Archive

We were declared dead, but now we’re alive

 
/ February 18, 2015

February 18th, Salgadih Village, Khunti District, Jharkhand The National Old Age Pension Scheme provides financial security to over 19.2 million people over the age of 60 in India. For many, the small yet vital sum comes after jumping through many loopholes in the system. Community Correspondent Amita Tuti found one...

Rehabilitation of the Kashmir Valley

 
/ January 30, 2015

January 30; Kupwara, Kashmir The floods that hit Kashmir valley in September last year, swelled the Khemil river that resulted in devastation of crops in Kupwara district. What made things worse for the residents was the lack of dredging in the river: the fertile land was fast turning barren. Community...

Why do 56,000 women die in childbirth every year?

 
/ January 23, 2015

Each year, approximately 56,000 women in India die in childbirth – a staggering number. This is particularly horrifying because today, no women need die in childbirth. Nearly every single one of these deaths could have been prevented – had the women received the medical care they are entitled to by...

Land Rights Wronged!

 
/ March 7, 2017

Over 60% of India’s population depends on agricultural land to sustain themselves. At an average one hectare of land supports five people. For large parts of this population, especially tribals and scheduled castes, access to this land is problematic; most don’t have proper land tenure or when they do, the...

What does it take to make the government work?

 
/ January 16, 2015

January 16; Darbhanga, Bihar Most often, to get the government machinery working, all that is required is a nudge in right direction. For many in India’s poorest communities factors like caste and class stand in the way of approaching officials and getting things done. It was therefore that nobody in...

Siolim Locals Infuriated By Teso Waterfront’s Blatant Legal Violations

 
/ March 21, 2015

The meandering Chapora River, the site of pink and purple sunsets and swaying coconut trees, has become a hotbed of arguments and grievances over the past few years. Local residents of Siolim Vaddy in Goa are infuriated by the multiple inconveniences being caused by Teso Waterfront, a river facing resort...

Abki Baar Company Sarkar? | Did we vote in a corporate government this time?

 
/ January 14, 2015

In Jharkhand, some 228 families have spent the last three years clinging to their land, defying the Indian government, the World Bank and an international coal conglomerate. But the government’s decision to do away with mandatory consent in the Land Acquisition Act may spell the end of their struggle.  ...

People of Kashmir speak on why they voted and why they didn’t

 
/ January 6, 2015

Video Volunteers has long recognised that there is a problem with the media coverage of Kashmir, and in response, we decided to bring our model of community video to Kashmir in September 2013, when we trained 11 Right to Information (RTI) activists as video reporters. The timing was fortuitous, because...