Musing
March 31, 2025
I met Riya Hembrom, a bright and curious seven-year-old, on my way to Sundrafalan village in Dumka district, Jharkhand, during my three-month stay as a Development Apprentice. The program focuses on making choices based on first-hand experiences and begins with exploration through an immersive phase, where one lives in a village, observing, reflecting, and gaining a deeper understanding of rural life. Riya was easy to talk to—full of questions, quick to smile.
May 9, 2023
Pitaji always used to tell me “Mehnat karo, ache se padhai karo, aage jaa ke Engineer banna hai”. My childhood at Ganj Kishangarh Bas in Alwar district of Rajasthan was full of dreams and dedicated efforts to realise those dreams of becoming an Engineer. I hardly missed a class in my school at Khairthal, a few kilometres away from my native village.
August 5, 2022
A critical analysis on why income enhancement, financial independence and decision-making alone are not sufficient to ensure that a woman’s voice is heard, her space established and her development guaranteed
November 11, 2021
Considering the implications of pathological altruism in social work, this article is based on the assumption that some people may, sometimes, act ‘social’ as a way of living vicariously through their developmental beneficiaries. If true, this has negative personal and professional consequences. The author alerts us to our practices and provokes development professionals to introspect about the subtle psychological dynamics of their work
November 10, 2021
Opening up avenues of change and enhanced economic stability and encouraging village women to take on leadership roles in the community is transformative and satisfying…however, this brings with it an increased burden of responsibilities for them as well as an increase in the psychological abuse they face in their families: Does PRADAN have the capability to hold or address this?
September 7, 2021
Changing one’s mind is not a weakness. In fact, it is a strength because one leaves behind one’s old beliefs and seeks the truth
August 31, 2021
Identifying the aspirations of the rural youth, helping them look at the world of possibilities and providing training and guidance in their preferred choices is one way of ensuring the optimum use of the human potential, leading to nation building
August 23, 2021
Recognizing and respecting the enormous wisdom of the adivasis and the age-old ways they care for the ecosystem while sustaining themselves will go a long way in supporting us to use our resources judiciously. Any sweeping changes imposed on them without an understanding of this delicate balance will have disastrous consequences on humankind and our planet
June 8, 2021
Creating films that have relevance and meaning for the local audience is essential to stimulate change in thinking and action. Choosing topics such as the traditional foods and recipes, and highlighting their nutritional value not only serves to revive dying practices but also inculcates pride in traditional practices and tribal customs
March 23, 2021
Imposing developmental solutions in a language foreign to the villagers is a pitfall that Development Practitioners must avoid. True transformation happens when practitioners communicate their knowledge and wisdom in the local language and with deep understanding of the traditional culture and practices of the tribals they are engaged with