Deaf-mute Kashmiri woodcarver’s work leaves world speechless

The dull, rhythmic “thuck” of hammer meeting chisel on wood captures the sound of silence at Muhammad Yusuf Muran’s workshop in the quiet neighbourhood of Narwara in downtown Srinagar.  The 57-year-old carves out images hidden in blocks and hunks of dead walnut wood – one chip, one peeling at a time. The pieces of art… Continue reading Deaf-mute Kashmiri woodcarver’s work leaves world speechless

‘Dignity is closely linked to economic condition’

Village Square: Gig workers have been protesting for higher wages. What are your views about the gig economy that is currently operational in India? Subhash Bhatnagar: It is very important to understand what the gig workers are called in India. They are not called workers, instead they are called ‘partners’.  In practice, the company, which… Continue reading ‘Dignity is closely linked to economic condition’

Hard at work – Vignettes from villages

In a village in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, a worker stirs hot sugarcane juice in a shallow vessel so that the jaggery melts in our mouth (Photo by Kausik Paul) A mother carries her baby in her lap while collecting red chillies in Hooghly, West Bengal (Photo by Surit Datta) An old man cuts mortises into… Continue reading Hard at work – Vignettes from villages

Migrants live their Mumbai dream at Sassoon Docks

The smell of the sea and fish offal meets the nose way before the eyes catch sight of the Sassoon Docks.  A flotilla of fishing boats is moored hull-to-hull alongside the wharf at any point in time in the oldest wet dock of Mumbai, much like the packed-like-sardines megapolis of more than 21 million people. … Continue reading Migrants live their Mumbai dream at Sassoon Docks

‘Folk dance is being appreciated more now’

Village Square: Can you take us through your dance journey?  Daksha Sheth: I was born in a business family in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. We had no involvement with music or dance. I lived in a joint family with 20-25 members and nine other children. My exposure to music was a radio and when any music was… Continue reading ‘Folk dance is being appreciated more now’

Have you seen these traditional Indian dances yet?

What’s common between kaksar, gotipua, hojagiri and dollu kunitha? They are all Indian folk dances. And yes, unlike popular dance forms such as bhangra, garba and ghoomar, they have remained obscure among most of us outside those regions.  These dance forms have not been discovered by Bollywood yet, but that certainly doesn’t mean they are… Continue reading Have you seen these traditional Indian dances yet?

Highway to misery for Mizoram villagers

ZR Thahmingliana is a fish farmer in Keifang village, situated about 62 km from Aizawl, the state capital of Mizoram. The 40-year-old spends sleepless nights panicking, when it rains heavily in the hills.  “My fish farm is located in a remote location around 3 km from the main highway and the road is full of… Continue reading Highway to misery for Mizoram villagers

‘Rancho’ of Dewas gives up on engineering dream to become driver

Vishal Choudhary had always seen himself as some kind of a Rancho, the tech-savvy character in the movie 3 Idiots, played by Aamir Khan. From a young age, the boy from Sannod village in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh had a penchant for things mechanical. Machines ignited his mind, so much so that when someone… Continue reading ‘Rancho’ of Dewas gives up on engineering dream to become driver

Kashmir’s youngsters take to mushroom farming

Many young Kashmiris, like Shabir Ahmad Ahanger, were looking for a niche when they decided to go into mushroom farming. It took a little while for the market crowd to embrace this new commodity, but once they did, business mushroomed for the farmers. Growing mushrooms isn’t easy so 20-year-old Shabir, who is studying for his… Continue reading Kashmir’s youngsters take to mushroom farming

India’s population spike holds lessons for gender equality

In a workshop held by Transform Rural India (TRI) on women’s empowerment and strengthening community-based organisations to attain gender equality in Madhya Pradesh, young women cadres shared experiences that highlighted the need for enhanced bodily autonomy and fertility control. Despite an increase in the level of education and slightly improved access to health services, patriarchal… Continue reading India’s population spike holds lessons for gender equality

Vacation for a cause at Navtej Johar’s village homestay

If city life is getting too chaotic for you to handle, head to this quaint little homestay in Punjab’s Chamaru village to reclaim your peace. It was the farmers’ protest of 2020 that took Sangeet Natak Akademi award-winning dancer and yoga expert Navtej Singh Johar to this hamlet located in Patiala district. Chamaru has become… Continue reading Vacation for a cause at Navtej Johar’s village homestay

This Jaipur vet risks his life to save wildlife

Any game hunter would trade his trigger finger to have Dr. Arvind Mathur’s score.  67 leopards, 64 of them males, three Royal Bengal tigers, six elephants and an equal number of crocodiles, two sloth bears, an Indian wolf, 32 hyenas, 17 jackals, and 159 Nilgais, which are among the largest Asian antelopes, weighing as much… Continue reading This Jaipur vet risks his life to save wildlife

Peep into the Eid celebrations of Kashmir’s Gujjar tribe

The celebration in the kothas (mud and wood house), where the Gujjars and Bakerwals reside, is a cherished tradition marked by bustling activity in homes in the days preceding the festival. Houses undergo a thorough cleaning and delectable delicacies are lovingly prepared. Heemal (56) tying a turban on his 13-year-old son Rashid before heading towards… Continue reading Peep into the Eid celebrations of Kashmir’s Gujjar tribe

Deepening pond to deepen farmers’ pockets

Vakhatpar village in Sayla block of Surendranagar in Gujarat has been drought prone for a long time. The district receives a meagre 760-967 mm of rainfall annually. Year after year, this has a detrimental effect on the agricultural livelihood of the farmers in the region. The intervention – Focused Development Programme (FDP) In collaboration with… Continue reading Deepening pond to deepen farmers’ pockets

Music band rings in new dawn for ex-prisoners

Three musicians formed a band. They named it Naya Savera or new dawn. The name could not have been more apt. It definitely was a new beginning for the three. Set free after varying periods of forced confinement in Udaipur Central jail, the trio – Ashish Sharma, Sunil Maida, and Shoeb Khan – are taking… Continue reading Music band rings in new dawn for ex-prisoners

‘Women’s quota in panchayat polls not mere rubber stamp’

Village Square: You have been drawing attention to the issue of sarpanch pati in the panchayati raj institutions (PRI) for a while. Can you tell us what that means? Dolly: The 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution of India promise one-third reservation for women in the seats in gram panchayat and municipal corporation elections.… Continue reading ‘Women’s quota in panchayat polls not mere rubber stamp’

Racing with the tides- Earth Day

Biswajit Sahu, a fisherman in the Sunderbans is creating a museum of artefacts revealing the history of the region. Sahu always has an interest in history but could not complete his education due to financial struggles. After studying 4th standard, He quit school and started working as a daily wage labourer, eventually, taking up fishing… Continue reading Racing with the tides- Earth Day

Digging pits to build lives the Chhattisgarh way

In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his apprehension about the effectiveness of the scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), saying that it forced poor rural people to dig pits to survive. It was perhaps his first-hand response to this act.  This story illustrates how the Centre and the Chhattisgarh state… Continue reading Digging pits to build lives the Chhattisgarh way

Sangli’s grape farmers are ‘raisin’ the bar

What’s common between fruit-and-nut chocolate, Jamaican rum cake and halwa? Yes, it’s the delectable raisin. This sun-dried, sweet, chewy dried fruit in your kitchen may have just come from the vineyards of the hot and arid plains of Sangli district in Maharashtra. Villages in seven taluks – Tasgaon, Miraj, Palus, Kadegaon, Atpadi, Kavathe-Mahankal and Jath… Continue reading Sangli’s grape farmers are ‘raisin’ the bar