The next time you feel life is hard on you, read this story of grit of four orphaned tribal kids
The next time you feel life is hard on you, read this story of grit of four orphaned tribal kids

By Manoj Choudhary

It is a story of the resilience of four siblings aged 9 to 16 years from a tribal village in Jharkhand who lost their parents and elder sister to tuberculosis within a span of few months. They had to drop out of school and sell rice beer in order to survive. But, their story has a happy ending. Read on.

It is a story of the resilience of four siblings aged 9 to 16 years from a tribal village in Jharkhand who lost their parents and elder sister to tuberculosis within a span of few months. They had to drop out of school and sell rice beer in order to survive. But, their story has a happy ending. Read on.

"Villagers are after my parents to get me married, but I want to complete my education"
"Villagers are after my parents to get me married, but I want to complete my education"

By Pragya Bharti

These women living in far-flung villages face challenges at every walk of their lives, but that has not stopped them from dreaming big. Their battles may not be life-altering ones, but they put up a brave fight, every single day. This trip gave us a chance to meet ordinary women living in Bundelkhand and their extraordinary tales.

These women living in far-flung villages face challenges at every walk of their lives, but that has not stopped them from dreaming big. Their battles may not be life-altering ones, but they put up a brave fight, every single day. This trip gave us a chance to meet ordinary women living in Bundelkhand and their extraordinary tales.

Potters struggle as demand for clay stuff goes down
Potters struggle as demand for clay stuff goes down

By Deepanshu Mishra

Overall demand for stuff made from clay has taken a hit, but there are potters like Ramzan Khan who still get excited like a child in a candy shop when they mould dough-like clay into pots, piggy banks and chai kulhars

Overall demand for stuff made from clay has taken a hit, but there are potters like Ramzan Khan who still get excited like a child in a candy shop when they mould dough-like clay into pots, piggy banks and chai kulhars

The ancient Sanjhi art from Vrindavan struggles for survival
The ancient Sanjhi art from Vrindavan struggles for survival

By Satish Malviya

According to lore, Radha and her friends prepared beautiful patterns on the ground with flowers in order to welcome Krishna as he returned from grazing his cows at dusk. Dusk, which is sandhya in Hindi, is from where the word Sanjhi has emerged. This ancient art is in danger of disappearing.

According to lore, Radha and her friends prepared beautiful patterns on the ground with flowers in order to welcome Krishna as he returned from grazing his cows at dusk. Dusk, which is sandhya in Hindi, is from where the word Sanjhi has emerged. This ancient art is in danger of disappearing.

Teacher’s Diary: “I stitched together cement bags to use as durries in the classroom”
Teacher’s Diary: “I stitched together cement bags to use as durries in the classroom”

By Neetu Singh

Neetu Singh recalls her difficult 20-year-old journey as a teacher since she came to Bharthua village in Aligarh, UP, as a young bride. From teaching 115 children single handedly to stitching together cement bags to use as durries in the classroom, she is struggling to keep alive a legacy of her father-in-law who set up Jaybal Vidyalaya in 1995 in Bharthua village that had no school before that.

Neetu Singh recalls her difficult 20-year-old journey as a teacher since she came to Bharthua village in Aligarh, UP, as a young bride. From teaching 115 children single handedly to stitching together cement bags to use as durries in the classroom, she is struggling to keep alive a legacy of her father-in-law who set up Jaybal Vidyalaya in 1995 in Bharthua village that had no school before that.

Sardar Sarovar Project, the Statue of Unity and the dispossessed Adivasis
Sardar Sarovar Project, the Statue of Unity and the dispossessed Adivasis

By Nandini Oza

The tribal people of six villages who lost their lands in 1961 for the Sardar Sarovar Dam's colony, the Kevadia Colony, still await rehabilitation, 60 years on.

The tribal people of six villages who lost their lands in 1961 for the Sardar Sarovar Dam's colony, the Kevadia Colony, still await rehabilitation, 60 years on.

Teacher's Diary: 'I pay the fees for my students so that they can continue studying'
Teacher's Diary: 'I pay the fees for my students so that they can continue studying'

By Mahanand Bajpai

The painful memory of the struggle to study in his own childhood has motivated a teacher to ensure his students don't face the same problem.

The painful memory of the struggle to study in his own childhood has motivated a teacher to ensure his students don't face the same problem.

A teacher’s encouragement helped a student fulfil his dream of joining the Indian Army
A teacher’s encouragement helped a student fulfil his dream of joining the Indian Army

By Akhilesh Kumar Mishra

A school teacher recalls a student who almost dropped out of school due to economic reasons, but was persuaded to stay on to realise his dream of becoming a soldier.

A school teacher recalls a student who almost dropped out of school due to economic reasons, but was persuaded to stay on to realise his dream of becoming a soldier.

Nursery time in Ramgarh, Jharkhand
Nursery time in Ramgarh, Jharkhand

By Manoj Choudhary

When Savita Murmu set up a saplings nursery with the support of the non-profit Transform Rural India Foundation, she exchanged a life of struggle and poverty for one of profit and well being for herself and her family.

When Savita Murmu set up a saplings nursery with the support of the non-profit Transform Rural India Foundation, she exchanged a life of struggle and poverty for one of profit and well being for herself and her family.

On paper, tribal families in Guna dist have land pattas. In reality, they remain landless and impoverished. A Gaon Connection ground report
On paper, tribal families in Guna dist have land pattas. In reality, they remain landless and impoverished. A Gaon Connection ground report

By Brijendra Dubey

After a 22-year long struggle for patta land, Rampyari Bai from Dhanoriya village got her 1.35 hectare land but had to pay a heavy price. She was set alight on July 2 and died on July 8. Gaon Connection travelled to her village in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh and found that there are several tribal families who have got land patta in their name but have no access to that land, which is still controlled by the mighty landlords.

After a 22-year long struggle for patta land, Rampyari Bai from Dhanoriya village got her 1.35 hectare land but had to pay a heavy price. She was set alight on July 2 and died on July 8. Gaon Connection travelled to her village in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh and found that there are several tribal families who have got land patta in their name but have no access to that land, which is still controlled by the mighty landlords.

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