India-Pakistan ties have stalled the border trade and upended their lives. In the absence of a bilateral détente, the porters are simply collateral damages.
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Porters at Attari-Wagah border bear the brunt of India-Pakistan trade curb
Coolie number 985 does not find too many goods to carry these days. But instead of lessening the load, it has heightened a burden that Sandeep Singh – a porter at the Attari-Wagah international border crossing between India and Pakistan – is struggling to bear. Few notice the irony, including the hundreds of tourists who… Continue reading Porters at Attari-Wagah border bear the brunt of India-Pakistan trade curb
Where waste ‘lights up’ villages
Out of sight, out of mind. NIMBY (not in my backyard) in fact. That’s the attitude most of us have towards the waste we generate. But some villages are taking a conscious decision to not only manage their waste better, getting cleaner streets in the process, but finding multiple uses for it. Like powering the… Continue reading Where waste ‘lights up’ villages
The first Indian woman who converted polythene into ashes
Nasira Akhtar of Kanipora village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district recounts how she discovered a magical herb to dispose of plastic waste. This is her story of “ridicule, shaming, mocking – I went through it all” – in her own words. I’ve heard that words can change people and their views. I didn’t think much… Continue reading The first Indian woman who converted polythene into ashes
Match Made in Heaven: A new life for Odisha’s sexagenarian newlyweds
Saktipada Mishra and Tejaswani Mandal had several things in common, apart from both being in their sixties. Saktipada, 67, was a widower, having lost his wife of four decades more than a year ago. Tejaswani, 63, was a widow with her husband passing away some four years ago. More importantly, both felt ignored and ill-treated… Continue reading Match Made in Heaven: A new life for Odisha’s sexagenarian newlyweds
Development Intelligence Unit announces the Data for Policy fellowship
In the world of public policy, what if there were a way to bridge the gap and bring government and research together to meet the needs of the people who use state programs and services? With the evolving data science landscape in India, the Development Intelligence Unit (DIU) set-up by the Transforming Rural India Foundation… Continue reading Development Intelligence Unit announces the Data for Policy fellowship
How a tribal women-run magazine changes life for the better
It’s hard to imagine a group of women who have only elementary education bringing out a magazine – right from writing and editing to designing and printing. But that’s what a group of tribal women from a marginalised background does in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. The 36-page colour monthly magazine, Mahila Navodayam, which means new… Continue reading How a tribal women-run magazine changes life for the better
How millet magic is empowering women in rural Odisha
“We’re thinking of switching from harvesting maize to finger millet,” said Sashi Machha (59), a member of a self help group (SHG) from Aarapai village in Koraput, Odisha. Why? Farmers like Sashi are beginning to see the merits of millet. It is not only “climate resistant” – a huge plus in drought-prone Odisha – but… Continue reading How millet magic is empowering women in rural Odisha
J&K: Gujjar women’s embroidered skullcaps lose out to modern fashion
With grassy meadows encircled by tall trees as far as the eyes can see, Nimblan in the Pulwama district of Jammu & Kashmir is a picture perfect village. And in the pleasant weather it’s no wonder 65-year-old Zulaikha sits on the grass in front of her kotah (mud and wood house) in the afternoon hours,… Continue reading J&K: Gujjar women’s embroidered skullcaps lose out to modern fashion
Child Trafficking: “To unite children with their parents feels amazing”
Village Square: Working on the frontline of child trafficking must be incredibly hard on many levels – but is it also rewarding? Shrishti: My work is risky at times. Often the raids (to rescue children) happen late at night and there’s always the fear of something untoward happening. But there are quite a few things… Continue reading Child Trafficking: “To unite children with their parents feels amazing”
Kudumbashree: A 3-tiered programme tackling Kerala’s gender-based violence
When Malli was younger she had big dreams. Coming from a tribal village in Kerala, she wanted to continue her studies, find a good job and live a better future. When she got married to a man from Udumalaipettai in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, her parents did not inquire about the groom or… Continue reading Kudumbashree: A 3-tiered programme tackling Kerala’s gender-based violence
Hanjabam Radhe: from child bride to dress designer to Padma Shri
Hanjabam Ongbi Radhe Sharmi of Wangjing village in the Thoubal district of Manipur recounts her life’s journey from a child bride to a designer of traditional bridal dresses – in her own words. I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard the central government had chosen me for the Padma Shri award. I went to… Continue reading Hanjabam Radhe: from child bride to dress designer to Padma Shri
Once a pride, the Malkangiri pony struggles to survive
If anyone changed horse midstream, it’s probably the people in the tribal hinterland of Swabhiman Anchal in Odisha’s southernmost Malkangiri district. Home to 172 villages, swaddling 372 square km, this is an outdoorsy land of deep forests and the rugged, rolling hills of the Western Ghats. For years, tribal communities like Gadaba, Kondh, Kotia, Kondadora… Continue reading Once a pride, the Malkangiri pony struggles to survive
Irrigation facilities improve farmers’ lives in Odisha
Without water farmers can do nothing. But that was the reality in Koraput district. Until recently. Lack of irrigation facilities is one of the most important barriers that make agriculture non-remunerative. It was the same scenario in Kenduguda village in Odisha’s Koraput district. Kenduguda is a predominantly tribal village. Of the 195 households in the… Continue reading Irrigation facilities improve farmers’ lives in Odisha
Plastic cuts into pottery culture – but not in Manipur
It’s been said that if you don’t like pottery or earthenware when you first visit Manipur’s Thongjao village, you’ll certainly become a fan by the time you leave. For it’s impossible not to appreciate the signature red pottery and its intrinsic connection with Manipur’s culture and the creative spirit of the indigenous Meitei people who… Continue reading Plastic cuts into pottery culture – but not in Manipur
Sugna Devi: The “manure missy” of Rajasthan
Sugna Devi of Uniara in the Tonk district of Rajasthan recounts her life as a farmer and a micro-entrepreneur. This is her story – in her own words. My husband worked as a labourer at the Kalptaru Power Plant in Uniara. And I worked as a farm labourer. I also worked on my field, growing… Continue reading Sugna Devi: The “manure missy” of Rajasthan
The fascinating story of a bank manager who caught snakes to save nature
It is 5 a.m. and Pradip Khemchand Solanki’s mobile phone rings continuously. It is another frantic SOS. This time it is from the home of former Gujarat education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama – urging Solanki to come and retrieve an unwanted guest. One that had slithered under the politician’s living room table. The 58-year-old picks up his… Continue reading The fascinating story of a bank manager who caught snakes to save nature
Piggery business: Women not inferior to men, this Manipuri woman has proved it
Pipi Keithellakpam, 30, of West Imphal district, Manipur, talks about her life as a piggery business woman. This is her story – in her own words. I was born in a middle class family and was third among four children. My father ran a small grocery shop in Luker village. As a child, I wanted… Continue reading Piggery business: Women not inferior to men, this Manipuri woman has proved it
Vanishing vultures find friends for their survival
Santoshdas Manikpuri keeps an eye out for specks of black drifting in the sky in Aurapani, a woody village surrounded by rolling hills on the buffer zone of Achanakmar wildlife sanctuary in Chhattisgarh. He has his eyes trained since childhood on the beautiful Indian long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus), the cleaners of the natural world, which… Continue reading Vanishing vultures find friends for their survival
Universal Brotherhood: Baul festival of mystic minstrels enchants Bengal village
As the sun wakes up from its sleep, several saffron-clad men with long beards and big smiles criss-cross the lanes of villages in East Bardhaman, West Bengal. They are singing songs in praise of god. But not just any god. All the gods. For these are Baul singers – mystic minstrels – who have no… Continue reading Universal Brotherhood: Baul festival of mystic minstrels enchants Bengal village