The wheels are turning for migrant potters

If there is something (or someone) Dharam Raj wants to be thankful for in his business, it is the devil himself. The 18-year-old potter usually struggles to step out of his comfort zone of creating traditional earthenware, but he has realised that his stock of “Ravan” and piggy banks should not run dry.  “People buy… Continue reading The wheels are turning for migrant potters

Maharashtra village switches off TV and mobiles to ‘detoxify’

At the stroke of seven last Wednesday evening, the searing sound of a shrill siren pierced through the stillness of Mangaon village in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra. The siren was a signal to the villagers to switch off their mobile phones and television sets and most of them complied. The gadgets stayed off till 8.30pm.… Continue reading Maharashtra village switches off TV and mobiles to ‘detoxify’

Saving Kashmir’s crewel from machine-made copies

Gowher Ali Bhat rattles out a list of tips on how to distinguish a machine-made crewel curtain from the real, handcrafted thing. He pulls at an embroidered flower and a tuft of woolen thread comes loose. That on an otherwise authentic-looking curtain is a red flag. “Stitches done by hand with a hook won’t unfasten… Continue reading Saving Kashmir’s crewel from machine-made copies

Bhagoriya festival – Of blooming flowers and blossoming love

The lead image shows two tribal women at the Bhagoriya festival in Madhya Pradesh. (Photo by Yuvraj Singh Chouhan)

 Jhabua, Alirajpur and Nimar are home to the Bhil tribe in Madhya Pradesh. During this time of year, hundreds of migrant workers return home to participate in this festival. Cooked food is first offered to the bull, followed by the nephew of the family. (Photo by Yuvraj Chouhan) Bhagoriya derives its name from a village… Continue reading Bhagoriya festival – Of blooming flowers and blossoming love

How smart farming is helping farmers make cows happy and more productive

India is home to a huge number of cattle and buffaloes. The country has 13% of the world’s cattle population and 57% of the global population of buffaloes.  While most milk production happens in India’s villages, productivity is low because few farmers are using the latest dairy technology. If the Indian dairy industry adopted new… Continue reading How smart farming is helping farmers make cows happy and more productive

The disappearing wild orchids of North Bengal

People go to the Darjeeling hills to relax, sip tea and soak up the scenery. For some visitors, the main show is a spectacle that the forests yield – hundreds of wild orchids in bloom in a rainbow of colours and patterns among the ferns, bushes, tall trees and chirping birds. But for how long? … Continue reading The disappearing wild orchids of North Bengal

Go gypsy this summer with colourful Lambani decor

Chandabai is dressed in a saree that took her a whole year to make for herself. She proudly announces that it costs about Rs 20,000 in the market.  Chandabai belongs to the Lambani nomadic tribe, which is known for the bright, vibrant clothes donned by its women.  “I have been making Lambani clothing since childhood.… Continue reading Go gypsy this summer with colourful Lambani decor

Action needed to stop tribal land alienation in Kerala 

Attappady in the Palakkad district of Kerala is the largest tribal settlement in the state with its own set of development challenges. Land alienation is one of them. Like in the Vattalakki hamlet when tribal groups across Kerala protested the forceful and humiliating arrest of the tribal head of the hamlet and his son in… Continue reading Action needed to stop tribal land alienation in Kerala 

Festival of colour and courage – Hola Mohalla 2023

Hola Mohalla marks the start of spring. Sikhs from across the state of Punjab gather at their holy site – Anandpur Sahib on the foothills of Shivalik Hills for three day of mock battles, horsemanship, display of weapons, poetry competitions and more. The tradition was established by the 10th leader of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh,… Continue reading Festival of colour and courage – Hola Mohalla 2023

Strawberry sweetens deal for Maharashtra farmers

The Kazi family of Mumbai heads off to their favourite getaway every February for a break. That’s the time sweet, delicious strawberries are in season. Enough to double the fun, isn’t it? “We visit Mahabaleshwar with our two daughters when the strawberry harvest is at its peak,” said Zainab Kazi, 41.  “We have been doing… Continue reading Strawberry sweetens deal for Maharashtra farmers

When livelihoods and disaster relief fall through the cracks in Joshimath

Lalu shudders as he recalls the night his house started falling apart.   “It was raining heavily that night. We felt a tremor and suddenly our room just caved in,” said Lalu, 56, a resident of Joshimath town in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.  He is recalling the nightmare that began on 2 January, when several buildings… Continue reading When livelihoods and disaster relief fall through the cracks in Joshimath

Uttarakhand’s juiciest millet momos are calling you

Would you try a samosa or momo made of healthy and nutritious millets, or for that matter a sweet bowl of Kheer made with Jhangora (Barnyard millet)? Well, that’s what Aranya Ranjan, along with his wife Kavita and sister Samira, offer at their small and quaint ‘pahadi’ restaurant called Samoon in Khadi village of Tehri… Continue reading Uttarakhand’s juiciest millet momos are calling you

Kanha women make school fun for tribal kids

Malti Yadav, 23, an educator at Earth Focus Foundation, conducts a storytelling activity for children at Anand Ghar (spaces established by the NGO where activity-based education is given to children from tribal communities) in Manjitola. She always aspired to be a teacher but had to abandon her education after class 12 for two years due… Continue reading Kanha women make school fun for tribal kids

Tech transforms tribal women’s lives in Odisha, Jharkhand

Farmers, especially women farmers, have to wear multiple hats to keep our food systems running. According to a 2019 report of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, 73.2 percent of the rural women workers in India are engaged in the agricultural sector. However, only 12.8% of land holdings are owned by women, as per… Continue reading Tech transforms tribal women’s lives in Odisha, Jharkhand

Holi moly: Here’s a look at Tharu tribe’s celebrations

Kavita Devi of Magarsara village in Udham Singh Nagar district is getting ready to celebrate Holi. It’s been very long since she and her friends last wore traditional Tharu holi outfits. She is looking forward to welcoming the women of Magarsara at her home.  “The ghagaria (skirt) I’m wearing has been passed down through generations.… Continue reading Holi moly: Here’s a look at Tharu tribe’s celebrations

‘Feminist sensitisation is needed for everyone’

Village Square: What is AALI’s vision for an equitable society? Anshumala: AALI is a feminist organisation working since 1998. AALI envisions an egalitarian social system that recognizes women as complete individuals and equal human beings through advocacy for women’s human rights. Our organization undertakes research, activism, and direct response with a strong focus on violence… Continue reading ‘Feminist sensitisation is needed for everyone’

A day in the life of India’s rural women

On the occasion of International Women’s day, ‘A day in the life of rural women’ shows four women from different walks of lives and how they are contributing to the society daily. In this video story we feature four women across rural India who share their dreams, aspirations and hopes. Video contributors: Dawa Dolma -… Continue reading A day in the life of India’s rural women

Fit to core: Kashmiri women smash patriarchy

At the break of dawn, young Arifa Bilal puts on her trainers, wears a pheran over her tracksuit, adjusts her headscarf, slings a bag across her shoulder, and leaves her home in Beehama village.  She speed-walks on a meandering path running alongside the swift-flowing Sind in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal to her gym 3km away, where… Continue reading Fit to core: Kashmiri women smash patriarchy

‘Only my husband had faith that I could empower women’

Nitu Nagpure’s face glows as she recounts the past five years of her life, when she launched the first self-help group in her village Boda in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. The 30-year-old narrates the journey – in her own words. I was born and raised in a farmer’s home in Thema village in Balaghat. … Continue reading ‘Only my husband had faith that I could empower women’

Trials and tribulations of Manipur’s six-a-side football

The players played with abandon and the crowds cheered as lustily as they could. Everyone at the KK Leishiphanit football ground tucked away in the neighbourhood of Kasomtang in Ukhrul seemed to have thrown all caution to wind as they indulged in what could be best described as Manipur’s unmatched passion for football. In progress… Continue reading Trials and tribulations of Manipur’s six-a-side football