We were in Sillet, an isolated village that has no electricity, no telecom...
Sorry Harry, But It’s Time We Talk About The Potters Of Khavda
In the Harry Potter universe, magic is the heart and soul of the wizarding...
On Gender And Local Governance
As someone who chose to immerse herself into a fellowship program, straight...
What Motivates Us?
Not everyone decides to work with organisations that attend to particularly...
“Jo Mila Wo Kha Lega Hum”
There is only one SBI branch in Kashipur, and just to get into it, one needs...
Why Mansukhbhai Is “Not Okay” With Being Bela’s Last Hand Block Printer
Mansukh Pitambar Khatri looks painfully scrawny and impossibly gnarled, as he...
Empowering The Hinterlands During A Worldwide Pandemic
As a part of my field visits to various Panchayats around Kutch, I got to...
How The Khatris Are Bringing Josh To Rogan
Mohmad Hanif Arab Khatri comfortably seats himself on the floor. Stretched out...
A Sweet And Sour Encounter
It was a hot and humid day, in a Rajasthani Village I visited a few months ago, my first time in this part of the country. Rainy season was beginning and the petrichor reminding me of the full-blown monsoon I had left back home in Mumbai. I was accompanied by two...
How Santhal Tribe Celebrates: A Video Blog
Purulia has been a drought-prone district of West Bengal, India, with a semi-arid landscape. It has a rich cultural heritage, with a fusion of Bengali tradition and a touch of the tribal essence in it. People here celebrate a variety of local festivals with lots of...
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...
The Complex Dynamics Of Morality In Kalahandi, Odisha
During my stay in the United Kingdom, I volunteered at a not-for-profit organization which worked for advocacy of human rights. As a case-worker, I had developed empathy for people’s problems and started to believe in the romantic ideology that people are devoid of...
Cohabitation as a Way of Convenient Lifestyle
There were fewer students in my school that day and I was talking to some of the boys from 10th grade. It is located in the village of Jhed, Rajasthan. They were curious about my age and lifestyle. The conversation led to their understanding of relationships, gender...
Everyday Life At Porta Cabins Of Sukma
What are Porta Cabins? An innovative educational initiative began in Chhattisgarh, to build schools with temporary material like bamboo and plywood. These were residential schools that were started to ensure continued primary and middle level education in left wing...
पुरुलिया, पश्चिम बंगाल में सोहराय त्यौहार – एक चित्र कथा
जैसा की मैंने अपने पिछले ब्लॉग में बताया था की मैं इंडिया फ़ेलो द्वारा पुरुलिया में एक सामुदायिक रेडियो स्टेशन नित्यानंद जनवाणी 91.2 FM में नियुक्त किया गया हूँ| मेरे आगमन के समय पुरुलिया हरी-भरी नयी फसलों से लहलहा रहा था जोकि अब पांच महीने बाद सुनहरी घनी फसलों में...
Vegetable Cultivation by Katkari Tribe in Rural Maharashtra
Ratna Tai* walked ahead, leading a coterie of her fellow villagers to the farming lands where they planned to grow Kareli (Bitter gourd). She walked briskly while we struggled to catch up with her pace, jumping over thickets and bushes, ducking wild branches and...
Bail Pola: A Way of Celebrating Human-Animal Relationship
Nature is considered a reflection of truth in the holy book of Quran. Hindu scriptures also emphasize on divinity contained in the elements of nature - Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space. Religious books, the predominant source of values in any culture, recognize the...
Healthcare – A Privilege for HER?
Tribal women of Udaipur District, Rajasthan How do you react when a father-in-law says about his Bahu (daughter-in-law), “Aap mujhe isko bade asptaal le jane kyun bol rahe ho? Yeh mar gayi toh mai isko jala dunga, woh meri zimmedari hai.” (Why are you asking me to...
An Introduction To Katkari Tribes Of Maharashtra
Katkaris working at brick kilns As part of my assignment I’ve been working for scoping and initiating new livelihoods for the Katkari tribal community in Raigad under the aegis of my organization - Centre For Social Action, Mumbai. I joined CSA in August this year and...
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...