Hello,

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, after her hard-fought silver medal in weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics, is the toast of the nation. The Foundation’s grantees report on her heavy lifting both in the Olympic arena and in her life.

Imphal Free Press covered the hero’s welcome that Chanu was given after her triumphant return from the Tokyo Olympics - from the Imphal airport to her home – live on Facebook. The News Minute reported her life’s journey – the heartbreak of the defeat in Rio Olympics in 2016, her fightback from the ashes of that crushing failure, keeping the faith despite the poverty she lived in and her identity as a person from the Northeast.

Keeping it on sports, Mojo Story brings you this fascinating story from the Ajmer Tehsil of Rajasthan, where young girls, forced into child marriages under the pandemic lockdown, are finding their freedom in football!

And, Asiaville profiles the life of Gajapathy, a boxing coach in Chennai, who has trained more than 4,000 boxers over 48 years, he stresses the importance of discipline, hard work and perseverance - qualities our Olympians exemplify.

The Behali Reserved Forest in Assam’s Biswanath district, one of the richest cradles of biodiversity in the state, EastMojo reports, is now victim to illegal encroachment and deforestation, with many species on the verge of extinction.

And, The Caravan's four-month-long investigation into India’s Civil Registration System, the comprehensive digital records of births and deaths of Indian citizens, finds that the database has been compromised for at least two years now, with fake certificates being sold for a mere two hundred rupees.

For these stories and more from the grantees this week, when the Olympics dominates our imagination, please read on.

Warmly,

Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
 
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Saikhom Mirabai Chanu: One Olympic medal and its many stories

The News Minute recounts the struggles of Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist – her comeback from the failure at the Rio Olympics 2016, her battle against poverty and her identity as a person from the Northeast of India.

Read Here
 
 

COVID | Young Girls Say No to Forced Child Marriage, Say Yes to Football Instead | Mojo Documentary

Economic hardships, the uncertainty of life amidst the pandemic, and the closing of schools have pushed young girls in Rajasthan into early marriages. Mojo Story travels to Hansiyawas, a village in the Ajmer Tehsil to tell the story of girls who are fighting back and finding their freedom in football!

Watch Here
 
 

வித்த தெரிஞ்சவன் வெளில காட்டமாட்டான்!’ - பீடி தாத்தா | Meet | Ep 03 | Sarpatta Coach Gajapathy
Asiaville speaks to Gajapathy, also known as Beedi Rayappan, a boxer and a coach, who has spent a lifetime coaching aspiring boxers and has even been immortalised on celluloid.

Watch Here
 
 

Biswanath’s only forest is on verge of extinction, but locals aren’t giving up

EastMojo focuses on the degradation of the Behali Reserved Forest in Assam’s Biswanath district and highlights the initiatives taken by the local community and activists to save the forest from illegal encroachment and deforestation.

Read Here
 
 

One for the Record Books
The Civil Registration System, India’s comprehensive database for births and deaths, has been compromised with fake certificates available for a mere pittance. The Caravan investigates.

Read Here
 
 
 
 
 
More from the grantees
 
Muslim women in India’s workforce: Where are they?
Even though Muslims are India’s largest minority, they are grossly under-represented in the workforce and at leadership positions in both the private and public sectors. India Development Review looks at what it will take to change this.
 
Zomato's Success Signposts Arrival Of Patient Capital, Faith In Domestic Listings
Swarajya notes that the huge success of the Zomato IPO, which was oversubscribed 38 times and listed at a premium of more than 50 per cent, is a seminal moment in the Indian stock market. It not only signals the arrival of “patient domestic capital” but also the acceptance of domestic listings by Indian start-up investors.
 
 
Indian Economy Explained: How COVID-19 shrunk household savings
Suno India discusses the impact of Covid-19 on household savings and debts in the backdrop of the latest Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, which shows a decline in financial savings.
 
A Roadmap to Safely Reopening Schools For Our Children
As the debate on the reopening of schools rages, The Bastion highlights the necessary conditions for the move – comprehensive vaccination, preparing the school premises, instituting social distancing norms and a plan for contingencies.
 
 
College students recycle flower waste into organic dyes, help destitute women earn a livelihood
Through a unique initiative, a group of college students are turning floral waste into dyed fabrics in Delhi and providing employment to destitute women. Down To Earth chronicles the effort.
 
“हाँ किन्नर हूँ मैं, लेकिन हूँ तो इंसान ही न!” | KhabarLahariya
Khabar Lahariya speaks to a transgender woman who recounts her experience of how society’s attitude towards the transgender community is changing, but slowly.
 
 
The UAPA Is One Of Many Modern-Day Avatars Of The Draconian, Colonial Rowlatt Act
The UAPA and related laws are being used to suppress freedom to dissent and indefinitely jail dissenters without trial, Article 14 argues.
 
Old Brew Is Back With Samovar’s Creative Revival In Kashmir
Kashmir Observer reports on how Samovar, the traditional copper kettle used to brew tea, one of Kashmir’s cultural icons, is making a comeback in the UT.
 
 
 

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