Dear Reader,

Journalists and activists have been under the cosh in recent times, with threats, detentions and cases -- mostly for taking up public causes, often in defiance of local governments and leaders.

Article 14 reports from Sidhi in north-eastern Madhya Pradesh, on the detention of ten men, including a journalist, who were made to strip, ostensibly because they dared to question a local legislator of the ruling party. This follows a pattern in the state, which ranks only behind Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh when it comes to attacks on journalists.

Institutional care is critical to reducing maternal mortality and bolstering the health of both the mother and the child. However, a ground report from Uttar Pradesh by Mojo Story shockingly finds that blatantly perpetuated stigma and discrimination based on religion have deprived pregnant women of basic care and dignity in state-run medical facilities.

The India Forum brings you the story of India’s first Primary Health Centre (PHC), established in Najafgarh, in West Delhi, in 1949. The model for the role of the ‘public health nurse’, developed at the PHC – one, getting the citizens and the community to the health centre and two, documenting their health status and access – has stood the test of time.

And, in an impact story, seven years after the Andhra Pradesh Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Special Task Force (RSASTF) killed 20 men from Tamil Nadu in an “encounter” in the Seshachalam forest, for their alleged involvement in smuggling red sanders, The News Minute brings the anguish of their families, who still await justice. Following the coverage, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin responded and promised them legal assistance.

For more such stories from the grantees, please read on.

Warmly,

Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF

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Why A Journalist & 7 Theatre Artistes Were Attacked, Paraded In Underwear By Madhya Pradesh Police

Article 14 investigates the arrest and stripping of ten men, including a journalist, seven theatre artistes and two others, in Madhya Pradesh, inside the Sidhi police station, apparently under pressure from a ruling party legislator.

Read Here

Reproducing While Muslim: The Crisis of Obstetric Violence Against Muslim Women in UP

Mojo Story reports from UP on how religious prejudices and biases have eroded access to safe births and healthcare in the state government’s hospitals.

Read Here

How a Village in Delhi Influenced Public Healthcare in India

The India Forum focuses on the country's first Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Delhi’s Najafgarh and its influence on the healthcare system.

Read Here

20 men from Tamil Nadu shot dead in 2015, no justice yet

The News Minute reports on the anguish of the families of 20 men from Tamil Nadu killed by the Andhra Pradesh RSASTF, in an “extra-judicial killing” seven years ago, alleging that they were involved in felling and smuggling of red sanders. The story led to intervention by the Tamil Nadu chief minister.

Watch Here

More from the grantees
Suicides and fratricides in Central Armed Police Forces, a cause for concern
As the cases of suicides by personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) spurt alarmingly, with 1,200 fatalities in the last ten years, The Probe discusses the issue. Are they being provided with the institutional support to deal with job-related stress and mental-health issues, it asks.
Brewing in Uncertainty: The Lives and Livelihoods of North Bengal’s Tea Plantation Workers
The Bastion brings the story of the precarious state of tea plantation workers, particularly in North Bengal, who have been denied their minimum wage and basic rights.
#Begusarai: मवेशियों के इलाज के लिए कोई भी पशु चिकित्सालय कार्यरत नहीं, गायों को हो रहा कैंसर
Cattle rearing is an alternate source of revenue for farmers in Begusarai in Bihar, and veterinary hospitals are an essential cog in the wheel. However, Democratic Charkha finds the veterinary hospital in the district mostly shut and, even when open, medical care and medicines are at a premium.
Maharashtra: पठारी क्षेत्र संगमनेर में पीने के पानी की भारी किल्लत, दर-दर भटकती महिलाएं |
HW News reports from Darewadi village in Sangamner taluk in Maharashtra, where women have to walk 3 kms every day and climb down a 50-feet well, risking their lives to fetch water.

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