Unsung Heroes

Savitribai Phule may not be as famous as Mahatma Gandhi or Swami Vivekananda. But her impact on the liberation of the Indian woman has been no less spectacular or significant. One of the earliest crusaders of education for girls, and dignity for the most vulnerable sections of society - dalits, women and widows, Savitribai broke all the traditional shackles of 19th century India to herald a new age of thinking. She can be legitimately hailed as the mother of Indian Feminism. Read about her remarkable life of courage and initiative.

Jean Giono’s 1953 story, ‘The Man Who Planted Trees’ tells the tale of a shepherd named Elzeard Bouffier, who planted trees all along an Alpine Valley to recreate a desolate forest. Whether Bouffier ever existed in reality or not, we may never know. But in Kasargod district of Kerala, there lives a man in flesh and blood who actually did this - a man who bought 32 acres of barren land and planted a forest there - all by himself! Read more

TBI writer Anusha Subramanian is currently in Uttarakhand, participating in the relief operations and assisting the locals in rebuilding their lives. She reports from the scene of the devastating floods on the current situation in the affected areas, on the aid provided by the administration, and the stupendous work being carried out by trekkers, mountaineers, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), army personnel and NGOs.

India's rape culture has given birth to many women activists and icons. Bhanwari Devi, a victim of gang-rape in 1992, is one of them. As an epitome of sheer courage and conviction, she inspires women to take a stand for their rights. But the irony of the whole situation is that even after she has won awards, recognition and leadership status at all levels, her very basic need, justice, remains unfulfilled!

Today we bring you a unique story. A story of two people with exemplary courage, spirit and ideals. A story that shows, more than any Bollywood movie can, that true love has a higher purpose. That marriages can achieve a lot. Even more surprisingly, what mere weddings can achieve a lot! So read, learn and be amazed.

A visit to Oddoor farms near Mangalore, Karnataka, provides an inspiring example of the efforts made by Rajesh Naik to transform 120 acres of barren land into a lush green farm through his persistent efforts of creating a 2 acre wide and 50 feet deep lake, which has not only transformed the surrounding area, but has also helped in improving the water table in the surrounding village, besides helping in the development of a self sufficient organic farm and a dairy.

Yoginder Sikand introduces you to the renowned scholar Khurshid Kaimkhani. Chacha, as he was fondly called, lived an extraordinary life and strived hard to work for the betterment of the lower caste Hindus and Muslims in Pakistan. Having been forced to leave his village in Rajasthan, Khurshid Chacha travelled extensively and even penned a book about his home town. Read on to know more about him and the inspirational life he lived.

He has the courage to raise voice against the social evil of bride trafficking, enslaving and exploitation of women. He has the passion to inspire and lead a 300-kilometer ‘March Against Female Foeticide and Gender Inequality’. He has the perseverance to fight all odds because he wants to build an India where women will live with respect and equality. Meet Shafiq ur Rahman Khan, the founder of ‘Empower People’.

A writer describes his meeting with Sudhanshu Biswas, the 99-year-old freedom fighter from West Bengal who runs schools, orphanages and dispensaries for the poor.

Sunitha has said time and again that the silence of the society towards human trafficking has to change. Let us become aware and appreciate her work.