Women pluck tea leaves at a tea garden in Jorhat, Assam (Photo by Amlanjyoti Deb) Getting it right – A tea-seller somewhere in Uttar Pradesh making sure the proportions of ginger to tea is perfect (Photo by Rahul Raman) Work in progress – A tea seller prepares the next batch of chai at a small… Continue reading Celebrating India’s favorite beverage – chai
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Black cardamom loses flavour among Kalimpong farmers
Pawan Lepcha has been cultivating black cardamom for over a decade in the Kalimpong district of West Bengal. But, like many other farmers, he is now contemplating growing coffee in the two acres he owns in Lower Mechu Sakyon village instead. Farmers growing black cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb) – also known as large cardamom –… Continue reading Black cardamom loses flavour among Kalimpong farmers
“I’ve saved over 1,400 lives”
I was born in Mangchu Forest, a riverbank village in the Kalimpong district. It was a thrill to wake up every morning hearing the raging noise of the river. At that time, to a child like me, the river sounded like a grumpy woman (chuckles). I don’t remember when I learnt to swim in River… Continue reading “I’ve saved over 1,400 lives”
“Beej Gram” scheme makes farming financially viable
About 70% people in India derive their livelihood from farming. Yet, farmers find it a constant struggle to make ends meet. A range of reasons often makes farming a loss-making business. “Beej Gram” scheme (seed village scheme) is aimed at making improved seeds which are optimally suited to the soil and micro-climate conditions of the… Continue reading “Beej Gram” scheme makes farming financially viable
Help desks and counselling reduce gender-based violence
It was 2020 and the world was reeling under the consequences of COVID-19 pandemic. Reports and data from various corners of India revealed that women were facing a shadow pandemic – domestic violence. The data were not mere numbers. They were the stories of countless women like Sushila* living in a remote village in the… Continue reading Help desks and counselling reduce gender-based violence
Keeping Kalbeliya tradition beaded together
I grew up in Ganahera village on the outskirts of Pushkar city. From the time I can remember, I was very fond of dancing. I would break into a dance whenever I heard a song. I always dreamt of becoming a famous dancer. I used to watch a couple of girls in our community and… Continue reading Keeping Kalbeliya tradition beaded together
And with fury flows the Teesta
With a river as your backyard, you are sure to be drawn to the waters. Swimming, fishing and rafting are enjoyed by many in Kalimpong. But in recent years, playing in the River Teesta – never mind just living near it – has become risky. The mountain river – one of the lifelines of Bengal… Continue reading And with fury flows the Teesta
Taekwondo master gives confidence kick
On entering the taekwondo academy during a class, the sight of two little girls practising with an unbelievable level of perfection – at such a young age – surprised me. It raised my curiosity about their guru, Manoj Shivhare, 48, the man behind this martial arts academy in the Morena district of Madya Pradesh. As… Continue reading Taekwondo master gives confidence kick
Saving Khovar and Sohrai arts of “painted villages”
The expression, “If these walls could talk,” takes on a new meaning in Jharkhand, where the homes are painted with ancient motifs, attracting hundreds of tourists every year. The walls of mud houses serve as canvasses for traditional Khovar and Sohrai arts belonging to ethnic communities of the Hazaribagh district. The 100 or so “painted… Continue reading Saving Khovar and Sohrai arts of “painted villages”
Shades of motherhood from rural India
A mother teaches her son Bengali as they are joined by two other unusual students (Photo by Nimai Chandra Ghose) Multitasking mother – A mother reviews her daughter’s work while spinning charkha wheels (Photo by Pallab Pramanik) Near Damodar river, in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, a mother is accompanied by her son and friends to get drinking… Continue reading Shades of motherhood from rural India
May – Photo of the Month
Multitasking mother – A mother reviews her daughter’s work while spinning charkha wheels (Photo by Pallab Pramanik) Artists get ready for the Gajan festival in West Bengal (Photo by Kausik Paul) A kid finds himself in muddy waters (Photo by Ranjitsingh Chauhan) Women return home after a long day at work, walking over the rice… Continue reading May – Photo of the Month
Perils of not having a birth certificate
We met a 19-year-old-woman in an anganwadi (government preschool) in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, who had come with her one-year-old child and was pregnant with her second baby. She did not have a birth certificate or any other document to prove her identity. She was invisible to our system because there was no record of her. … Continue reading Perils of not having a birth certificate
“I drove taxis and lorries to feed my family”
The year 2010 was the most difficult one in my life. My husband couldn’t work because of health reasons. Circumstances forced me to become the breadwinner of my family. When I was desperately searching for a job, Babu, a close family friend, suggested driving his car on a commercial trip. I was a bit apprehensive.… Continue reading “I drove taxis and lorries to feed my family”
Conserving endemic small mammals
When most of us see a rat or mouse, at best we shoo it away. But most likely we reach for the poison or, maybe, a humane trap. But not Brawin Kumar, a conservationist who beats to a different drum. The researcher from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati, is on… Continue reading Conserving endemic small mammals
How rural India toils – a glimpse
Women return home after a long day at work, walking over the rice grains and carrying paddy saplings on their heads (Photo by Soumyadip Dey) Sharing the load – a couple carries a piece of firewood on their bicycle through the wheat fields of Uttar Pradesh (Vinay Gupta) A woman completely engrossed in her work… Continue reading How rural India toils – a glimpse
Kalbeliya beadwork hanging by a thread
Tiny, shiny colourful beads strung together into exquisite jewellery. You are mistaken if you thought only women wear ornaments made of these beads. Beads strung into bracelets often adorn the wrists of men too. The women who make this colourful jewellery are the Kalbeliyas, a nomadic tribe of Rajasthan, known for being snake charmers. Just… Continue reading Kalbeliya beadwork hanging by a thread
Teaching beyond the textbooks in Rajasthan
“It’s important to learn through experience,” ace student-turned-teacher Urmila Suthar told me. On a recent visit to explore the nuances of an education support programme called Shiksha Sambal (SS), this 20-year-old teacher from Ajoliya ka Khera village near the city of Chittorgarh in Rajasthan, made a huge impact on me. She was passionate about teaching… Continue reading Teaching beyond the textbooks in Rajasthan
From off-roading to healthcare – Kerala’s first woman ambulance pilot
Right from childhood, P G Deepamol wanted to be a driver. At the age of 18 she learned to drive two-wheelers in her hometown. Soon she moved on to cars. It was not long before she got licenses to drive a commercial taxi. And then heavy lorries too. In 2021 she fulfilled another great ambition… Continue reading From off-roading to healthcare – Kerala’s first woman ambulance pilot
India’s Earth Day heroes
It is easy to drive through India’s countryside and dismiss its lack of progress as “backward.” But many of us are waking up to the fact that a lot of rural India’s old fashioned, even at times ancient, farming practices have sustainability at the heart. As the world begins to realise that some ancient wisdoms… Continue reading India’s Earth Day heroes
Of windmills and women
“If I asked you to leave your home, the clothes you wear, the family you love and all that surrounds you because tomorrow I want to build a mall on the stacked pyres of your identity, you couldn’t fathom it. You won’t. So why must I? Why must your development come at the cost of… Continue reading Of windmills and women