The Hidden Empowerment

The Hidden Empowerment

The story of a few woman from the village of Madar who are changing the narrative for the next generation.

Life Of The Bheel Community

Life Of The Bheel Community

Every village has thousands of stories to tell, each having different dimensions and textures. What we might find common in the seven lakh villages of India might be the issues of poverty, unemployment, inequality in terms of caste, class, occupation and so on. The...

Walking For Water

Walking For Water

Sitting at the outskirts of Udaipur, Katara doesn’t seem like a typical Bollywood village. While walking in the village, we come across a retired professor who, during our intensely long conversation informs us amongst many things, that he doesn’t earn now and the...

Of Central Importance

Of Central Importance

India follows a Quasi Federal system. We restrict the powers of Central government to extend laws to States without the approval of the State's representatives. The assumption is that each State knows best for itself. This process transfers some important powers to...

ASHA Ki Kiran

ASHA Ki Kiran

I with my three co-fellows, went to Katara, a village in Udaipur. It was a beautiful Monday morning on February 18th. The weather was cloudy and windy, as we started to walk, after getting down at the Paldi Bus stop. On entering the village, we divided ourselves into...

O Rangrez…To The Grassroots!

O Rangrez…To The Grassroots!

ā€œO Rangrez tere Rang Dariya meinDoobna hai bas tera banke...ā€ The plugged ear phones hummed these lines at their loudest as the four of us entered Malgudi*, a village 15 km to the north-west of Hoshiarpur. Wrapping up the 'India & development' module during the...

My First Village Visit: Realisations

My First Village Visit: Realisations

Government Primary School, Aadarsh Uchcha Vidyalaya, Thoor, Udaipur As I was born and brought up in a city, I was elated and curious to visit a village for the first time and to know how the rural systems function. We, urban people, have certain perceptions about a...

Through The Lens Of A Human Being

Through The Lens Of A Human Being

Often times, waking up early is a task, more so when you know that you have something exciting to do the next day. But an easy way around it, is to not sleep at all. Perhaps the reason why most of us were letting out wide yawns and cracking knuckles as we moved to the...

The Mountains And The Sky

The Mountains And The Sky

NH- 76, the highway passing through a small village in Udaipur, Rajasthan dividing the road into two parts. It was my first visit to a village during the India fellow induction training. I and my three team members were all from different parts of India and Rajasthan...

Soch Badli…Desh Badal Raha Hai!

Soch Badli…Desh Badal Raha Hai!

A visit to Supu*, a small village on the outskirts of Udaipur, Rajasthan, changed my mind on how I used to perceive an Indian village. My father belongs to a remote area in West Bengal, and I have been visiting my native place at least once a year since I was a kid. I...

Padhaaro Mhaare Des!

Padhaaro Mhaare Des!

As a crucial part of my India fellow training, we were set to go to the villages in Udaipur district of Rajasthan. India fellowship, being a socialĀ  leadership program believes in the philosophy of preparing young people as change agents for tomorrow. Since a large...

Conundrums: Of That City Girl

Conundrums: Of That City Girl

Towards the northern part of Udaipur, lie the oldest plateau range of India, the Aravalli. Today, I with my group of four, were traveling from Udaipur city to a nearby village for a field trip. During the commute, I ended up sitting on the top of a bus carriage...

Taking A Leap Of Faith

Taking A Leap Of Faith

"Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith."- Margaret Shepard Last month, we were at the Induction training of India Fellow and during the 20 days, five days were dedicated to Rural Immersion. A day before this module started, Anupama, the...

When The Incomplete Becomes Complete

When The Incomplete Becomes Complete

The kaccha roads connecting villages to the block, no tap water, a quack who is in high demand, mud houses, people huddling in groups of 3 or 4 to  enjoy hookahs and agriculture as the sole support pillar were some of the impressions in my mind as I headed...