"Tribals are being treated like stray cattle"
Twenty seven-year-old chekkoth karian janu has never attended school. But this has not prevented her from becoming a champion of the rights of …
"We hope to encourage alternative lifestyles"
Having successfully brought the plight of the peasants and tribals of Narmada valley into international focus, MEDHA PATKAR continues her crusade …
Farming out the problem
A recent report that the Union ministry of environment and forests may be "exploring the possibility of allowing private persons to breed wild …
The monsoon always catches the government unawares
First there was the mounting suspense. All of India awaited with bated breath the arrival of the south west monsoon. Would it arrive? Miraculously,…
“Aboriginal people in Australia still do not have right over their land”
Poet and writer ALI COBBY ECKERMANN was in India recently to launch her memoir, Too Afraid To Cry. The book is an account of her growing up as a …
We want to ensure an NGO in every village
Anna Hazare's name is synonymous with rural development and people's power. Hazare had once again hit the headlines in May by undertaking a fast …
'Development paradigms should match tribal culture'
SITAKANTA MAHAPATRA'S poetry got him the prestigious Jnanpith award for 1993. His poems, written in Oriya, have been translated into many Indian …
The blind Court
This is a story of justice denied. On February 13, 1996, the Supreme Court, the highest seat of justice in the country, ruled that five units …
Geared to derail
Late last year, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Indian Railways (IR) castigated the for squandering money on import deals which would …
Whither liberalisation
The post-GATT liberalisation era has come to India not only with its enchanting platter of economic efficiency, technological treasure trough …
Droughts in India were caused by El Nio
Richard Grove , a noted environmental historian from the Australian National University, Canberra, takes an active interest in the climatic and …
"We don't intend to threaten India"
The Environmental Investigation Agency ( eia) is one of the leading international environment organisations in London. Recently, it has …
Empowered panchayats make for true liberalisation
A myth actively perpetuated by traditional politicians and a supportive bureauracy is that panchayat bodies are India's lowest ranked …
No need to be neutral
NEW DELHI, August 28, 2003. At a press conference, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patekar said that the NBA would support candidates …
On the defensive at Cancun?
Recently Arun Jaitley identified agriculture and investment as the two main issues for next month's World Trade Organization ministerial …
Indian science must stop merely aping West
Cynicism is perhaps the natural fallout of a long career within the government machinery. But when Yash Pal, one of the country's leading …
The great experimenter
For ages, Indian farmers have practised ecofriendly farming by using local resources to improve soil fertility and control pests and diseases. …
'There is a conflict in gene patenting in India and abroad'
ASIS DUTTA, a senior biologist at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, is the first Indian scientist to have applied for a gene patent in …
Wild & fragile
The Western Ghats in the south of India have forests which are, for some plant species, their exclusive home on this earth. No wonder then, that …
"It is wiser for industry to invest in pollution control"
He was the archetypical activist-bureaucrat. For A N YELLAPPA REDDY, former special secretary to the government of Karnataka's department of …
Promises to keep
With the 1996 general elections just around the corner, the nation's premier political parties are back to making elaborate 'green' promises. But …
Dying wisdom
Rise and fall of traditional water harvesting systems in India They are called kuhals in Jammu, kuls in Himachal Pradesh and guls in Uttarakhand.…
The water bearer
ANNA HAZARE bids a heavy-hearted farewell to the late Vilasrao Salunkhe, better known as 'pani baba'. Salunkhe's revolutionary concept of '…
Andaman & Nicobar turtles face extinction
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the third most significant biodiversity hotspot in India. With a coastline of 1962 kilometres and many …
Medical education in India does not address larger social needs for health care
Medical education is in the news for all the wrong reasons. The government's decision to extend reservations in institutions of higher education …
