Dear Reader,

The impact of the pandemic on the economy over the past year made Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget announcements an even more eagerly awaited event than usual.The Print analyses the various provisions of the budget which reflect the priorities of the government for the coming fiscal year, and concludes that it is betting big on growth.

Mojo Story follows with the other big news story of the week – the farm protests and the incidents that unfolded at the Red Fort on January 26, India’s Republic Day. It does a deep-dive with Yogendra Yadav, a leader of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (the united farmer’s front), to unravel and make sense of the events of that tumultuous day.

The Caravan profiles the rising farmer-leader Rakesh Tikait of the Bhartiya Kisan Union who is credited with single-handedly reinvigorating the farmer protests after the fiasco at the Red Fort.

Meanwhile, there have been a spate of cases against journalists including the editors of The Caravan and The Wire in connection with their tweets on the farmer protests. The arrest of a journalist was opposed by independent and digital media journalists, who protested against the incarceration at the Delhi Police headquarters, The Wire reports.

And, Feminism in India reports on how a three-century-old fair in Assam, the ‘Joonbeel Mela’, has enabled the lives of the women of the Tiwa community by providing a place to “sell, dance and enjoy a safe place”.

For these and more stories from our grantees on what has been an eventful week, please read on.

Warmly,

Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
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Budget 2021: Big push for growth

The Print analyses the Union budget 2021-22 presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and examines the different allocations and the government’s priorities. The verdict: The budget is big on growth and infrastructure development.

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Yogendra Yadav | Farmers Protests | "India's Capitol Hill Scandal"

The farmer protests have witnessed tumultuous scenes, especially on the nation’s Republic Day on January 26th. Mojo Story talks to one of the leading actors of the farmers’ movement, Yogendra Yadav, to unravel what happened on that fateful day.

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Muzaffarnagar riots and legacy issues: Rakesh Tikait’s unlikely rise to farmer leadership

The Caravan profiles the ascendency of the Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait who is perceived to have rescued the farmer’s movement by his defiance of the government’s diktat to vacate the protest sites, immediately after the events on Republic Day. The story charts his course as a farmer leader amidst the rough and tumble of politics of western Uttar Pradesh.

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Journalists Protest Against Arrest of Mandeep Punia

Journalists from several digital and independent media platforms protested the arrest of independent reporter Mandeep Punia in front of the Delhi Police headquarters. Punia was arrested by the Delhi Police from the Singhu border, one of the sites of the farmers’ protests. Punia has been remanded to 14-day judicial custody on charges of preventing a public servant from doing his duty. The Wire speaks to the protesting journalists.

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Joonbeel Mela: A Barter Market Providing Autonomy To Women Sellers Of Assam

Feminism in India profiles a fair that has played a vital role in empowering women-sellers in Assam for over three centuries. The Joonbeel mela is a market-fair based on the concept of ‘barter system’ which was first started in the 17th century by the Gobha King of Tiwa. And since then every year, the Tiwa community has been organising the Joonbeel Mela. The women come here every year to “sell, sing, dance and enjoy the safe space”.

Read Here
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