In the cotton fields of Vidarbha in central India, grief is a constant companion. Wherever you turn, there are heart-breaking stories of suicide. In the village of Mangi, friends and family are preparing the body of Laxman Tekam for burial. Women are wailing and men have tears streaming down their cheeks. Laxman was a cotton farmer who hanged himself from the roof beam of his small house after his debts...

In India peasantry is under assault. There is a five-pronged attack on this class and the mighty Indian state is sometimes an active and sometimes a passive abettor. The first point of attack is from the corporate sector. The corporate sector is in a land grab mode. Though not justified, one could understand their urge to get land for industry and real estate purposes. Not that they are causing aggressive...

Taking advantage of the state government schemes and with their own efforts and hard work farmers of this district has given a unique identity in the field of farming to this district. Now several farmers of this district are taking interest to cultivate forest medicinal plants along with their traditional farming. Around 300 farmers of 20 villages of this district has started cultivating forest 'Tulsi' in an area of 60...

Bizarre are the ways of the government when it comes to managing, or mismanaging, the country’s food economy. On the one hand, it goes on mopping up bulk of the wheat and rice arriving in the mandis to build up its grain stocks, clearly to prevent foodgrain prices from falling below the minimum support price (MSP) level. On the other hand, it plans to offload 3 million tonnes of wheat...

Though Mother's Day is celebrated across the world to honour mothers and motherhood, a number of women (mothers) in rural areas and urban slums are bound to face hardships and neglect. Even after decades of independence, rural women continue to be in a state of neglect in Naugarh block of Chandauli district. Gender bias, lack of education, excessive responsibility, lack of recognition, conservative attitude of society and lack of awareness...