How do interactions with the men and boys of a city shape our understanding of it? Does their behaviour make us feel safer or otherwise?
Shattering Preconceptions About Rural life
An English speaking farmer, a beautiful dam, cleanliness, women egging to move forward in life – this village visit was nothing like anything the author had imagined.
Fair vs Dark Skinned: A Reverse Bias
An experience of the author that highlights the invisible lines drawn based on appearance, background, and perceived social standing.
“We Don’t Practice Caste In Our Village”
When the practices change, one might have an illusion that the mental model has altered. Far from true. At least in the case of caste.
Why Good Intentions Can Lead To Bad Outcomes
A personal narrative about the dangers of oversimplification or hasty resolution of other people’s problems.
Suresh Ji’s Juice Corner
Ever thought about your everyday people – the dhobi, delivery boy, sweeper or a juice corner vendor and paused to think about their lives?
Micro-migrations To Make Ends Meet
The author hears first hand account of farmers who are struggling to meet ends in south Rajasthan; and what ways are they forced to choose.
The Impacts Of Mainstream Sustainable Solutions
In this article, author explores what happens when local communities are not heard in massive development projects.
Understanding Empowerment Amidst The Buzz
While sitting in my study room and having the luxury of being fascinated by reading people's stories, stories of change, the numerous campaigns, and slogans, one word constantly came up. Empowerment. It became so familiar that I had never actually taken the time to...
Settling In And Attending A Visioning Exercise
Finding A Place To Live Last month brought with it some of the most challenging days I've experienced so far. What aided me in not letting these days get the better of me was perhaps giving my mind the space to reflect and bounce. A simple meal and conversations....
Theatre Of The Oppressed: Rehearsing for Real Life
These are my reflections from five months of practicing Theatre of the Oppressed with adolescent girls and children in Kutch By the end of design school, there was a certain mistrust in what I was doing. No matter how social the ‘problem’ is or how much one...
Her: The Story Of A Beautiful Creation
The role of women in my life has been invaluable and transformative, shaping my perspective on various things, including resilience and determination. My mother, though not formally educated, showed an unwavering commitment to our education, ensuring that all her...
भुज की महिलाएं और कमला बेन की कहानी
भुज भारत के उत्तर-पश्चिम भाग में रहस्य की भूमि कच्छ जिले में स्थित हैं। कच्छ जिले का कुल क्षेत्रफल कुछ भारतीय राज्यों से भी अधिक है। यहाँ कई महत्वपूर्ण शहर और कस्बे हैं और उन में से सबसे महत्वपूर्ण तालुका भुज को माना जाता है। पुराना...
Sickle Cell Anemia And A Day In The Life Of A Counsellor
On 8th August 2023, I accompanied Laxmi Patkar, a counsellor at Jan Swasthya Sahyog (JSS) to many villages in Jaithari block of Anuppur district, Madhya Pradesh. The purpose of the trip was to distribute sickle cell anemia test reports to parents of children who...
Observations And Realities In Schools At Saharsa, Bihar
Bihar is one of the marginalised states in India in terms of education. It has a total literacy rate of 64% and female literacy rate of 53%. Women's education and social development badly needs support. I'm working with Happy Horizons Trust on empowering adolescent...
The Story Of Thoriyari Village Pond
Thoriyari village pond is a place to visit, a great learning resource to understand water structures and its dynamics in the are. Thoriyari is between big Rann and small Rann of Kutch, on the edge closer to the small Rann in Rapar Taluka of Kutch District. It's a dry...
Unplugged Candlelight Days In Rural Uttar Pradesh
Bhadohi district of Uttar Pradesh is known for its hand-knotted carpets. However, I was there for something completely unrelated - to document stories of people practicing multilayer kitchen gardening. It was during the calm of winter earlier this year. Out of...
Guftgoo-E-Mewat
“आओ भाईसाहब बैठो, कुछ ठंडा वंडा पीयो” These were some of the first words that came to my ears as soon as I set foot in Mewat, and they I continued to hear them as long as I was there. At the end of last month, a train from Nagpur brought me to Jaipur. Then I took a...
The Toilet Situation In Public Schools Of Rural Bihar
Introduction Having spent nearly 21 years of my life in urban settings, I've encountered various challenges like crowded streets, population density, subpar living conditions, high living costs, and fierce competition. Among these challenges, the unhygienic state of...
पिछले तीन महीनों में कुछ नए अनुभव
सवाल थे हर कदम पर, क्या तुमने जवाब ढूंढने की कोशिश की?सीख थी हर मोड़ पर, क्या तुमने कुछ सीखने की कोशिश की?दोस्त थे हर रास्ते पर, क्या तुमने हाथ बढ़ाने की कोशिश की? आइए चलते हैं वल्लभपर जो कि गुजरात के कच्छ जिले का एक छोटा सा गांव है। यह नज़दीकी तालुका से कुछ 35 कि.मी...
Adivasis – Stereotypes vs Reality
As a diverse country, we know that people from different religions, cultures, and terrains live here in India. However, we often forget or don't talk about certain parts of this diversity, one of which is tribal communities. When I used to think of tribes or Adivasis,...
Fakirani Jats Of Kutch, Gujarat
Since I started working in the corporate IT industry, I've always been away from my home state, Andhra Pradesh. At the same time, it gave me an opportunity to explore, understand and experience other cultures. When I was working in Pune, most of my friends were from...