Maharashtra: The last lap
It needed the final week of an election campaign to force the most minimal attention, if that, towards the real issues people worry about.
P Sainath
looks at the balance of interests in pre-election Maharashtra.
Who's teaching whom?
Akanksha began as an idea to give slum children time and space to simply be kids,
to laugh and play. It has evolved into a unique learning environment that not only provides
opportunities for them to gain employment but also in the process teaches tolerance and a
broader view of
the world.
Jemma Purdey
reports.
Why their kids are dying
The government machinery has a number of explanations for the deaths
of numerous tribal children in Maharashtra's Melghat region. But the adivasis
themselves do not identify any of these as the cause of their deaths. Instead
they point to the systematic destruction of their traditional livelihood in the name of law
and development.
Aparna Pallavi
reports.
This journalist demands his rights
Shahid Burney, a Pune-based editor-journalist recently used the Right to
Information law to precipitate the transfer of a number of state police officers whose postings
violated Election Commission norms. An India Together
interview with Burney.
Rehabilitation's short arm
Why does meaningful resettlement for Narmada dam oustees in Maharashtra remain slow despite a state cabinet
show of willingness in January 2004? An
India Together report.
An eco-friendly Ganesh Utsav
In recent times, Ganesh Utsav festivities in Pune have adapted to environmental concerns, says
Rasika Dhavse.
Rising waters, declining hopes
Jaideep Hardikar
reports on the precarious monsoon situation at the Narmada valley.
Health care in action
Rasika Dhavse
reports on a Pune-based organisation that conducts drama therapy sessions
designed to help special populations grow to
their potential.
One village, one computer
Is information technology any use to poor and uneducated populations?
1V1C has trained villagers not only
to use computers, but to put them to productive use in solving
local problems.
Surekha Sule
reports.
Dial R to reroute funds
A financially sick state corporation in Maharashtra gets an infusion of
life from the generosity of MTNL, the Centre-owned phone company.
Himanshu Upadhyaya
reports.
A ray of hope in Nasik
Cautiously, but with conviction, some farmers are switching to organic
farming, and bidding goodbye to the pesticide-driven harvests of the Green
Revolution.
Ramesh Menon
reports.
Rural water, people first
Rajani Mani
tracks the spread of watershed development from Ralegan to Panoli in Maharashtra and
notes that women have come to play a critical role.
Organising inside the home
How much should domestic workers be paid for various kinds of labour?
In Pune, workers decided they must have some say in the answer.
Rasika Dhavse
reports.
Treating garbage right
Nirmala Lathi has devised a method of vermiculture that enables plants to grow
healthily using properly treated organic waste.
Rasika Dhavse
reports.
Piloting water
Maharashtra is the first state in India to adopt a reform policy in the water supply
and sanitation sector. In Nanded, the first signs of this paradigm shift - from
centralised decision-making to allowing village bodies to manage their water -
are now evident.
Meena Menon
reports.
Toying with science
Rasika Dhavse
profiles Arvind Gupta, winner of the National Award for Science Popularisation.
The people's astronomer
Rasika Dhavse
profiles the Pune-based Inter-University Centre for
Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA).
Latur : a long journey
A decade ago, Latur was devastated by an earthquake, but the women have emerged stronger from the disaster, says
Meena Menon.
A curious bond
Servicing the market borrowings of the Sardar Sarovar Nigam Ltd is a deadly game where the social
sector expenditure of the state is held hostage.
Himanshu Upadhyaya
digs deeper.
Something is changing
Kalpana Sharma
reports on communities where women are leading efforts
for change, against expectations and odds.
Healthcare : Eyes on the prize
The recent national consultation at Mumbai on the right to healthcare included the
National Human Rights Commission. The pursuit of "Health for all" is very much
alive, says
Abhay Shukla.
A revolution in infant survival
A non-governmental organization has been responsible for the dramatic plunge in the infant mortality rate in Gadchiroli district of eastern Maharashtra, reports
Rahul Goswami.
The transformation of Mendha-Lekha
Rasika Dhavse
reports about success in self-determination and natural resource conservation at a Maharashtra village.
Women's Ways of Seeing
A multimedia curriculum developed by a Mumbai non-profit aims to have students critically explore the relationships between women, beauty and advertising.
Geeta Seshu
reports.
In the name of servitude
As Maharashtra takes steps to ensure domestic workers
receive a living wage,
Kalpana Sharma
notes that this is about more than livelihood, it's
about affirming the humanity of all people.
Making space for her in litigation
Confronting the history or failed justice for women
in rural courts, a legal resource organisation sets up
a training and fellowship program for women lawyers in
small-town Maharashtra.
Keeping kids from killing kilns
Schooling has become accessible and real for these for these children of brick kiln workers in Maharashtra, says Neeta Kolhatkar.
Winning the Obstacle Race
The government claims to provide equal
opportunities for women, but the traditional power
structure
and corruption usually ensure the opposite.
Aparna Pallavi
reports from Ramtek, Maharashtra.
Budget, Women & The Yawning Gap
Geeta Seshu
reports on a recent study that recently looked at decreasing funding for women specific schemes.
We shall overcome
Vivek Pandit,
anti-bonded-labour campaigner, recounts the the journey
his work has taken to free bonded workers in Maharashtra.
Intelligent information
Shelter Associates uses Geographic
Information Systems to study slums, and Maharashtra's municipal
councils find new opportunities for civic improvement.
Govt and Non-Govt Organizations : Partnerships
Susan Mani looks at the issues involved in the coming together of government and NGOs to improve service delivery.
Lady Courage
From being deprived of the most basic liberties, Anita
Dhangda has travelled many miles, and the lessons of that
passage make her determined to succeed in her new role.
The ties that bind and grow
From water-harvesting to science education to agriculture,
Vidnyanvahini's all-round efforts create vibrant
communities, and inspire others to pursue similar paths.
Restored from the ruins
A South Marathwada village reconstructs itself after the
devastating earthquake, with help
from Jnana Prabodhini. Sayli Udas reports.
A balwadi in every village
An India Together interview with Nirmalatai
Purandare, of the Vanasthali Rural Development Centre.
Rural development through education
Dr. S S Kalbag has devoted 20 years of his life
to educating the rural youngster, and found an enriching
life for himself too in the process.
Violating laws, making losses, damaging environment
Teesta Urja’s penchant for getting into trouble and illegalities continues unabated. Soumik Dutta reports.
Tribal seat reservation issue rakes up storm in Sikkim
Soumik Dutta writes about how Limbu-Tamang tribal seat reservation in the Sikkim legislative assembly could change the political scenario in Sikkim.
What ails Sikkimâs Teesta hydropower project?
The 1200-MW Teesta III hydroelectric project has already seen years of missed deadlines and huge cost overruns, but more serious threats loom ahead as the promoter fights its own internal battles. Soumik Dutta has more on the various problems plaguing the project.
CRZ: Why coastal communities are troubled by these three letters
Lack of clarity over legal requirements, shoddy implementation and selective approvals have made it extremely difficult for poorer communities to build or maintain their houses in coastal zones. Vinod Patgar describes the situation based on his experience in Karnataka.
The promises of Tadri: Mirage or reality?
As environmental clearance on the proposed Tadri port in Karnataka is awaited, Dina Rasquinha and Aarthi Sridhar discuss how assumed future benefits of the port have been projected in complete disregard of the natural, environmental gifts that the region enjoys.
What's in that compost you are using: burnt waste?
A citizen’s probe unearths a racket in which toxic burnt waste is sold to farmers in the garb of vermicompost; what’s more, the packaging indicates involvement of a composting firm under the government. Shree D N and Akshatha M report from Bengaluru.
Workers, not beggars
Recent incidents, where sex workers were detained by the police and subsequently forced into a state shelter for beggars, are symptomatic of the continuous harassment faced by them and a basic lack of understanding of their realities. Pushpa Achanta elaborates.
A rocky road for Gram Swaraj
The Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act Amendment Committee suggested reforms in the 1993 legislation to realise the ideal of decentralisation in letter and spirit. Nandana Reddy, a core member of the committee, holds the state accountable for the manner in which it has dealt with the report and proposed amendments.
How Karnataka's mega port project is bending the rules
Legal and procedural lapses as well as disregard of critical public submissions are tarnishing the EIA of the proposed Tadadi Port in Karnataka. Kanchi Kohli reports.
GPOD: Bringing management principles to gram panchayats
As Gram Panchayats in Karnataka go to the polls this year, Madhavi Rajadhyaksha explores the untapped potential of these grassroots institutions and suggests ways in which their capabilities may be leveraged and capacity strengthened.
Where the fight against extremism is far from over
The Karnataka government’s attempts to reintegrate Naxals into the mainstream through the provision of a surrender and rehabilitation package have met with limited success. Akshatha M reports on the ground realities.