Surat And Its Migrants

Surat And Its Migrants

Surat is the textile hub of India. It is also the center for diamond cutting and polishing. Most of the businesses conducted here are a part of informal sector and are predominantly owned by Gujaratis. The workforce for the diamond industry primarily comprises of...

Where Collective Strength Lies

Where Collective Strength Lies

Who’d ever want to pay an interest of Rs. 1200 on a loan of merely Rs. 500? A woman from the jungle village of Tirpania in Kharagpur, Bihar did so willingly, at least for a while. Until the concept of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) found its way to rural women in Bihar,...

Waste Pickers’ Tragedy…

Waste Pickers’ Tragedy…

This is Harsh. He helped us in distributing leaflets of medical camp in Sapera basti. Do you know where does your waste go after it leaves your home? How many hands does it change? Most us have limited knowledge about it. Either the Nagar Nigam (Municipal Corporation)...

Life Lessons From A Year Spent In The ‘Other’ India

Life Lessons From A Year Spent In The ‘Other’ India

It has been more than 10 months since I, along with 21 others, set out on a journey to learn about and understand India at the grassroots. In all honesty, this has been one mixed bag of a year. Some expectations I harbored remained unmet while some hopes I never knew...

Maheshwar: A Veiled Jewel Of Royalty

Last 3 months in Chaitanya, my host organisation, have been the most enriching ever. With alternate months spent in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, I have gotten the taste of both the preliminary stages of SHG (self-help group) formation and the functioning of...

Taniya Parveen: A Journey of Hope and Aspirations

Taniya Parveen: A Journey of Hope and Aspirations

"You need to step out to know the world outside" - Taniya From Saradhi, Bangalwa village in Munger district of Bihar, where most girls are forced to stay at home and are valued with respect to their ability to do the household chores; a young girl Taniya Praveen is...

The Minorities Of Mhaswad

The Minorities Of Mhaswad

While the national political discourse takes on more and more of a saffron hue, its polarising effects have spread beyond cities to small towns and rural areas.

Science Of Nuns And Sisterhood

Science Of Nuns And Sisterhood

[Aishwarya's (my co-fellow here) idea and Simran's production] She was trying to get off two tiny ants from her arm. After struggling with one, I thought I might as well help her. To me, it looked like, a better way would be to rub her hand off and make the ant roll...

The Dilemma Of The Connect

The Dilemma Of The Connect

"To have an association with somebody/something else; to realize or show that somebody/something is involved with somebody/something else" - this is the exact definition of the word 'Connect' as I Googled it to understand the formal or official meaning versus how it...

How They Push And Pull To Make The Ends Meet

How They Push And Pull To Make The Ends Meet

I once had the opportunity to travel in the general bogie of a push-pull train connecting the place I’m in (Gudupalli, Chittoor) to the Bengaluru city. It was only 5.30 in the morning and there were more than 200 people in the compartment which had a seating capacity...

From A Lonely Corner In The Island Of Utopia

From A Lonely Corner In The Island Of Utopia

When we fly high in the garb of achieving zenith,A deep sense of empowerment soars through our blood,And adrenaline keeps the excitement intact,Yes, that is indeed the excitement of Utopia.The urge to achieve the unattainable! On a lazy summer afternoon, I lay back...

The Journey Till Now…

The Journey Till Now…

Life itself is a journey and no matter from where you start, it doesn't stop, until of course it does, for the one final time. My recent journey started from my hometown - Jamshedpur in Jharkhand. As I have spent 21 years of my life there, I wanted to explore and...