A man delicately holds his cup of chai in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on a cold, foggy morning. The environment-friendly kulhad (earthen cup) leaves a mellow earthy smell, accentuating the chai’s taste. India consumed approximately a whooping 1.2 billion kg of tea in 2022. Tea gets heated in a familiar aluminium kettle at a tapri in… Continue reading Cup full of joy — tea time in India
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What do Kadaknath chicken & betel nut have in common?
Khukumani Mallick resides in Mallabari village in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, around 25 kilometres from Siliguri, the gateway to north Bengal. Her house is barely one kilometre away from the neighbouring country of Nepal. The 50-year-old says that livelihood opportunities are limited in the border areas but still, she thanks the tall areca nuts… Continue reading What do Kadaknath chicken & betel nut have in common?
The critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB)
As more and more windmills and solar energy panels dot the desert landscape, the critically endangered great Indian bustard faces yet another major challenge to its survival. They often collide with the high-tension wires, which causes their death. The GIB population has now declined to about 100. “As much as 80 percent of the total… Continue reading The critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB)
‘All large animals are facing increasing human pressure’
Village Square: How do species become endangered? Sumit Dookia: Every species has its distribution at the landscape level, irrespective of any political (state or national) boundary, where it is found as a contiguous population. Such populations are affected globally due to various reasons, which could be manmade or natural like floods, earthquakes, etc. Scientists studying… Continue reading ‘All large animals are facing increasing human pressure’
Elephants to buffaloes – species you didn’t think are endangered
Talk about animal conservation in India and tigers come first to mind. However while the Bengal tiger is certainly in need of legal and social protection, there are many other commonly-talked about creatures that are in need of public attention. Here are some of the species on India’s Red List that we need to talk… Continue reading Elephants to buffaloes – species you didn’t think are endangered
The last water-run flour mills of Kashmir
In Kashmir, before the advent of modern technology, traditional water flour mills were present in every place. However, except for a few mills in rural villages, these centuries-old traditional wheat, corn and maize grinding machines vanished from the valley. As these flour mills run on running water, they are built at places where there are… Continue reading The last water-run flour mills of Kashmir
Kashmir’s farmers switch from growing apples to exotic greens
A Kashmiri proverb talks about all days being not equal: “Preth doh chu na hui asaan”. Farmer Farooq Ahmad Ganaie of Tahab village in Pulwama district of south Kashmir knows it all too well. The 50-year-old vividly remembers how he chucked gunny sacks filled with home-grown exotic greens in the fast-flowing Jhelum river out of… Continue reading Kashmir’s farmers switch from growing apples to exotic greens
Banni Maldharis battle to rear cattle in Kachchh
The Banni grassland of Kachchh in Gujarat spreads over 2,500 sq km, across 55 villages under 19 village panchayats. This transitional land between the rocky mainland and Greater Rann of Kachchh is flat and inherently saline. The high variability in annual rainfall and other geo-physical characteristics determine the ecology of the region which in turn… Continue reading Banni Maldharis battle to rear cattle in Kachchh
Dhinki delight in Odisha: Bringing back hand-pounded ragi
Saraswati Naik of Asuki village in Kendujhar district of Odisha talks about how she began growing ragi to include the millets in her sick husband’s diet and why she advocates using the traditional wooden dhinki to pound ragi manually – in her own words. In 2016 my husband was working as a driver in Andhra… Continue reading Dhinki delight in Odisha: Bringing back hand-pounded ragi
Mizoram’s Chite Lui River is crying for help
Samir Gachi makes a living by washing vehicles at Chite Veng village on the outskirts of Aizawl in Mizoram. The 32-year-old who hails from Nepal earns around Rs 800 every day by washing 15 vehicles. His garage is located close to Chite Lui River and he uses the water from the river to wash the… Continue reading Mizoram’s Chite Lui River is crying for help
The last of Kashmir’s flour water mills
Abdul Kareem Khari, 65, runs a traditional flour mill in his village Danipora in South Kashmir that was started by his father decades ago. He says he will be the last one in his family to operate the mill, as the next generation is not willing to take up this profession. The traditional water flour… Continue reading The last of Kashmir’s flour water mills
Bengal’s dwindling Dhimal community battles odds
Sukurchand Mallick works as a labourer in an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya. The 32-year-old risks his life by going as deep as 700 feet below the ground to extract coal from the mine. There is no guarantee of any compensation in case of a mishap. Mallick suffers from a skin disease due to the… Continue reading Bengal’s dwindling Dhimal community battles odds
This comforting stew elevates diversity of Northeast cooking
As the cold morning air nips at Ramthianghlimi’s nose, she knows there’s no better time to crank up the temperature in her kitchen with a tasty, hearty stew. And the 45-year-old homemaker in Aizawl city of Mizoram fixes a “bai” almost every day for her husband, a college professor. “The day never starts without bai.… Continue reading This comforting stew elevates diversity of Northeast cooking
‘Urban’ LGBTQIA+ versus queerness in rural India
Ayush Kadsholi from a village in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh avoids public urinals because of the relentless bullying they faced as a child. Gurleen from rural Punjab remembers an uncle’s angry abuse for being “unfeminine” when she got her hair cut to a short crew – as most schoolboys do. She identifies herself… Continue reading ‘Urban’ LGBTQIA+ versus queerness in rural India
‘India accounts for 9% of global maternal mortality’
Village Square: It is said that 90 percent of maternal deaths in India are avoidable. How can we achieve this? ARMMAN: An informed and empowered woman will adopt better health behaviours, understand danger signs and seek timely care. She will proactively take decisions to improve her health and nutrition and that of her child. Adequately… Continue reading ‘India accounts for 9% of global maternal mortality’
Overcoming poverty and abuse to be MP civil servant
Married at an early age, Savita Pradhan Gaur survived an abusive marriage and financial struggles before her determination and hard work paid off. She is currently the state’s first woman joint director in the urban administration department and also runs a YouTube channel called ‘Himmat wali Ladkiyan’ (Brave Girls). Pradhan narrates her story – in… Continue reading Overcoming poverty and abuse to be MP civil servant
Words of wisdom from rural mothers
Four grandmothers — Ganga Devi from Nathuakhan village in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, Kamla Rawat from village Shukrawasa, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, and Rati Murmu and Kashi Murmu from Chudanga village, Khordha, Odisha — recall how they brought up their children decades ago, and the differences in parenting that have seeped in through generations. This Mother’s… Continue reading Words of wisdom from rural mothers
Live like a tribal at these Bastar homestays
The tribal hinterland of Bastar in Chhattisgarh conjures up two images. The first is a conspicuous stereotype that has shaped public perception – a grim-faced identikit composed by the region’s long-drawn insurgency. But the news often misses smiley faces that greet intrepid tourists venturing into Bastar’s hidden belly, a breathtakingly beautiful landscape of primordial forests,… Continue reading Live like a tribal at these Bastar homestays
Development Communications Internship
Be the storyteller you want to be and change the society For those young people who are interested and invested in changing the world, Village Square can provide internships with India’s leading organizations. They will be able to explore the core competencies of strategic communication in the development sector under the mentorship of other leading… Continue reading Development Communications Internship
Mobile apps aim to take venom out of snake bites
All was very quiet at the home of Nitin Kumbhar when his mobile phone rang close to midnight, shattering the stillness that had settled around his village in Kolhapur of Maharashtra. The caller was almost shrieking. “Saanp ghus gaya hai ghar mein,” (a snake has entered our house), the panic-stricken person at the other end… Continue reading Mobile apps aim to take venom out of snake bites