Publications

Vikas Samvad: A Manual for Social Activists
This Hindi publication, supported by the British High Commission, is a Manual for social activists and grassroots writers to assist and facilitate them to write more effectively. Drawn from our ten years experience of Charkha skill-building workshops and our interaction with both grassroots writers and the national media, the manual is an attempt to both help the activists to highlight their social challenges and to sensitize the mainstream media. Although it has no formal curriculum, the manual takes the reader on an interesting and learning journey through a first person narration of the sutradhar.

Jal Jangal Zameen focused on the experiences of grassroots activists concerned about the plight of adivasis and dalits who were being deprived of their share of air, water, forest and land in the name of development.

Panchayats Empower Women showed how women in Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab, Tamilnadu and Uttar pradesh fared with empowerment after a third of the seats in panchayats were reserved for women.It traced individual stories of struggle against death threats and defamation, a comment on our tradition bound society.

Pani Ghano Ammol was a result of the visit of the Charkha team to various districts in Gujarat and Rajasthan where they studied successive models of rainwater harvesting which had withstood the severe drought conditions of the new millennium. This was released at the Gandhi Peace Foundation and was highly acclaimed by Nai Duniya, Asian age, Dainik Hindustan, Rashtriya Sahara and Dainik Bhaskar.

Charkha Samvad, a popular Hindi newsletter, comprises stories from the grassroots and has grown to become a shared platform for like-minded individuals and organizations.

Sonu ka sapna- Aage badna is a colour booklet that delves into the role of women in the Panchayat as a tool of social change. Supported by the Hunger Project and published by Charkha, it encourages young girls to dream big and realize them.

Charkha Vikas Samvad is an initiative as part of our 10th year celebrations. This bi-monthly, bilingual e-Newsletter informs our subscribers of the Charkha activities, workshops, media interfaces, and development documentaries, among others. It also carries selected published features from the grassroots. Charkha Vikas Samvad is yet another initiative that links the rural reporters to the upper echelons of society, thereby exploring further the digital form of communication. To subscribe, click here.