Khabar Lahariya

A Mask Crusader, a Virus-Killing Bracelet, and a Medical Motorbike

Originally published as part of Khabar Lahariya’s long-form series “Sound Fury & 4G“ ♦ June 18 was a typically busy day in India. In the morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his latest scheme, the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (loosely translated, Poor People’s Welfare Employment Campaign), this time to benefit migrant workers. Before noon, he had …

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Eighteen Years of Khabar Lahariya

Originally published as part of Khabar Lahariya’s long-form series “Sound Fury & 4G“ ♦ A few years ago, a daroga, or excise officer, was investigating a local leader in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh for bootlegging liquor. The daroga, a Dalit, sanctioned a raid on the upper-caste neta’s home. Khabar Lahariya reporter Suneeta Prajapati, who had her …

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The Hunger Pandemic: Ash-filled Stoves and Empty Stomachs in Rural Uttar Pradesh

Originally published as part of Khabar Lahariya’s long-form series “Sound Fury & 4G“ ♦ Around the world, social media feeds have become feasts for the eyes and spurs to the appetite, flooded with photos posted by people working from home and cooking for themselves. While professional and amateur chefs serve up lockdown recipes, writers churn out …

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A Tale of Two Universities: Student Politics, Caste and Compromises

Part of the Khabar Lahariya long-form series “Sound Fury & 4G” ♦ “This is how it happens during elections,” Priya* tells us during an interview in Banda, Uttar Pradesh. She’s an MSc Physics graduate from Atarra College, Bundelkhand University, but as a Dalit, doesn’t feel she can speak freely without anonymity. “There’s some Panditji, and some …

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