The medium, message and money
The Assembly elections saw the culture of 'coverage packages' explode across Maharashtra. In many cases, a candidate just had to pay for almost any
coverage at all.
P Sainath
reports.
Study the impacts first!
The Delhi High Court rules that a proposed thermal power plant cannot come up unless its likely impact on the growth on alphonso mangoes is
studied first.
Kanchi Kohli
reports.
All fronts and no backs
Will the Congress-NCP gain from a multiplicity of fronts which could dissipate the anti-Congress vote? Or will the Shiv Sena-BJP benefit from the
Third Front's cutting into the Congress-NCP vote?
Maharashtra polls, Act II Scene I
There are more fronts in the fray across the State this time. And with multi-cornered contests in almost all seats, there could be some major upsets,
writes
P Sainath.
The spirits of Mumbai's cars
Whether the Bandra-Worli sealink will reduce the travel time across the city remains to be seen. But it isn't doing anything to dampen the
growing dependence of our cities on private transport, writes
Darryl D'Monte.
The dull days of White Gold
Across India, cotton growers make up the largest group of the over 180,000 farmers who committed suicide between 1997 and 2007.
There's nothing like an election to spur policy change, though, notes
P Sainath.
No to noise
The courts and the police have cracked down on intense noise from motorists' honking in Mumbai's traffic, and the city has recently declared
a big chunk of its territory off-limits to road noise.
Darryl D'Monte
reports.
Coal mining threatens tigers in Maharashtra reserve
Proposals for mining in the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve are pending at New Delhi for environmental clearance. Conservationists have warned against proceeding, while the state's politicians are for the mining.
Jaideep Hardikar
digs deeper.
High-rise fantasies
The deserted areas of Wadala lie cheek by jowl with a Mumbai Port Trust goods terminal. It lacks public transport and other amenities, but
the MMRDA is hell-bent on spending Rs.4128 crores to erect a skyscraper here.
Darryl D'Monte
reports.
Water privatisation: Start again
The Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority calls a halt to the privatisation of the Nira Deoghar dam, citing contradictions in the
laws governing water management.
Shripad Dharmadhikary
reports.
He did not wait for the government’s new sop
Shattered by a complete failure of crop this year, and looming debt, the three-acre farmer in Yavatmal, Mahrashtra, followed what tens of other farmers have done in Vidarbha in the past.
Jaideep Hardikar
reports.
Vidarbha meltdown: bumper crop losses
As winter chill sets in, Vidarbha farmers are beginning to feel the heat of massive losses, besotted as they are by worries over the hungry months ahead.
Its the worst crop year Ive ever seen, notes farmers leader Vijay Jawandhia.
Jaideep Hardikar
reports.
Lured to sell, driven to buy
Land rate has soared to staggering Rs.1-5 crores per acre on the outskirts of Nagpur, driven by the hype created by the proposed Multi-Modal International Hub and Airport at Nagpur project and the adjoining Special Economic Zone.
Jaideep Hardikar
has more.
Nagpur's land party: risky, unregulated
What the developer gives against the money is just a token receipt no land title or legal holding deed. And
you are supposed to be owner of one of the plots! But where is the land located?
Jaideep Hardikar
has more.
Selling thick and fast: land and dreams
A hillock along this layout is blissfully
peaceful. In that sense, the place is
perhaps akin to heaven, indeed. But electricity, water and roads? Well....
Jaideep Hardikar
has more.
Breaking the silence
A recent ruling by the Bombay High Court on a case of sexual harassment against a private sector company offers encouragement
for women are afraid to talk about the problem.
Kalpana Sharma
has more.
Consent under duress
Consent for relocation given by Jamni village in the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra was obtained under duress. Villagers
protest against the manner in which the gram sabha had proceeded.
Aparna Pallavi
investigates.
Mumbai's eye in the sky
The ruling son-of-the-soil party in the city council is putting the finishing touches to a plan to erect a huge Ferris wheel-like structure
at Land's End. Whether any real Mumbaikars want this, or can afford it, is very doubtful, says
Darryl D'Monte.
Nagpur cargo hub plan drives villagers desparate
Maharashtra's Vilasrao Deshmukh-government is asking the private sector not to go
about acquiring land for projects if the farmers are opposed. Shivangaon
is the hypocritical face of the state government itself.
Jaideep Hardikar
reports.
Milkmen of a dying village
Shivangaon, a village near Nagpur produces a staggering Rs.25-29 crores worth of milk each year.
Government-led land acquisition here for a new cargo hub is hurting the local economy, reports
Jaideep Hardikar.
Another anti-environment ruling at the NEAA
An appeal in the environment appellate authority that ought to have been a clear case of evidence and cross evidence has instead thrown up something
new - a case of a project being upheld despite the objections to it being true.
Kanchi Kohli
reports.
The key to speeding up languishing RTI appeals
Maharashtra's RTI activists recently attended and recorded hearings at the state's Information Commission and identified why pendency of disposals is building up: Information Commissioners were not hearing cases for not more than two hours per day.
Shailesh Gandhi
has more.
Old Port Trust lands on the dock
The Mumbai Port Trust land, three times the size of the mills, could provide vital space for housing and much-needed lung space. But the absence
of proper planning and prioritisation does not portend well, writes
Darryl D'Monte.
Tiger terror in Chandrapur
The forest regions in Brahmapuri and Chandrapur regions in Maharashtra are the scene of a spurt in tiger attacks for the last two years. Fear of attack has also caused significant damage to the forest-reliant local economy.
Aparna Pallavi
reports.
Eyes and ears, on wheels
In a city that lives on the edge, the taxi drivers see and hear a lot. They could provide any news channel its biggest scoop ever, but they are also
smart enough to value their lives and keep their mouths tightly shut.
More street voices from
Rajendar Menen's
book.
Still fighting, in a maze of law and usury
Up against a political shylock and wiping his tears and looking skywards for some divine intervention, Tukaram Kandalkar, farmer in Amaravati, Vidarbha, tells his lawyer with folded hands: Do anything, but save me from losing my land.
Jaideep Hardikar
reports.
From market yard to police yard
Fertilizer shortages have sparked unrest across large swathes of rural Maharashtra and other States as well. In Washim, every constable and officer
is deployed right within the police compound, distributing fertilizer.
P Sainath
reports.
Mujhe jeene do
A recent television advertisement has had a terrific impact and shaken people's conscience, making aspirant baby killers feel guilty of the crime they intend to commit. This is Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) and it has the potential to usher in a revolution, writes
Surekha Sule.
Zooming in on Vidarbha
A group of carefree and well-off youngsters run into the crisis-stricken region of Vidarbha.
They witness the stark reality of farmers who see hope only in death. Exploring
this is Summer 2007, a feature film scheduled for release on 13 June.
'Relief' irrigation increasing worries for farmers
Land acquisition from Vidarbha farmers for irrigation projects is become
a case of cure worse than the disease. The new projects are being commissioned
over the prime minister's relief package.
Jaideep Hardikar
digs deeper.
CAG report slams Vidarbha waiver package
The Comptroller and Auditor General's audit of relief packages for Vidarbha's farmers finds that
they were tardy in implementation, mindless in conceptualisation and
"inconsistent with local
needs." The state government has skirted debate.
Jaideep Hardikar
on the indictment.
A two-in-one well
The coastal village of Velneshwar in Maharashtra is home to a unique well that doubles up as a rainwater storage tank.
Shree Padre
finds out more about this novel dual-purpose structure.
'We cultivate pearls, but our children go hungry'
Shreekrishna Kalamb's life and musings as a poet-farmer symbolise the agrarian crisis that is wrecking havoc in the
Vidarbha countryside. Kalamb ended his life last month, and his grieving daughter now hopes to publish the collection.
Jaideep Hardikar
reports.
Surviving a battle they fight every day
In India's business capital, the NGO Sanmitra is helping HIV positive women re-enter the mainstream workforce, thereby ensuring them a life of independence and dignity.
Sumita Thapar
has more.
Fighting to learn in their language
For a miniscule community of East-Bengali origin living in in Maharashtra, it has been a long struggle for the right to learn in their mother tongue. The community has won some victories recently, and much more remains to be done.
Aparna Pallavi
reports.
Wilful distortion denies salt pan owners justice
Contrary to its own knowledge, the Salt Departmnt has been contending that the lands that belong to salt manufacturers along the Konkan coast are
government lands, and that the claimants are mere lessees with a license to manufacture salt.
P Venu
reports.
Baba Amte: Restless and romantic
He was a zamindar by birth and a successful lawyer by training. He charmed and transformed generations of youth and propelled them into social and political activism. Baba Amte, who passed away last week, was a rare combination of sensitivity and courage, writes
Ravindra R P.
Unwilling learners pose special problems
The challenge of educating street and railway children is more than an education problem - it is a holistic problem of moulding and supporting their
entire lives.
Aparna Pallavi
reports on the efforts of CNI-SSI in Nagpur.
Know disaster, no disaster
Over 400 children from 36 schools in Pune participated in the two-day event on 'Children - Disasters and Sustainable Futures' on 4-5 January this year. They gathered knowledge about disasters and how to best manage in such situations, ensuring minimum loss of life and property.
Rasika Dhavse
reports.
The ultimate shaadi point for those in love
A village in rural Chandrapur, Maharashtra, plays match-maker for love-lorn
couples marrying out of their castes, at 40 marriages and counting.
Jaideep Hardikar finds out that behind the positive force of the village
are a group of committed people.
Children fix their own schools
Since 1994, the Socio Economic Development Trust has succeeded in drawing some 11,000 dropouts in 220 villages of Maharashtra back to school through
unique village-level children's organisations called Bal Panchayats.
Aparna Pallavi
reports.
Soya cultivation rising in crisis-hit Vidarbha
Vidarbha farmers are shifting to soybean and oilseeds as substitute, harangued
by dipping cotton prices, highly volatile markets and withdrawal of government
support. Jaideep Hardikar reports on the trend, the risks
and the other alternatives
for the farmers.
Managing global cities
The recent Urban Age conference in Mumbai brought much needed focus on the difficulties plaguing cities around the world. Several speakers observed
that a democratic deficit is now evident in many of them, and tackling this is key to building a strong future for urban areas.
Darryl D'Monte
reports.
Privatisation in the Krishna basin is recipe for conflict
In September, the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation invited expressions of interest from private companies to build the canals for the Nira Deoghar dam on a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) basis. Everything about the process so far indicates the decision is not a well-thought out one, notes
Shripad Dharmadhikary.
Snakes and Ladders arming children against disasters
Pune-based firm Neeti Solutions has designed a unique version of the popular game Snakes and Ladders,
aimed at teaching children about fires and earthquakes and how to cope best in such situations.
Rasika Dhavse
has more.
Steep health costs pushing farmers to the brink
Rising health costs are proving disastrous for Vidarbha's
farmers already under severe distress. Debt
due to spiraling medical
expenditures is worse than the illness itself for many, and the
state government's health infrastructure is not helping, reports
Jaideep Hardikar.
What price, education?
Hundreds of farming families are making a beeline to Karanja from surrounding districts in the hope of a better education for their children.
Although this has brought financial as well as a other problems, these families feel they have little choice.
Aparna Pallavi
reports.
When the one who dies is a woman
Are the pressures which make male farmers commit suicide the same for women farmers as well? Socially, legally, with respect to property rights, and
given their family positions, women are placed in situations strikingly different from those of men.
Aparna Pallavi
reports.
Life on credit, death in installments
Four years, three men, one family. The tragedy unleashed by the agrarian crisis on
the family of Deshmukhs in Katyar village of Vidarbha isnt vanishing.
Jaideep Hardikar
reports.
Empty fields stare at farm widows
In Vidarbha, widowed women farmers have been hit hard by lack of viable farm credit. Quite a lot of women find themselves unable to carry out
farm work in the absence of credit. Caught between fear and despair, their options are limited.
Aparna Pallavi
reports.