Whatittakes

Casteism or filth, Suganda Kamble of Maharastra's Bahadurwadi village, tackles both with humour

For the Dalits of Bahadurwadi, a village in Maharashtra’s Sangli district, Suganda Kamble has come to represent hope. Kamble has, for the past five decades, been sweeping the village, collecting garbage, cleaning the gutters and public toilets, and looking after Bahadurwadi’s sanitation. While doing this work, Kamble has also consistently challenged the caste system, with his trademark dark humour.

In Tamil Nadu's Puliyanoor village, an organic underwear brand called Thuvam is ushering a quiet change

Thuvam's 100 percent woven cotton underwear is made by women, for women and is the brainchild of 26-year-old Ponmani Pethurajan.

In Rajasthan, the Manchaha Initiative is encouraging weavers to make the loom their window to the world

Manchaha rugs are taken up of one’s own volition and an increasing number of weavers are opting to do so across several villages in Rajasthan as well as other states. What’s being woven on these looms isn’t just yarn, but also the hopes, dreams and aspirations of these women.

Widows of Vidarbha, Marathwada farmers discuss their inheritance of loss at Mumbai protest meet

Bereaved women farmers have been able to articulate their problems in public after years of mobilising efforts by the Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM)

In Wade Bolhai, visually impaired calendar salesman Sambhaji Bhor fights for the rights of the disabled

For the past two decades, Sambhaji has been selling calendars. This started off in the late 1990s when one of his uncles suggested him to make a living out of it. The piece of advice changed Sambhaji’s life as he embarked on the journey of traversing villages.

As I-League 2018 kicks off, a look at the rise of Real Kashmir FC — and that of Valley's football culture

Football has had a relationship of ups and downs with Kashmir. And the story of Real Kashmir FC, the first team from the state to play in the I-League first division, has grown out of that tumult.

Asha De Vos on following her dream to become a marine biologist, studying pygmy blue whales

Though people in her home country Sri Lanka thought that becoming a marine biologist was 'frivolous', Asha De Vos decided to follow her dreams. She works towards making the oceans safer for whales

To Russia, with love: Six Indian football players are headed to the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Six youngsters from India, part of the Oscar Foundation's football-for-development initiative, will be travelling to Russia to participate in a series of workshops and conferences and watch a game at the ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup

Ordinary women, extraordinary stories: These teachers in rural India's schools are real-life heroes

In government schools in rural India, female teachers are everyday heroes | #FirstCulture

Raja Kumari: LA-bred singer-songwriter is poised to be the queen of desi hip-hop

Los Angeles-bred rapper and singer-songwriter Raja Kumari (Svetha Rao) has had a good year, with collaborations with Divine and Anirudh Ravichander, and a Sony Music deal