india

I’m currently on a six month Idex Fellowship in Bengaluru, India . I will be writing this blog as I go along and then periodically post my progress. This is my first trip to India, and my only other experience abroad was when I visited Mozambique back in 2013 for a day. Idex is partnered with several Indian social enterprises to provide placements for fellows. For the next six months, I’m working with Oorvani Foundation,a not for profit community media organization based in Bengaluru. It has different initiatives such as Citizen Matters (an online community news platform), Open City and…

I’m currently on a six month Idex Fellowship in Bengaluru, India . I will be writing this blog as I go along and then periodically post my progress. This is my first trip to India, and my only other experience abroad was when I visited Mozambique back in 2013 for a day. Idex is partnered with several Indian social enterprises to provide placements for fellows. For the next six months, I’m working with Oorvani Foundation,a not for profit community media organization based in Bengaluru. It has different initiatives such as Citizen Matters (an online community news platform), Open City and…

I was on my way to a temple in Dodda Mavalli because it was Gowri Ganesh and I had been told it would be a day when devotees would come both to the Maramman temple and the Ashwath katte next to it. I was just curious to see what the rituals were like on this day. The autorickshaw driver abruptly stopped at the end of a narrow lane much before we had reached the temple. In front of us, there was an open space between small houses and there were tempos parked there. Small idols of Ganesha were being carried…

I was on my way to a temple in Dodda Mavalli because it was Gowri Ganesh and I had been told it would be a day when devotees would come both to the Maramman temple and the Ashwath katte next to it. I was just curious to see what the rituals were like on this day. The autorickshaw driver abruptly stopped at the end of a narrow lane much before we had reached the temple. In front of us, there was an open space between small houses and there were tempos parked there. Small idols of Ganesha were being carried…

When we were children, the term ration card (or family card) meant something crucial for survival. From our family's short stint in Mumbai, I recall that it was mandatory for school admissions too. Well, it was perhaps because it was the only acceptable document that proved the identity and location of a person and his or her family members - not many had passports, telephone connections or driving licences. And there were no voter identity or income tax PAN cards then! Further, the gas connection was usually in the name of either the husband or wife. Importantly, the family card…

When we were children, the term ration card (or family card) meant something crucial for survival. From our family's short stint in Mumbai, I recall that it was mandatory for school admissions too. Well, it was perhaps because it was the only acceptable document that proved the identity and location of a person and his or her family members - not many had passports, telephone connections or driving licences. And there were no voter identity or income tax PAN cards then! Further, the gas connection was usually in the name of either the husband or wife. Importantly, the family card…

An Act that entrusts commoners with the authority to question the government and its actions. The only legislation that stipulates a response time of 30 days (48 hours in the case of human rights violations). A fairly inclusive law that was created with the involvement of social workers, ordinary people, non-governmental, community based and grassroots organizations.We learnt this and more during an invigorating session on the "Introduction to Right to Information Act" that lasted three hours and a half (an hour longer than originally planned) and left us hungry for more. Organized by the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) in…

An Act that entrusts commoners with the authority to question the government and its actions. The only legislation that stipulates a response time of 30 days (48 hours in the case of human rights violations). A fairly inclusive law that was created with the involvement of social workers, ordinary people, non-governmental, community based and grassroots organizations.We learnt this and more during an invigorating session on the "Introduction to Right to Information Act" that lasted three hours and a half (an hour longer than originally planned) and left us hungry for more. Organized by the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) in…

We usually notice them at construction sites of private or commercial buildings or public infrastructure projects. They often speak different dialects of Telugu, Oriya, Hindi or a mix of these or other languages. And their kids (sometimes only partly clad) play in the sand or water lying around. A few of them live in tin shacks, thatched huts or tarpaulin tents nearby. Or in similar accomodation by the roadside elsewhere, commuting in open trucks or by walk to their place of work. These people are among those categorized as the unorganized sector. And are typically daily or weekly wage labourers…

We usually notice them at construction sites of private or commercial buildings or public infrastructure projects. They often speak different dialects of Telugu, Oriya, Hindi or a mix of these or other languages. And their kids (sometimes only partly clad) play in the sand or water lying around. A few of them live in tin shacks, thatched huts or tarpaulin tents nearby. Or in similar accomodation by the roadside elsewhere, commuting in open trucks or by walk to their place of work. These people are among those categorized as the unorganized sector. And are typically daily or weekly wage labourers…