Toilet, cell phone, bank account … are you a part of the New India?
Toilet, cell phone, bank account … are you a part of the New India?

By Patralekha Chatterjee

Sarmita, a resident of Samasnagar village, has a cell phone, a bank account and an LPG connection. But she has no piped water or a toilet. There are many Sarmitas in this New India

Sarmita, a resident of Samasnagar village, has a cell phone, a bank account and an LPG connection. But she has no piped water or a toilet. There are many Sarmitas in this New India

"A toilet? There are no toilets here. We go out in the open."
"A toilet? There are no toilets here. We go out in the open."

By Jigyasa Mishra

It’s not that finding a decent toilet in cities is a cakewalk, but it’s a challenge of a different kind when you are in a village and have to find one on a simmering hot day. Most of them in Lokhariya village drew a blank when I asked them about a toilet. For me it was a day-long ordeal, but for women living in many villages in Bundelkhand, ‘no toilet’ is a way of life.

It’s not that finding a decent toilet in cities is a cakewalk, but it’s a challenge of a different kind when you are in a village and have to find one on a simmering hot day. Most of them in Lokhariya village drew a blank when I asked them about a toilet. For me it was a day-long ordeal, but for women living in many villages in Bundelkhand, ‘no toilet’ is a way of life.

Maharashtra is all set for the polls, but many from this village won't be voting
Maharashtra is all set for the polls, but many from this village won't be voting

By Varsha Torgalkar

No Aadhar card, voter ID, ration card, housing, drinking water, jobs or toilets … that’s how 35 families from the de-notified bhil tribe have been living in a small hamlet not very far from Mumbai

No Aadhar card, voter ID, ration card, housing, drinking water, jobs or toilets … that’s how 35 families from the de-notified bhil tribe have been living in a small hamlet not very far from Mumbai

Flood-Resilient Toilet: An Eco Katha
Flood-Resilient Toilet: An Eco Katha

By Nidhi Jamwal

What if one day you woke up to find yourself in waist-deep water, your toilet submerged in dirty floodwater? And have to live that way, not for a day or two, but for weeks together…

What if one day you woke up to find yourself in waist-deep water, your toilet submerged in dirty floodwater? And have to live that way, not for a day or two, but for weeks together…

Gram Sabhas are supposed to meet twice a year. Not many villagers know this
Gram Sabhas are supposed to meet twice a year. Not many villagers know this

By Ranvijay Singh

A few days back, around 2,500 villagers fell victim to a mysterious fever in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district. When Gaon Connection visited some of the villages here, it was found that they live in unhygienic conditions. When asked why don't they raise these issues in gram sabha meetings, most villagers drew a blank

A few days back, around 2,500 villagers fell victim to a mysterious fever in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district. When Gaon Connection visited some of the villages here, it was found that they live in unhygienic conditions. When asked why don't they raise these issues in gram sabha meetings, most villagers drew a blank

"You are travelling alone. It's not safe. Don't trust anyone"
"You are travelling alone. It's not safe. Don't trust anyone"

By Pragya Bharti

You get many unsolicited advices if you are a girl and are travelling alone. And why not? Women safety is a delicate issue in our county. I too was a little apprehensive when we started from Chitrakoot on our bikes. But during the course of this journey we met so many beautiful people who went out of their way to help us, it changed our perception about women and solo trips.

You get many unsolicited advices if you are a girl and are travelling alone. And why not? Women safety is a delicate issue in our county. I too was a little apprehensive when we started from Chitrakoot on our bikes. But during the course of this journey we met so many beautiful people who went out of their way to help us, it changed our perception about women and solo trips.

In this village, roads and drains exist … but only on paper
In this village, roads and drains exist … but only on paper

By Ranvijay Singh

Pipauli is a nondescript village in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district. There are thousands of Pipaulis in India where owing to rampant corruption in gram panchayats, development happens, but only on paper. The villagers continue to suffer

Pipauli is a nondescript village in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district. There are thousands of Pipaulis in India where owing to rampant corruption in gram panchayats, development happens, but only on paper. The villagers continue to suffer

Uttarakhand: Lohari village goes under water, displaced villagers demand land for resettlement
Uttarakhand: Lohari village goes under water, displaced villagers demand land for resettlement

By satyam kumar

About 500 villagers in Uttarakhand’s Lohari village complain that the administration’s two-day notice to shift their belongings to a safer place before the Vyasi dam waters submerged their village, was woefully inadequate. Displaced villagers are demanding a better compensation package.

About 500 villagers in Uttarakhand’s Lohari village complain that the administration’s two-day notice to shift their belongings to a safer place before the Vyasi dam waters submerged their village, was woefully inadequate. Displaced villagers are demanding a better compensation package.

Accused out on bail for 8 years; tareekh-pe-tareekh for the minor victims' family in Budaun gangrape-murder case
Accused out on bail for 8 years; tareekh-pe-tareekh for the minor victims' family in Budaun gangrape-murder case

By Shivani Gupta

What happens after the last reporter goes away? In a series titled 'Twice Cursed', Gaon Connection revisits the families of the victims of rape, now forgotten. Despite the 'stringent' POCSO Act, the family of two minor girls, who were allegedly gangraped and murdered in 2014 in Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, are still awaiting justice.

What happens after the last reporter goes away? In a series titled 'Twice Cursed', Gaon Connection revisits the families of the victims of rape, now forgotten. Despite the 'stringent' POCSO Act, the family of two minor girls, who were allegedly gangraped and murdered in 2014 in Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, are still awaiting justice.

Deprived of ambulances, charpoy and boats are the only means of transport during a medical emergency
Deprived of ambulances, charpoy and boats are the only means of transport during a medical emergency

By Chandrakant Mishra

Parsval village, 95 kms from Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh, is an out-of-the-way village. Enclosed between the two rivers, it is deprived of basic services like toilets, hospitals, schools, and roads network. Locals have to row to the hospitals in an emergency, 9 kms from the village

Parsval village, 95 kms from Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh, is an out-of-the-way village. Enclosed between the two rivers, it is deprived of basic services like toilets, hospitals, schools, and roads network. Locals have to row to the hospitals in an emergency, 9 kms from the village

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