Citizens for Justice and Peace
Our life is linked to the forests we call home: Van Gujjars Receding forest cover and forced 'rehabilitation' is imperiling their existence
20-Feb-2021
They are often hailed as eco warriors, as they take care of the forests, they live next to. For the Van Gujjar community taking the health of the forest is a top priority. But now, their very existence, as a community is in peril, as the forest cover is shrinking across the land, and the…
Artisans near Tagore’s Shantiniketan face penury and ruin CJP grassroots fellow Ripon Sheikh speaks to artisans and small business owners
19-Feb-2021
Bolpur Shantiniketan’s Khowai haat is a weekly fair, by the Khowai river, where many artisans and artists find their sources of income. CJP grassroots fellow Ripon Sheikh speaks to artists and small business owners to know the impact of lockdown on their livelihoods and how would their income be affected by the shutting down of…
Who sprayed chemicals in an eco-sensitive forest area in Haldwani? Brave Van Gujjar woman’s video recording reveals atrocities by Forest Department officials
02-Feb-2021
“Hit me, I dare you… Do what you want, don’t you have stomachs,” a woman belonging to the forest dwelling Van Gujjar community is heard confronting a man, reportedly a Forest Department guard who can be heard threatening her. She was recording a video of the guards attacking a group of her fellow Van Gujjar community members who were resisting the department’s plan to…
No access to online classes, Akash ‘sir’ to the rescue! Meet a class 12 student who is making sure village children don’t suffer because of the digital divide
27-Jan-2021
Akash was hoping to study hard and go to college this year, however the Covid-19 lockdown 2020, turned his life upside down. A student of class 12, this is the most crucial academic year for Akash. However, it is one of the worst years he says. He does not own a mobile phone, and is…
Hard work and resilience: The success story of two men from Jawhar Born into abject poverty, they overcame all obstacles to become financially independent
16-Jan-2021
This report is part of CJP’s Grassroots Fellowship Program, and has been written by Mamta Pared who hails from the Warli tribe and lives with her family in Nimbavali village in Palghar district. The daughter of brick kiln workers, Mamta wants to be a journalist, and is working on earning a master’s degree in journalism…
Don’t miss out on CJP Grassroots Fellows’ stories This #CJPWednesdays let's take a look at stories documented by our Grassroots fellows
13-Jan-2021
CJP grassroots fellows are bringing out stories of communities that are often ignored by the mainstream media. From protests in solidarity with farmers in Bengal to daily wage workers’ concerns, from lives of the indigenous tribes to sharing traditional music of the communities that we work with, they have been busy documenting the world around…
Have you ever heard the hypnotic notes of the Tarpa pipe? The Warli art of making music from gourds, bamboos and an ancient playbook of memories
08-Jan-2021
It looks as unusual as it sounds, a bulbous pot-bellied gourd on one end, merging into slender bamboo on the other. You may have seen it in the centre of some traditional Warli wall paintings, where a Tarpa player is the core of the spiral of dancers, who seem to be moving in unison under…
Terracotta tales: When earth, water and fire meet, a story is born Potters are eco warriors, creating biodegradable functional utensils, but the industry is declining
30-Dec-2020
Potters are the original eco warriors. For generations, potters have kneaded clay and water, and their deft fingers have mounded this earthy dough into every kind of utensil imaginable. Their skill is passed down generations, a heritage, that is not merely learned, it is lived. But one cannot live on heritage status alone. Daily bread…
Education is the biggest weapon to win the battle against poverty CJP fellow Ripon Sheikh speaks to inspiring Adivasis of Bengal
29-Dec-2020
This report is part of CJP’s Grassroots Fellowship Program, and has been written by researcher Ripon Sheikh, who is travelling around rural Bengal, tracking and documenting social and cultural movements of indigenous people. For this report, he meets inspirational citizens who are working to educate members of the Adivasi communities they themselves belong to, leading by…
Tinku Sheikh: Migrant worker who became a CJP Grassroots Fellow Introducing our new Grassroots fellow
28-Dec-2020
CJP is proud to introduce its newest grassroots fellow Tinku Sheikh. Growing up in poverty, Tinku managed to study till the 8th standard before he moved to Mumbai as a daily wage worker. During the lockdown, when Tinku was facing tremendous difficulty, CJP came in touch with him amid our ‘CJP against hunger’ campaign. Watch this…