Articles
Nov 26 2005
SOCIETY / ACTIVISM
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From saree weaver to leader
27-year-old Nandlal Master was born into a saree weaver's family. Today, he is a leader in the Mehdiganj area of Varanasi District, and runs classes for children who would otherwise be stranded. He has also led a local movement on water that has become a problem for Coca Cola as well as the local administration, writes Sandeep Pandey.
Nov 25 2005
WOMEN AND WATER
Paddling hard against the flow
WOMEN AND WATER : Paddling hard against the flow
Mere participation as labourers is not enough to mainstream women's concerns in water management. Instead, they must be engaged as partners, whose roles are located in larger social and political structures. Sudhirendar Sharma reviews Flowing Upstream, a collection of essays drawing attention to this distinction.
Nov 24 2005
OPINION/HOUSING
Nobody touches the Act
OPINION/HOUSING : Nobody touches the Act

"This building is dangerous. It may collapse at any time. Enter at your own risk." So goes a warning sign at the entrance to a building in Mumbai. Buildings that crumble are an old tradition in this city, with at least one cause being the Rent Control Act. Dilip D'Souza says the pernicious law must go.

Nov 23 2005
TRADE IN AGRICULTURE
Make trade fair, say sugarcane farmers
TRADE IN AGRICULTURE : Make trade fair, say sugarcane farmers
A multi-state campaign to draw attention to the adverse effect of agriculture and trade policies on sugarcane farmers has just ended. Padmalatha Ravi spoke with farmers and campaign coordinators in Tamilnadu, and traces the growth and decline of agricultural families' fortunes around this crop.
Nov 22 2005
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Falling farm incomes, growing inequities
When many households spend less than Rs.225 a month per person, you really need to think of how people live. On what it is that they live. What can you spend on if the most you can spend is, on average, Rs.8 a day? And if close to 80 per cent of what you spend is on food, clothing and footwear, what else could you possibly buy, asks P Sainath.
Nov 21 2005
WOMEN, CHILDBIRTH AND HEALTH
Who cries when mothers die?
WOMEN, CHILDBIRTH AND HEALTH : Who cries when mothers die?
The probability of an Indian mother dying during childbirth is roughly 10 times that of her Chinese counterpart. Reducing the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by three-quarters in 10 years is now a Millennium Development Goal. Why is MMR in India so high and how far are we from the goal? Arati Rao unravels the many challenges to saving mothers' lives.
Nov 20 2005
MONITORING CHILD LABOUR
Children can't read, adults can't count
MONITORING CHILD LABOUR : Children can't read, adults can't count
Numerous laws and rules at the Central as well as State levels are in place to assess the extent of child labour in the country, and to tackle it. Court directives too lend a hand. But CAG reports show that those responsible for carrying out this reform are indifferent to the vast tragedy. Himanshu Upadhyaya reports.
Nov 19 2005
BIHAR ELECTIONS
Criminals as leaders -- yet again?
BIHAR ELECTIONS : Criminals as leaders -- yet again?
Elections in Bihar move into the final phase today. Polling began on 18 October with the first of four phases. For a total of 243 seats in the State Assembly, 1607 candidates have been in the running. Of these, 446 candidates (nearly 2 competitors per seat) have criminal records. Varupi Jain reports.
Nov 18 2005
SHED NO MORE BLOOD
Neidonuo Angami, mother of peace
SHED NO MORE BLOOD : Neidonuo Angami, mother of peace
Sustaining the ceasefire between underground groups in Nagaland and New Delhi has never been easy. But led by Padmashree award winner Neidonuo Angami, a number of Naga women have been organising themselves for years in trust-building and conflict prevention. A Women's Feature Service and Sangat report.
Nov 17 2005
FARMER SUICIDES
Vidarbha distress and the end of innocence
FARMER SUICIDES : Vidarbha distress and the end of innocence
Ten months after his father ended his life, Madhav toils from 6 am to 8 pm to herd the cattle of a big farmer for a paltry Rs 20 a day. Education? Forget it. In village after Vidarbha village where farmers have committed suicide, children have eventually dropped out of schools to take up the plough and work like beasts of burden, reports Jaideep Hardikar.
Nov 16 2005
EDITORIAL / DEVELOPMENT
An exceptional nation
EDITORIAL / DEVELOPMENT : An exceptional nation

Can we be a 'rich' people without doing any of the things that 'rich' countries now do, without the foundations on which they built their progress? That's an important question - because if the answer is no, then our current path to prosperity is in vain, and won't forestall another few decades of poverty and all-round deprivation. The India Together editorial.

Nov 15 2005
BANKING FOR THE POOR
Micro credit gathers force
BANKING FOR THE POOR : Micro credit gathers force
There is now mounting hope that micro finance can be a large scale poverty alleviation tool. Banks too are shedding their old reluctance to lend to the poor, and are looking to tap the expertise of micro credit groups to create a new market. Ramesh Menon reports on the status quo and the challenges ahead.
Nov 14 2005
CONSERVATION VS. TRIBAL RIGHTS
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Ecology for the people
The ongoing vigorous debate between wildlife enthusiasts and tribal rights activists must be steered by a vital lesson from past conservation failures - that India's unparalleled riches of biodiversity can only be protected by working with, rather than against, the rural and tribal communities who live closest to them, writes Ramachandra Guha.
Nov 12 2005
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Compassion at the top
While editors and columnists sang hosannas to the brave new world, the resident of Rashtrapati Bhavan showed he had not lost his connection with ordinary people. P Sainath remembers former President K R Narayanan, who passed away this week.
Nov 11 2005
WORLD BANK LENDING
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A prescription that suits the doctor!
Does the World Bank advocate development, or is it simply a money-lender pushing its loan packages? For too long, the distinction has been blurred, allowing the Bank to make self-serving recommendations. Sudhirendar Sharma notes the latest instance of this as the Bank pushes into water sector reforms in India.
Nov 10 2005
INVESTING/OPINION
Mindful markets
INVESTING/OPINION : Mindful markets

Today there is much more space for the idea that we can succeed in the market-place as social and moral beings not merely as slaves to some supply and demand curves, says researcher Rajni Bakshi, author of Bapu Kuti. She spoke on socially responsible investing at the National Stock Exchange, Mumbai, on the NSE Annual Day, October 21st, 2005.

Nov 09 2005
EDUCATION FOR POOR CHILDREN
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Discrimination in the name of inclusion
25 per cent of the seats in Delhi private schools are reserved for poor students, to be provided free. But this provision is dodged in numerous ways; schools claim ignorance of the law, that they can't find poor students, that poor students have to be educated separately even if admitted, and so on. Deepa A reports.
Nov 08 2005
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
Chiru: A protected species in decline
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION : Chiru: A protected species in decline
Despite the highest legal protections, the population of the chiru continues to decline, raising doubts over enforcement standards for the protection of endangered species. Kanchi Kohli looks ahead to the hearing in the Supreme Court, and hopes the court will affirm the basic premises behind conservation efforts.
Nov 07 2005
U.P. PANCHAYAT ELECTIONS
Pradhans under the eyes of Asha Ashram
U.P. PANCHAYAT ELECTIONS : Pradhans under the eyes of Asha Ashram
Several newly elected panchayat presidents and and council members attended a unique ceremony in Lalpur, U.P., in late September. Watched by the District Magistrate, they took an oath of 'office and transparency' as opposed to the customary oath of 'office and secrecy'. Sandeep Pandey writes about a new beginning.
Nov 06 2005
WTO NEGOTIATIONS ON AGRICULTURE
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Theatre of the absurd
How can 'drastic cuts' in trade subsidies lead to no reduction? Simple: fudge the language. Economic jugglery and clever wording cannot, however, conceal the horrible effects of US and EU subsidies on livelihoods and food security in the developing world. Devinder Sharma urges the G-20 to simplify the terms of trade.