A rose among guns
Having grown up amidst bloodshed, it was natural for Binalakshmi Nepram to dedicate her life for peace and disarmament. But, as Lesley D Biswas finds out, she also helps widows restart their lives through Manipuri Women Gun Survivor Network
Peace activism
A group of students in Kolkata are working to spread the message of peace after they lost four of their friends in a terror blast in Pune last year. Lesley D Biswas finds out their plans
A glass ceiling
Travelling through rural India, as a Grassroutes fellow, Anurag Gumber meets some young people with aspirations to pursue education but caught in a cul de sac due to lack of social security
Hear, India
Giving a voice to the voiceless is ‘India Unheard’, a community news service, run by filmmaker Stalin K and his wife Jessica Mayberry. Pamela D’Mello tunes in and listens to the real voices
Growing MAD
Among those who were excited by Michelle Obama’s visit to Mumbai are some poor boys, who managed to speak to her in English. It happened only because two youth in Kochi wanted to Make A Difference, five years ago, says Kavita Kanan Chandra
Perseverance pays
In 2005, when Abhay Sahu started his campaign against a POSCO project in Orissa, he could mobilise just 18 supporters. That he made it a people’s movement is history, says Basudev Mahapatra
Saving a lake
It started with a date. A single date palm that is. Today the Puttenahalli lake has been restored with abundant greenery, thanks to the efforts of Arathi Manay, says Marianne de Nazareth
Mission rescue
Two young animal lovers in Pune have done something more than commiserating about the plight of stray and injured animals. Divya Mangwani meets Tanya Kane and Neha Jangle, who started ResQ
Pedalling a cause
A farmer’s son is riding a bicycle somewhere in India just because he wants more people to have eye sight. Lesley D Biswas catches up with Chayan Mondal, who wants us all to pledge our eyes
A homecoming
Rikin Gandhi was all set to be an astronaut. But he flew down from the US to help farmers with his expertise in digital technology. He tells Kavita Kanan Chandra that his present work in rural India is more meaningful than going into space
Other side of RTI
The Right to Information Act heralded a glorious future for Indian democracy. But some activists who use it have faced violence. Kavita Kanan Chandra tells us what happened to Yashwant Gavand
Know Binayak
Who is Dr Binayak Sen? As different sections of people see him in different light, Amit Sengupta tells us six things about the doctor and social activist, who has been convicted on sedition charges, that the government will not let us know
Lights on
Without waiting for politicians, two young college students in Mumbai have embarked on a mission to light up villages with solar lamps. Kavita Kanan Chandra throws light on Project Chirag
Person of the Year
Year-end is the time to look back. The Weekend Leader does it by celebrating Tanishk Shyamya's social enterprise even as P C Vinoj Kumar looks back, rather nostalgically, on street food moments, putting the young woman's work in perspective
Giant killer
Durga Munda has been behind the CBI filing a slew of corruption cases against many politicians in Jharkhand. Santosh H K Narayan profiles the tribal crusader who vows to carry on the fight
