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The Borderlands: Travels through the North-Western frontier, in search of human stories
Borderlands, an upcoming documentary film by Samarth Mahajan, attempts to tell stories from the areas which line India's frontiers — stories which are left out of the mainstream narrative, or presented largely through the lens of the army, war or nationalism. In this series, Firstpost follows Mahajan and his team as they travel across India, presenting snippets from people's lives. In Part 1, stories from the North-Western frontier.
After Cyclone Fani, women in a migrant fishing community start resilience fund
Women in a migrant fishing community in Odisha have created a resilience fund to shield themselves from disasters in the aftermath of cyclone Fani. Mapping resilience of women-led households and learning from their behaviour can provide insights to prepare better for the future.
A tale of two hospitals in two countries: How an emergency revealed broken state of Indian healthcare
In a broken system, hospitals don’t trust insurance companies to pay bills; insurance companies don’t trust hospitals not to inflate charges; and the hospitals, insurers and patients all know that going to the courts with a claim means endless years of litigation, from which lawyers will be the only ones to profit.
As Naga Sadhus gather for annual Pushkar Mela, a glimpse into their philosophy of detachment
The 'Naga Sadhus’ (literally meaning ‘Naked Yogis’) are a part of the Shaivite sadhus' sect. They gather in the holy city of Pushkar for the Mela.
At the Sonepur Cattle Fair, humans and animals meet to celebrate myriad cultures and traditions
Touted as Asia's largest cattle fair, the carnival in Bihar's Sonepur village is held a fortnight after Diwali, on the day of Kartik Poornima. Located at the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Gandak, the village attracts traders from as far as Central Asia during this time of the year, with the carnival going on for close to a month.
Along the Line of Control, a life marred by violence and wrenching separations
Life along the Line of Control — the de-facto border between India and Pakistan — bears the marks of violence, and those who live here wage daily battles of their own.
Oil spill in Bangladesh's Karnaphuli River a threat to critically endangered Ganges dolphins
The oil spill in southeast Bangladesh is the latest in a series of environmental disasters affecting river based ecosystems in the country, showcasing how inadequate the environmental safeguards are
Binodini Dasi's searing story has inspired two upcoming biopics: Will she finally get her due?
With two upcoming films based on the life of Binodini Dasi, the trailblazing 19th century actress — whose name is little known outside of West Bengal — may finally get the recognition she's always deserved.
Wayanad's agrarian and tourism prospects increasingly threatened by climate change
A hill district on the Western Ghat known for tourism and large scale cash crop production, Wayanad in Kerala is one of the major places of south India where the impacts of climate change and global warming are acutely felt.
The Delhi Starter Pack: The Triumvirate
Three things in Delhi shaped me, the very three things no one can escape: The school of thought, the travel and the houses I have lived in. I call it my Delhi starter pack, my triumvirate | Poetry by Jhinuk Sen
In Kashmir's Kishtwar region, Save Marwah Movement stiffens struggle against building of Bursar dam
In Kishtwar, a remote region of Kashmir, the Save Marwah Movement stiffens struggle against building of Bursar dam.
Can a new elephant reserve address human-elephant interaction in Chhattisgarh?
Increasing human - elephant interaction has been one of the major concerns for the tribal communities and forest dwellers living in the forest areas of the northern and central Chhattisgarh. On 15 August, 2019, the Chhattisgarh government declared a large area as an elephant reserve.
En route to Annapurna Base Camp, every turn is more mesmerising than the last
The Annapurna Base Camp trek through Nepal shouldn’t be difficult for ones who’ve trekked before. However, if one isn’t confident of taking the journey all by themselves, doing so with friends might be a good idea, provided they are appropriately fit. Hindi is commonly spoken in the valley, and the locals are warm and friendly. And don’t forget, a smile can take you a long way, even through the mistiest of mountains.
Call of Duty: Can Modern Warfare restore the franchise's somewhat tarnished glory?
Will the new Call of Duty prove to be the equivalent of a greatest hits album put out by a greedy, rights-retaining publisher to squeeze every last dime out of a dying property? Or will it signal the start of a fresh, refocused direction that will breathe new life into the series?
Monitoring Delhi's monkey business: Will a census, professional mimics help tackle growing primate population?
Monkeys straying into human settlements, primarily in search of food, are causing disturbances, even attacking humans. This has been an ongoing problem in Delhi and the government has planned a census of the monkey population in the city, for area-wise identification and tackling of the issue.
Warli tribe’s Save Aarey movement serves as beacon of community spirit and inclusive activism
Even as the number of trees felled at Aarey stands at 2,141, the locals — members of the Warli tribe — who revere and rely on the forest have found strength in solidarity.
Livelihoods of Pakistan fishing communities along the Indus dry up with the river
Dam construction and other upstream activities have left the fishing communities in Pakistan along the Indus with little to fish, and livelihoods that have dried up with the river.
With the Historian's Eye, William Dalrymple records his travels across the Indian subcontinent
The Historian’s Eye presents a photographic record of William Dalrymple’s travels across the Indian subcontinent while researching his latest book, The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire.
Kutch's Ajrakh craft suffers, as declining water table, excess iron hamper artists' practice
Ajrakh from Gujarat, a 16-stage, water-intensive block printing technique that uses natural dyes, is once again facing its major nemesis — poor quality of groundwater.
Following the UNCCD COP 14, steps now need to be taken to implement insights
Following the discussions at the UNCCD COP14 last month in New Delhi, steps now need to be taken urgently to implement those insights on land degradation, drought management, and sustainable agriculture.
Victims of an unfinished city: Lavasa's regulations row has left villagers fighting for their land
Once touted as India’s first hill city, the Lavasa project near Pune remains abandoned following years of regulatory and financial troubles. Locals from nearby villages continue to fight for their land that was taken for the project. The assembly elections in Maharashtra on 21 October also do not offer much hope to villagers.
Delhi That Was: Photos by Raghu Rai, Madan Mahatta, Habib Rahman hold a prism to the past
Despite having been painfully magnified to reveal the country’s sore veins for decades, Delhi remains — in more ways than one — elusive, eternally mysteriously and distant from both the past and the future. An exhibition of photos from three legendary archives, titled Delhi That Was, offers a similar perspective.
Rural Nepal's women, burdened by menstrual taboos, find solace in the forest
Photographer Uma Bista’s project Our Songs from the Forest is a testament to how the menstrual taboo of chhaupadi continues to exist in Nepal. But she goes beyond its documentation, exploring the ways in which young women are rebelling against custom and how they find solace in the forest.
Finding Vilnius on a journey through Lithuania — a hidden jewel by the Baltic Sea
With its mix of culture, history, nature and delicious cuisine, a trip to Vilnius in Lithuania should be just what the holiday doctor ordered.
Western Maharashtra floods: Activists blame state government for the recent deluge in Kolhapur
Activists blame the Maharashtra government for the recent deluge in Kolhapur, alleging that flood lines of the Panchganga river were redefined to provide benefits to the builders.
Aarey's condemned trees: A look at some of the 2,700 green sentinels facing the axe
On 29 August 2019, the BMC's Tree Authority, acting on a proposal by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, green-lit the felling of 2,702 trees in Aarey Colony. This is a look at the condemned trees.
Goa's waterways splinter, as ill-planned road development continues unabated
To prevent the disruption of local hydrology, residents of the Nuvem village in South Goa are protesting the building of a highway bypass that is inundating their paddy fields with monsoon rainwater, leading to crop loss.
On Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, keeping his light shining through solar lamps and clean energy
Over one million students across 100 countries will assemble solar lamps to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, as part of a global event led by Professor Chetan Singh Solanki.
As droughts blight Asia, organisations are creating toolkits for victims of the crises
As severe multi-year droughts blight Asia, organisations are coming together to create toolkits and response mechanisms to deal with the crisis.