G D Agrawal: An Old Man and A River
Friday the 13th is the day G D Agrawal chose to begin his historic fast-unto-death in protest of the government’s plan to build four dams on the River Ganga between the Gangotri Glacier and the Himalyan town of Uttarkashi. Local demonstrations of support were held around the country, including this one organized here in Dehradun […]
Core Group: Out and About!
It’s always good to get a new perspective. We took the Core Group on the road this week when we went to visit Preeti Kirbat at the home of her new project, Astitva. Preeti has been associated with us in a variety of ways (not least being that she is married to Dr Sebastian) – […]
When I was a child . . .
Moy Moy has been pretty patient with us. For years now, we have been treating her like a baby, and she hasn’t objected too strongly. Her corner of the room is full of toys and storybooks and we dress her in “frocks” and put bows in her hair. Why did it take us so long […]
Ducks for Change
I sent this photo to a bunch of people who help us with the creation of the Karuna Vihar calendar every year. These are the hard-core calendar fans, the ones who wait eagerly for its arrival each year and who read each word it contains carefully and critically. I treasure their involvement and delight in […]
The Mysteries of Childhood
These two little waifs in the foreground have fascinated me for well over a year, which is when I took this photo. There is something ancient in their expressions (particularly the one in blue), something deep and unfathomable which is in contrast with the view we like to hold of childhood and its innocence and […]
Summertime at Latika Vihar
It’s been a slow time on the blog! Sorry about that. The combined pleasures of having Cathleen at home, shorter hours in the office and a general summer relaxation have me at the desk less (and when I am here I am more likely to be playing Scrabble online with my demon sister, Lucy – […]
Baba Amte
And now for something entirely different. When Baba Amte died in 2008 at the age of 93, the world remembered him as this century’s mightiest champion of people affected by leprosy. He was that indeed, but his vision was more complex and more compelling than any one issue could elicit and the more I read […]
Shaheen Mistry
Here’s a dynamo. Shaheen Mistry is young, brilliant and very articulate. She is also fearless and a natural leader. Akanksha is her brainchild and it is a rare pleasure to watch her in action with the team of dedicated and creative teachers who have been drawn to her vision of bringing education to children from […]
Akanksha – Be the Change
I’ve been looking forward to this since January – Shaheen Mistry, whom I admire to the point of hero-worship, invited me to come and speak at Akanksha’s annual Education Convention – a colorful, creative extravaganza in which bright, lively young teachers come together to celebrate the Akanksha vision, re-dedicate themselves to its mission and pick […]
The Latika Roy Foundation – Larger Than Life!
There we are, in all our glory! Of course, as usual, there are a few missing – most of the Core Group for starters, with Sebastian goofing off in Holland, Savita in a training for counselors in Delhi and me behind the camera; as well as most of the Latika Vihar staff – but it’s […]