Author: Village Square
“Assam’s worst flood in four decades”
The floods in Assam have caused major disruptions to human life. Village Square speaks to Jyotishmoy Deka and Rajdeep Sarkar of Transforming Rural India Foundation (TRIF) , who are involved with flood relief work in Bodoland Tribal Region (BTR).
“8 billion people, 8 billion opportunities”
World’s population is expected to reach 8 billion in 2022. What does it mean for the world and India in particular? For World Population Day observed on July 11, Village Square spoke to Deepesh Gupta, the State Head of Office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Rajasthan, to better understand various issues concerning equitable growth and family planning in India.
Call for applications – Shadow the Leader
A unique opportunity for aspiring leaders to learn from successful leaders in national and international organizations in the social sector.
July – Photo of the Month
We continue to get more beautiful, jaw-dropping pictures of rural India, courtesy our remarkable photo community. Have a look at these amazing shortlisted photos for Photo of the Month - July.
A peek into rural India’s plastic waste
Government of India’s strict ban on the use of ‘single-use plastic’ comes into effect on 1 July, 2022. The notification permits jail term of up to five years, or a penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both, for violators. As this ban is imposed, we asked our growing photo community to show us how plastic waste affects rural India. The photos show the prevalence of plastic waste and the toxic ways in which it affects everyone - humans and animals alike - in the rural ecosystem.
Celebrating rural India on World Localization Day
On 20 June 2022 Village Square celebrated World Localization Day along with rural changemakers, students, development professionals and prominent media personalities such as Saurabh Dwivedi and Neelesh Misra. At the event, the audience also got a taste of rural India at a food and art fair.
Being LGBTQ in rural India
What does being LGBTQ mean in rural India and what are the legal strangleholds that make LGBTQ life a challenge in small town India? We take a look at Village Square in celebration of Pride Day.
Photo call-out – send us your plastic pollution pictures
Send us your pictures on why India's July 1 single-use plastic ban is important - show us what plastic waste is doing to rural India!
Mor Mitti – A team of young entrepreneurs building a sustainable space in Jharkhand
Aseem Sinha, Biswambharnath Naik, Deepali Nayak and Dr. Minashree Horo, the four pillars of Mor Mitti, came up with the concept of ACE( Art, Culture and Entrepreneurship). They will be telling their incredible story of how they built Mor Mitti at the World Localisation Day event on June 20
Megha Parmar, the first woman mountaineer from Madhya Pradesh
We spoke to the inspiring Megha Parmar, a mountaineer, scuba diver and a youth icon from Madhya Pradesh, about her journey, motivation, and her many achievements. She will be one of the inspiring rural changemakers at the World Localisation Day event.
Our heroes – celebrating fatherhood
What does it mean to be a father? The head of the family or part of the parenting team? A loving tutor in life? One who guides but allows mistakes? A playmate at times, a strict paternal figure at others? An inspiration and role model? As Father’s Day approaches Village Square celebrates fatherhood and the many roles of being a dad or granddad in rural India.
Introducing Dolly, corporate professional turned two-time sarpanch from Bihar
As part of the build up for World Localization Day celebration on 20 June, we spoke to Ms Dolly, who left her comfortable corporate job to pursue a career in grassroots politics. She will be one of the many rural changemakers telling her incredible story at the Event. You can also access our conversation with her on Instagram live here.
Going local – we prepare for World Localisation Day
What does a flight attendant turned sarpanch, a dancer, an adivasi activist and a citizen journalist have in common? They will all be sharing their incredible stories at World Localisation Day celebration on June 20 at NCUI auditorium, Delhi.
June – Photo of the Month
The quality and energy of our readers and supporters when it comes to capturing rural India on camera has overwhelmed us again. Do have a look at these beautiful snaps sent for this Photo of the Month series.
Tea Tales – India’s ever evolving chai culture
As we observed International Tea Day on May 21, to peek into the vibrant history of chai and chai tapris in India, Village Square spoke to Arup K Chatterjee, professor of English at OP Jindal Global University. He is the author of widely acclaimed books including, The Purveyors of Destiny: A Cultural Biography of the Indian Railways and The Great Indian Railways.
Celebrating India’s favorite beverage – chai
For India, chai is more than just a beverage. Chai and the chai tapris (tea stalls) evoke a bundle of emotions. For this International Tea Day, we are taking you on a chai-tapri tour. To the familiar transparent chai-glasses, aluminum kettles, and the smell of ginger, elaichi, and brewing tea leaves. We bring to you, from tea gardens to the vibrant chai tapris which are also spaces for wonderful conversations.
Shades of motherhood from rural India
For Mother’s Day 2022, Village Square pays tribute to all mothers, who embody unconditional love, compassion, care giving and labor. Their list of tasks is endless and roles undefined. They wear different hats at different times of the day. Sometimes a teacher, other times a sibling, a best friend and a confidant. For this Mother’s Day we are featuring photographs which capture the many, beautiful shades of motherhood from across rural India.
May – Photo of the Month
Our growing community of photographers is continuing to leave our jaws dropped with their stills. What’s particularly heartening is that we are receiving entries from every corner of India. Here are some of the fascinating photos from our Photo of the Month (May 2022) series.
How rural India toils – a glimpse
Rural India does not work 9-5. Villagers do not sit in cubicles tied to their gadgets. For this year’s May Day, otherwise known as Labour Day or International Workers’ Day , we give you a glimpse into how the working class in rural India toils. Thanks to our growing community of photographers across India, we bring you the colorful shades of labour on and off the field.
April – Photo of the Month
We remain stunned by the quality and vitality our readers and supporters have when it comes to capturing rural India on camera. Have a look at the stunning snaps sent to us for our Photo of the Month series.