Giving big corporates free hand in Himalayas is not governance but pure betrayal

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
The crisis in the Himalayas cannot be understood without respecting people's rights over natural resources. Denying people who have protected these forests for centuries, the right to access while giving big corporations a 'khuli chhoot to loot' is not governance but pure betrayal of the people's sentiments. How will the environmental protections or save the rivers succeed unless we involve people into them and allow them their traditional rights over these resources.

I interviewed Shri D S Pundir of the Himad organisation at his beautifully located center near Nand Prayag. I feel what he said was extremely important if we really want to protect the Himalayas by engaging with the people and communities.

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The making of a self-made woman: How eighty sheep changed everything for Kalawati Ninama

By Vikas Meshram* About forty-two kilometres from Rajasthan's Banswara district, in the tribal heartland of Ghatol block, lies the small village of Ubapana. This is where Kalawati Ninama, her husband Dhulji, and their four children make their home. Their days unfold much like those of their neighbours—bustling mornings, long hours of farm labour through the afternoon, and evenings spent tending livestock. For this family, farming and livestock were once simply a means of putting food on the table. Today, they have become the sturdy foundation of something far greater: genuine self-sufficiency.

India has spent billions on skilling. Where are the jobs?

By Vikas Gupta India loves the photograph of a certificate ceremony. A minister on a stage. A banner bearing the word “skill.” Young people holding folders that promise a future. It is a reassuring image because it tells us the problem has a manageable answer: train the young, make them job-ready, and work will follow.

BAPS, the Eiffel Tower and the curious silence on secularism

By Rajiv Shah I was a little surprised to see how some of those whom I respect for taking a firm stand on patriarchal issues reacted to the manner in which they responded to the recent incident in Paris, in which women employees of the Eiffel Tower were asked to remain "invisible" on September 5 when 100 BAPS sadhus visited one of the world's top tourist destinations.

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