Livelihoods
The wheels are turning for migrant potters
Families of potters who have migrated from India’s countryside to Delhi with hopes of making it big are a disappointed lot, but there’s a ray of hope as people are rediscovering uses of earthenware
Action needed to stop tribal land alienation in Kerala
Measures need to be put into place to prevent land alienation in Kerala’s largest tribal settlement, which has been losing its land to outsiders for decades.
Strawberry sweetens deal for Maharashtra farmers
The luscious strawberry is moving beyond its comfort zone of Maharashtra’s Panchgani-Mahabaleshwar region, bringing a smile to farmers in other regions of the state as well.
Holi moly: Here’s a look at Tharu tribe’s celebrations
It takes a village to celebrate Holi for several days in a row, and the Tharu tribe of southern Uttarakhand leaves no stone unturned to do so.
Assamese monks on mission to save rare culture and language
Even before the UN declared 2022-2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, this Buddhist community of 2,000 people began an initiative to preserve the Tai Phake history, culture and identity by teaching its young to speak, read and write their native language.
What’s a tiger reserve without a safari?
The tiny, off-grid destination in North Bengal’s Buxa tiger reserve is a paradise for nature lovers, but its tourism-dependent residents are plagued by a mountain of problems.
The Kolhapur rice tipping the scale one grain at a time
Nearly a decade after getting the recognition it deserved – bagging a GI tag in 2015 – Maharashtra’s fragrant and slender Ajara Ghansal rice is now becoming the foodie’s favourite.
Shrimply Tamil Nadu
Does the sight of shrimp make you hungry? This photo walkthrough shows how shrimp farming is reshaping the environment, livelihoods and social relations in a coastal village of Tamil Nadu.
Flower farming is no bed of roses
Welcome to the world of Dutch roses and those who usher brief moments of joy in our lives—the growers.
Meet 82-year-old Wani, who runs Kashmir’s last traditional oil mill
Every village in Kashmir once had ox-driven oil presses made of wood and stone until machine extraction came. But one man clings on. Ghulam Mohammad Wani’s mill is the last of its kind in Kashmir.
SFURTI: Helping farmers to become artisans with a novel scheme
Two-third of India lives in villages with limited access to economic agricultural opportunities. SFURTI, a government scheme, is trying to help villages imagine their lives beyond farming – helping them become earning artisans.
Enterprising women: Stories of inspiring micro-entrepreneurs in Maharashtra
Women who run small businesses and micro-enterprises in a village in Maharashtra are entrepreneurial role models, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.
Why a road is a roadblock for Bonda Tribes in Odisha
A slushy, patchy, potholed road is pushing up transportation costs, preventing tribal inhabitants of Andrahal village in Odisha's Malkangiri district from availing government loans for building pucca houses.
One man’s bamboo quest breaks records
With 96 varieties harvested, farmer Prashant Date sets the record for the largest collection of bamboo in India. His garden is growing and he may venture into the commercial space soon.
Conch seashell bangle makers losing their grip in Bengal
Worn by married Bengali women, conch shell bangles have long been part of Bengal’s tradition, but artisans are finding it difficult to keep their grip on their trade because of rising material costs.
Black goats of Kerala’s native tribal hill people on brink of extinction
Kerala’s small but hardy Attappadi black goat is being pushed to the fringes, thanks to climate change, human interventions and the larger Malabar variety that yields more meat and milk.
Lanterns of Bishnupur fading into darkness
The lantern industry of Bishnupur in West Bengal that once sustained hundreds of artisans is on the verge of fading out thanks to the rising cost of raw materials, never mind more affordable electricity.
Overproduction leads to distress sale of cauliflower in Bengal
Vegetable farmers in West Bengal suffer huge losses due to a surplus of cauliflower, never mind high fertiliser and labour costs.
Shrinking Wular Lake shrivels water chestnut harvests in Kashmir
Kashmiri women dependent on Wular Lake’s water chestnuts are finding it hard to sustain their livelihood collecting and processing the crop because of dumped waste and silt in the lake.
Kashmir’s willow wickerwork gets a modern facelift
In the face of cheap plastic products from China, Kashmiri craftsmen meld traditional willow with modern designs to create a wide range of competitive products – vases, lamp shades, haute kitchenware and even sofas.