bengal but it is an integral part of life for the people living here. You can sense the enthusiasm, the charisma in the air and people...
The Nights Were Dark And Full of Terror – Odisha And Education
After spending month in Kalahandi, experiencing almost all sorts of adventure, I ask myself, “Could there be anything left to see?” I have seen death as well as new life coming into this world in front of my eyes. One week I was supposed to visit a village on the...
Mass Hysteria And Opinions – Story Of Kanpur Dehat
I am writing to tell you about an incident that shook me due to the incredulous nature of the story that got fabricated around it which still confounds me as to why that girl died. A number of conjectures it generated in order to piece together the character and the...
The Story Of The Black Angrez Of Rajasthan
I am sure all of you, after reading the title of this post are thinking: - Who are Black Angrez? Who can be the Black Angrez? It was just a usual day when I was leaving the school I work in, for a field visit and waiting for the jeep to come. 40 minutes had already...
How Useful Is A Health Insurance Scheme In India?
Travel (home to block hospital) - Rs 200Medicine - Rs 300Travel (block hospital to private clinic) - Rs 100Medical expenses (doctor fees, caesarean delivery charges, medicines) - Rs 22,000Travel (private clinic to home) - Rs 200Total Expenditure (in 3 days) - Rs...
KHAAN : The Evolution Of A Dead Mine
A few months back I worked on a radio series called Khanabadoshon Ki Duniya (The world of migrants). It focused on breaking the narrative of internal migrants as a threat to development as portrayed by various media. The themes touched upon areas like the...
The Privilege Called Information : Of Hierarchy, Distance and Language
My world view of West Bengal was very limited. West Bengal was just Kolkota. There was no knowledge about the state beyond Durga Puja, fish curry and Tagore. It was my first time in Badwan, a block in the district of Purulia in West Bengal. The place contained 134...
Humans Of Demonetization : A Digital Campaign
To read the whole story click here Just a few minutes before the official announcement, different corners of this nation had different things to worry about: the capital region wouldn’t stop ranting about the smog, people down-south were worried about a chief minister...
Voices Behind Statistics : The Faces Of The City
I had evidently become curious about every passing human – co-passengers in the metro, rickshaw pullers in the neighbourhood, friends, co workers and the like. No one in my vicinity seemed to belong here. They seemed to have travelled from faraway places in the...
Boating In A Cricket Ground
The title may sound a little weird but this is talk of the town in Mhaswad for the last month. When the fellowship journey started, field visits were usual and I had chance to visit nearby places and get familiarized with the surroundings. The town is gifted (not sure...
Deconstructing Dating Amidst A Deity
It’s been a month since I’ve started working in the rural areas of Bihar and my new buddies here are very eager to set me up on a date with their friends. “Dishooja Ji, meri ek dost hai. Baayis saal ki ho gayi hai, aur shadi ki umr bhi hai. Dilli ke bank mein naukri...
Camel Tales
The camel was dead, apparently it slipped off a narrow muddy path and went sliding down into a large ditch. As the rains pounded Surajgarh, the ditch got filled with water and the camel unable to drag itself out, drowned in this ditch. Dalu Gameti had allowed...