While growing up, I had many close friends through school and college who have...
Breaking The Ice With Kalahandi, Odisha
Imagine this…the monsoon season has just said goodbye. You are sitting at the...
Let’s Talk About Sh*t (Part 2 of 2)
It was a cold, foggy Wednesday morning. I was with Jaysingh*, one of our field...
Abhiram: The Unsung Hero Of Agragamee
In 1996, I got a task from my night school teacher. He had asked me to write...
What Happened To Me In September 2022
Exploring my feelings from a very productive month on field.
मधुमेह : ग्रामीण समुदाय में पहचान और इलाज
राजस्थान का दक्षिणी क्षेत्र आदिवासी बाहुल्य क्षेत्र है. यहाँ कई प्रकार की...
A Day At The Community Radio Station
A local resident with a radio set As an India Fellow, I began my journey to...
Maslow, Choices, Learning And A Library Somewhere In The Hinterland
A handful of shared sand represents the handful of choices we have and how...
Living A Precarious Life On The Delta
When I first heard about the Sundarbans I thought to myself ‘Why do people live amidst so much uncertainty?’ In my calculation and world view, the idea of living on islands often struck by cyclones, surrounded by saline water, the fear of attack by a wild animal, and...
Sundarbans: The Mystical Land
India Fellow, as part of the workshops we do all round the year with our fellows, does a travel workshop. As part of this workshop, the fellows visit an ecosystem within India, which is rich in history, culture, geo-politics, ecological uniqueness and hence a...
“महिलाएं आत्म संदेह व विक्टिम ब्लेमिंग से ग्रसित हैं! आखिर क्यों?”
इस सीरीज के पहले आर्टिकल में गहराई से समझने व लिखने के लिए हैरेसमेंट मुद्दे के व्यतिगत चुनाव पर बात हुई है व दूसरे आर्टिकल में कच्छ से कम्यूनिटी की बातें, स्थानीय व राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर डेटा क्या पिक्चर दिखाता है इस पर भी बात की गई है। हैरेसमेंट! न्याय प्रणाली?...
Cockfighting: A Tradition Or Violence Against Animals?
Cockfighting is an ancient spectator sport. There is evidence that cockfighting was a pastime in the Indus Valley civilization. Where two cocks will fight against each other until one of them will die. It started in Tamil Nadu, India. Nowadays the practise is...
हैरसमेंट को आखिर गंभीरता से क्यों नहीं ले पाता है हमारा समाज?
एडिटोरियल नोट: लेख में हमने इव टीज़िंग के स्थान पर हैरसमेंट का प्रयोग किया है। एक संस्था के तौर पर हम ऐसे किसी भी शब्दों का प्रयोग करने से बचते हैं, जो एक महिला को या किसी भी समुदाय को कमज़ोर बताए। इसलिए, जहां-जहां हैरसमेंट लिखा है, उसे इव टीज़िंग ही समझें।...
Do You Know About SETU Abhiyan in Kutch?
At India Fellow, the journey that each of us undertakes comprises a lot of learning but through different mediums and sources. One of the major roles is played by the host organization that contributes immensely to the fellow's experience, learning, and work. I have...
How did the people do their ‘business’ then? (Part 1 of 2)
“What is the most satisfactory and peaceful time in a human’s life?” was the topic of discussion in the courts of King Krishnadevaraya. All of the ministers were giving instances of life and death, while Tenali Raman, a brilliant and witty minister in king’s court was...
A 6KM Long Trek For Water And Why Every Drop Counts
I can never forget Anupama’s (India Fellow alum) line, “Try and understand the pain point of the community.” It has been 11 months now that I am working with Project Koshika in the district of Panna in the Bundelkhand region. And it would be unfair to speak about...
Monsoons In Sukma
Due to the Naxal movement in 2005 (Salwa Judum), Sukma is one of the highly militarized zones in the country. Every 5KM, you find a military base camp. This part of India is also known as 'The Red Corridor'. The conflict between the Indian Army and Naxalites is...
Silicosis: The Occupational Hazard Of Doing God’s Work
The Pindwara district in the state of Rajasthan is known for its mining industry. Every year, almost thousands of men from this region, either migrate to cities or are posted at sites within Pindwara for stone grinding activities. The work usually involves building...
My Small Win With Chai Shots
At MANAVLOK, the organization I am a part of as an India Fellow, the entire team comes together for a weekly meeting every Monday at 10 AM sharp. Members from all the sub-centers, teachers from our social work college, karyakartas from Manavlok’s women's wing...
India’s Garment Industry Versus Social Enterprises
Have you heard of terminologies like fast fashion, labour exploitation, fare wages? When you’ve purchased apparel have you ever thought of the price which goes to the laborer/artist who stitched/put together that piece of apparel? Do you know the average wages a daily...
From The Desk Of A Fellow In Limbo, With Love
The Role Collectivization Plays In Helping Migrants Overcome Difficult Situations
The following incident is about a 29-year-old migrant called Naresh*. He hails from a village near Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. Naresh along with his parents and relatives came to Bhuj post the 2001 earthquake and have now been living here for the past 21 years. As...