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FeaturesTurbulent backwaters
Kerala is recording a double-digit growth in tourism. Accompanying this are appropriation of commons by resorts, violations of coastal regulations, loss of livelihoods for fishermen, and a mindless destruction of the local ecology. How can Kerala promote a more responsible tourism? More... From eco-tourism to equitable tourismSun, sea and sand are not enough. Add sustainability to your holidays. The new trend of responsible tourism goes beyond eco-tourism. It looks at the triple bottom line - tourism's impact on the local economy, society and the environment. Kerala's Periyar Tiger Reserve is perhaps the finest example of the transformation of a mass tourism destination into a high-value, low-impact zone More... FAQs about SEZsSome hard-hitting facts and figures about Special Economic Zones (SEZs) that rarely make it to the headlines More... Tackling maternal mortality in MPShivpuri and Guna districts in Madhya Pradesh have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in India. But in a PHC in Satanvara block, two young doctors have ensured not a single maternal death in 257 deliveries they've handled over one year More... Tribal participation in developmentAn interesting experiment in getting tribals to identify and prioritise their problems, especially relating to infant and maternal mortality, is under way in Orissa and Jharkhand More... No war but no peace, no violence but no harmonyFive years after the Gujarat riots, many victims are still struggling to pick up the pieces of their lives. Ignored by the Gujarat government and ostracised by the majority community, Muslims find themselves deprived of jobs, civic, medical and educational facilities, and even a future More... Alternative confusionThe India Social Forum is about different political and social movements joining forces to fight the forces that are militating against local economies, community use of land, non-Western civilisations and cultures. But in the Babel that was the ISF, most of the voices got lost More... Protected areas, vulnerable communitiesThe closure of the Simlipal Wildlife Sanctuary every monsoon compounds the problems of marginalised tribal communities living within the sanctuary. Cut off from the outside world, they are denied even the most basic facilities, especially healthcare. In one month, 13 children of a single village died of malnutrition-related causes More... Democracy as a means of getting powerThe coup in Thailand marks the end of a skewed 15-year experiment with democratic governance by Thaksin Shinawatra, a corporate leader who used democracy only as a means to legitimise his power More... American dream at the crossroadsAt 12.7%, the US poverty rate is the highest in the developed world. Inequality is on the rise. Neoconservative politics and the dependence on unilateral military might are undermining American’s multiculturalism, goodwill and economy More... Sunil Kumar (1971-2006): The life and death of a BhopaliSunil Kumar, a Bhopal gas survivor who worked tirelessly with the international campaign for justice on Bhopal, committed suicide recently. Thousands of other survivors suffer psychological afflictions, but there are no provisions for the treatment of mental health problems as a consequence of the gas disaster More... The seeds of a new social movementTrade liberalisation has had a severe impact on Kerala's fisherfolk. With no organised lobby to fight for their rights, the fisherfolk have been fighting among themselves, leaving the wealth of the sea to be plundered by middlemen and the global marine industry. But this August, traditional and mechanised fishermen across caste and communal divides, came together to fight the 62-day ban on monsoon trawling More... Challenging Western stereotypesMainstream global media are busy portraying India as the new superpower. But while they're challenging some stereotypes they're still blaming India and the rest of the developing world for most global problems, including overpopulation, global warming and pandemics More... Sri Lanka's e-tuktuks boldly go where no others have gone beforeIn Sri Lanka, the ubiquitous Bajaj autorickshaw has been transformed into an 'e-tuktuk' -- a complete radio station and multimedia centre. Besides being a community radio station, the amazing e-tuktuk allows Internet access even in the remotest villages and takes digital photographs More... Gadchiroli: Inside the Red LineIn the jungles of Gadchiroli in interior Maharashtra, it is clearly the Naxalites who call the shots. Caught between the gun-wielding ultras and the forest guards, impoverished locals say they prefer the Naxalites, whose presence has reduced harassment from the forest guards and forced the forest contractors to pay them higher wages More... Farmer suicides: Societal pressures compound the agrarian crisisGadchiroli farmer Shankar Sonule, who committed suicide in July 2004, had an outstanding agricultural loan of Rs 15,000, and a loan of Rs 75,000 for his daughter's wedding. The agricultural crisis in Vidarbha is compounded by debts to finance lavish weddings, dowries and other social obligations More... Ready for changeVillage vignettes from the two-month-long padayatra that wound its way through drought-affected regions of Maharashtra More... Dump on us: We're IndiansThe Ministry of Environment and Forests is today one of the most vociferous proponents of waste dumping in India. The fate of the French warship Clemenceau - waiting to enter the country with a few hundred tonnes of toxic substances -- could be the clincher that decides whether or not India will remain a trash-servicing economy More... Village for saleThe village of Dorli in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, has put itself up for sale -- land, homes, livestock, everything. Is it only a form of collective protest? Or, as agricultural yields drop, input costs rise, and loans pile up, their only hope for a life of dignity? A special report from the village More... The impact of aid, and the need for a balanced approachThere are over 500 NGOs in 13 villages of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry working to help the tsunami affected. But, the livelihood measures undertaken by these organisations have often created more anomalies than they have brought relief to some fishing communities More... Communication during a catastropheThe media has been very predictable in its coverage of the Asian tsunami. But then, why expect anything else? More... Taking stock: the Fritz reportExcerpts from surveys by the Fritz Institute on relief and rehabilitation More... Homeless bluesIt will take a concerted effort to tide over the post-tsunami habitat crisis More... Women face double discrimination during disastersWomen were discriminated against in the disaster and its aftermath More... |
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