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Dear Reader,
Fishers in India live precarious lives. Torn between nature’s foibles and man-made follies, they pay a price in terms of their safety, livelihoods and even their life. TrueCopy Think brings us an evocative documentary from Muthalapozhi Harbour in Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram on how a facility for those who depend on the sea for their living has turned deadly, with a staggering sixty-five deaths in just the last eight years.
Strange wave patterns, unscientific breakwater construction and severe silting have been identified as the reasons behind the turning of the once-thriving seashore into a death trap.
Like fishers in Kerala, gig workers -- app-based delivery persons, on-demand drivers, care providers, etc. -- ubiquitous in our cities and towns -- face their own challenges. While they have been seen as the totems of economic growth, it is also acknowledged that they are a very vulnerable segment without formal structures and rules to protect their interests.
Recently, the state of Rajasthan brought the Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act, 2023, -- legislation designed to extend welfare entitlements and social security and was hailed as a step in the right direction. However, The India Forum points out that while Rajasthan’s legislation may have been “well-intentioned”, many of its provisions are “flawed” and raise concerns.
Another aspect of our society that is flawed, and perceived to be so, is the working of India’s justice system, where instances of perjury and fabrication of evidence by law enforcement agencies have become an unfortunate norm. In a two-part investigation, Article 14 finds that despite the courts finding mala fide actions by the police, and witnesses, nothing at all is done to bring the culprits to book.
And, Kashmir, is a land of bounty, both in terms of nature’s gifts and the exquisite quality of its produce – its fruits, its horticulture and agriculture. However, tragically, Kashmir’s climate is changing. A report by the state government on the climate change in the Valley points to a continuous and rising trajectory in temperatures.
Citing the report, Kashmir Observer points out that in the past hundred years, Kashmir has witnessed a rise in temperatures which has surpassed the average global rise of 0.8 degrees Celsius, to increase by 1.2 degrees. This threatens to devastate the sectors that are dependent on water – agriculture, horticulture and hydropower; and cause melting landscapes resulting in floods, landslides and avalanches.
For more such stories from the grantees this week, please read on.
Warmly,
Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
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