Christmas celebration at TNT Parikrma Centre for Learning at Koramangala. ©Nishant Ratnakar

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Parikrma Humanity Foundation is a non-profit organization in Bangalore city. Currently, it is transforming education for underserved children from different slums in the city. Parikrma manages the entire education cycle from kindergarten to college for each child. The foundation operates the schools from four different locations in Bangalore. One of the schools is the TNT Parikrma Centre for Learning, in Koramangala. This centre had held the annual christmas day celebrations for the children couple of days before the vacation. I visited the centre on that particular day. Present in this gallery are photographs documenting the mood at the centre on that day.

Children at Gunjalli Government High School, Raichur read the children's newsletter 'Chinnara manasa'

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Prakash is a boy studying in 10th standard at Government High school Yappeldini village, about 25 kilometers from Raichur. But he lives in Donga Rampur village which is about 7 Kms away from his school and he has to cycle up and down everyday. His village school has classes only up to 7th standard. Many of Prakash’s friends form the village, mainly girls, have discontinued their studies because they find it a difficult task to cycle to their nearest High School.Prakash and his friends want the government to start a high school in his village so they can being about a change. But how will they do it? They will write about this issue in their newspaper! A newspaper which they hand-write and paste it across the walls in their village wherever people gather. It might sound childish to many, but their newspaper stories have resulted in repair of once a potholed road connecting Raichur and their village. Their newspaper Chinnara Manasa , says Prakash can make them bring about another significant change in their village.

Prakash is one of the 1143 ‘Child reporters’ of Chinnara Manasa village newsletters, mentored by UNICEF under a project spreading across 225 villages in rural areas of Raichur district in Karnataka. The project was started by UNICEF in association with the localZila Panchayat under the article 12 and 13 of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child ( UNCRC) which advocates right to participation. Article 12  says that every child has the right to express views on all decisions made by adults that affect children and their views must be taken into account. Article 13 states that Children have the right to get and share information, as long as the information is not damaging to them or others. In exercising the right to freedom of expression, children have the responsibility to also respect the rights, freedoms and reputations of others. The freedom of expression includes the right to share information in any way they choose, including by talking, drawing or writing.

Raichur is one of the most backward districts on Karnataka and with most people being illiterates there is lack of knowledge about health care, sanitation, education and rights. The project began with the hope of making the children to be the agents of change in Raichur.Abid Ahmed , child reporters Coordinator at Raichur, says ” Master trainers appointed by UNICEF to identify and make teams of 5 children from every village in all the high schools in this region. Students who are confident and interactive are identified and picked up to be child reporters. One day training class is held Theoretical classes are conducted on editorial policies and the way the news is to be gathered and reported. We concentrate on the language the children need to use in writing content for Chinnara Manasa newsletter. We stress them to use terms which their local villagers will be familiar with. We ask them to avoid difficult words. Also we tell them to write in big and bold letters, so that people standing at few feet distance away from the wall where the newsletter is pasted, should be able to read it. We also instruct them to avoid names of individuals and focus more on the issues.”

The program has helped in building the writing and observation skills of the children, and in making them aware of their rights. They are slowly beginning to question everyone from administrators in their schools, to local village Panchayat and to bureaucrats. Vikas Verma, Communication Specialist UNICEF says, “The basic idea of the project is that children must take part in issues in their community that affect them. They have a role to play in solving these issues at one end. And secondly, by making them look at these issues from a new perspective, we hope they would grow up to become adults who would then be able to address these issues in the same manner among their children. So it is a long term process.”

Lot of changes have been brought about by the activities of these child reporters. Cemented roads are getting built in villages, water related issues seem to be getting solved and facilities in schools seem to be improving.Thirumala reddy, a child reporter from Vadepalli village says, “The bore wells and hand pumps in our village were not operational. We wrote about it and finally a month back they repaired one hand pump in Vadepalli and now the villagers are able to get water for daily needs from it. We are really thrilled about it.” Narasimhaa, a child reporter studying in Gunjalli village says, “The work of Ramalingeshwara Gudi temple in our village had stopped. After we wrote about it ,the work has started again. Also our article has resulted in cemented roads being built in our village.” Still a lot need to be done though. Children are writing about need of more classrooms, more teachers, better toilets in schools and villages, building of drains, power supply and even more. They are hoping that it will be just a matter of time when these issues get addressed.

Not all is hunky dory though. Like every other journalistic venture even this newsletter of children has faced stiff resistance testing their determination and courage. “In a particular village, the Gram Panchayat members had confronted the children and their families, after the children wrote about problems in their village. Finally, when they realized that the program was done in association with Zilla Panchyat they had no option but to keep quite and solve the problems highlighted by the children.” says Farzana the taluk level Coordinator of the program at Raichur Taluk. A child reporter in Kudlur village said, “We wrote that people in our village need buses and then pasted the Chinnara Manasa Patrike on the walls here. Some auto drivers who were afraid of their business getting affected with the start of bus service, tore the newsletter and threw it to the garbage in front of us. Also most people don’t know to read and write and hence do not understand that we are writing issues mattering to them. They simply tear it like they tear away any movie poster. Also, children are given contact numbers of master trainers so that they can always be contacted if any issues come up during and after the newsletter is made.”

Visthar is a secular, non-profit organization, committed to enabling women, children and other marginalized sections realize their rights. Visthar campus is located at dodda gubbi post on the outskirts of Bangalore city. One of the projects at Visthar is Bandhavi – an initiative for girls hailing from North Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, who are at risk of being dedicated as devadasis. It is a residential school program that enables the rescued girls to grow as individuals, as well as build a community that lives in love, respect, trust and friendship.

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India, the home of over one billion people is a third world economy. One of the problems of the third world is unemployment, and with one billion people having few job openings, it is natural for huge number of people migrating overseas in search of opportunities to make a living and earn a better life. But migration comes with its own pros and cons. Some people attain success and some don’t. Some find themselves alienated in a different culture while others find acceptance. Some people can embrace change making peace with self and the newfound land where as others spend their lives struggling hard and yet longing for what they consider as their real home. The brand Angkor and Cambodia opened up as a new market in the last decade of 20th century after years of violence. With tourism industry booming in Cambodia, the nation became a preferred choice for many people to head there for business. Lot of Indians too followed the suit. Among them was Dharmanand Sharma, an enterprising Indian chef from the foothills of Himalayas. Sharma had years of experience working in hotels of Mumbai, Delhi and The Middle East. Sharma was well aware of the growing popularity of Indian food. With the hope of getting into restaurant business he first entered Cambodia in 1997. In the last 12 years, Sharma’s fortunes went up and down many times but ultimately he was able to set-up a successful Indian restaurant named ‘New Delhi’ in Siem Reap. And it wasn’t just excellence in profession which Sharma found in a foreign land, he also found love. Sharma found a companion in Soni, a Khmer woman. Sharma, an Indian Hindu and Soni a Khmer Buddhist, are now man and wife with each retaining their cultural identities and yet at the same time embracing new ideas to raise their multicultural family with two children. Sharma and Soni together run the restaurant business. At the opposite end of the spectrum are Indian salesmen who migrated from Gorakhpur and other rural areas of Uttar Pradesh province in northern India. Most of them have little education and were doing in low skilled jobs back in their hometowns. With limited opportunities back home, they followed one another to Siem Reap and other places in South East Asia in search of jobs that could give them better salary. Back in India, a sales rep job was always looked down upon by their friends and family. In Cambodia, they really have no relatives to pass judgement on their vocation and are happy to earn a lot more than they would have earned in India. But their work involves travelling across Cambodia carrying garments, toys, mosquito nets, watches, small electronic goods other small items and trying to sell them at door steps of peoples home. Their families are all back in India and these salesmen have only themselves to keep company. Their work brings them money but not much happiness. They find their work extremely tiring and monotonous and are unable to find alternative to what they do. They have not been able to accept Cambodia completely.

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The Indian mainstream media was busy preparing lead stories, that were to be made for July 4th, the American Independence day. So was the entertainment industry occupied with planning for parties, events, campaigns, promotions, sales, and all that is ‘page3′ for the same reason: Celebrating freedom!

But, all that changed with a landmark judgment by the Delhi High Court… July 2nd 2009, will go down in the pages of Indian legal history. ‘July 2nd’ will mean much more to Indian sexual minorities than what ‘July 4th’ means to Indian media.

Provisions under the Section 377 of Indian Penal Code criminalized consensual homosexual acts of adults in private. The Delhi High Court struck down this controversial section saying it violated the fundamental rights of life, liberty and equality.

Gay rights activists, lawyers and the sexual minority community across Indian sub-continent held celebrations to mark this occasion. In Bangalore, the celebrations were held at United Theological College. Here, I share with you all, the moments from that event I was witness to. A piece of history I must say.

By the way, to all my American friends… Happy Independence day:-). To all the partying crowd in my city, enjoy the Indian cocktails on Saturday night;-). But, do spare a thought for the sexual minority community who have been fighting a long battle for equality.

Cheers,
Nishant

P:S For rest of the other photographs, please visit the set on flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/travelling_writer/sets/72157620753060559/

Paintings of Hindu gods left behind by a business house at Bhavaninagar after the premises vacated in a hurry due to portion of the shop getting acquired by state for building of Kaderenahalli underpass.

Every year, 10th of March is observed as the Tibetan National Uprising Day. This year it was the 48th anniversary of this day. In Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka state in India, mass public demonstrations and rallies were planned on March 9th and 10th to observe this day. The photographs in this story document the events and happenings which occurred during these two days. As a prelude to this, around 150 monks who were mainly from the monasteries of Bylakuppe (located in Karnataka state) staged a week long ‘Peace march’ which began on 3rd of March at Mysore and culminated on 9th of March in Bangalore city.

Day 1: 9th march, 2007

The monks arrived in large numbers to the city. After a brief break, they began a rally from Chicklalbagh to Mahatama Gandhi statue.

They came from differents parts of India, where they have found a home to stay as long as their struggle lasts.

They marched on telling the people of the city about what they had been doing for a week: Walking on searching for peace.

The principle of ‘ahimsa‘ or Non-violence is the core of their movement. This was evident for a stranger to their struggle, as it could be seen by the posters which depict the two apostles for peace from this sub-continent region.

The Tibetan flags were all over the place: flying high, on the shoulders, people draped in them.

All the while they recited ‘Janchup Semchok‘, a Tibetan prayer for peace where they request the people who have no kindness in their hearts to fill it with kindness and for people who have it, to spread it all over the world.

And as they sang, they dreamed of the day they could return to their homeland.

The women leaders came out and read out the intentions of this march undertaken by these monks, their demands and the sufferings of their countrymen, to the people of Bangalore city

They continued to read repeatedly and tirelessly the message of the monks in English and Kannada languages.

Also, their message to the world was clear. It is high time United Nations intervened seriously to resolve the issue.

The Tibetan leaders in the city later honored the monks who undertook the week long march, by presenting them white shawls.

The Tibetan youth who came to show their support for the monks joined them in their prayer for peace.

Day 2: 10th March, 2007

They came from all walks of life.

The message was loud and clear as they marched shouting slogans with painted faces,flags and banners

A Passionate Moment. Emotions were running high.

Even the mothers were out on the streets to remind the world of a fateful day in history.

Everyone had a message to send across… The young….

…And the old. Some of then as old as the movement.. and some, even older.

With blessings of His Holiness behind them, they marched on.

Some decided to spread the message through the ‘sounds of silence’…

The youth were kept motivated by their leaders. Some of them relied on words..

Some, by just their very presence: Lhakpa Tsering La, youth leader who attempted self-immolation in the year 2006 when the Chinese premier visited India.

Even the bruises echoed their message.

Moment of silence as a mark of respect for all those who have sacrificed their lives for the movement.

They sang the national anthems of both their mother land and as well of their adopted home,India….

They listened to what the leaders had to say.

With utmost seriousness

Once again, another March 10th passed by. Another walk, Another petition, Another protest, another year…. When will the issue be resolved?

‘Rangzen’ (independence) is what he wants. But the ‘holiness’ asks for true autonomy. But, will he get any of those?