Varanasi, India – “Hum paani ke jeev hain. We are creatures of water,” says 29-year-old Vishwakarma Sahni. Sahni belongs to Varanasi’s community of approximately 8,000 mallah, the boatmen whose lives are deeply intertwined with the Ganges – a river considered sacred in India and which they hold in profound reverence. To them, the Ganges is … Read more
Opponents and rights groups allege repression has increased in recent years. Six weeks of voting have begun in an election where India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term. Opponents say repression and sectarianism have increased under his leadership. So, what are the issues? And will the election be free and fair? Presenter: … Read more
What’s your money worth? A series from the front lines of the cost-of-living crisis, where people who have been hit hard share their monthly expenses. Name: Manisha Santosh Kadam Age: 42 Born: Manchar, in the Indian state of Maharashtra Occupation: Cook Lives with: Her husband, Santosh, 48, their daughter, Rithuja, 21, and son, Sujal, 17. … Read more
Kochi, India – A chance encounter when he was selling postcards to tourists in Jew Town as a 13-year-old in the early 1980s would change the course of Thaha Ibrahim’s life. Growing up in Mattancherry, a bustling hub of the spice trade in the southern Indian city of Cochin (now Kochi), Thaha Ibrahim had always … Read more
Elections are weeks away in India and opposition parties are attempting to take on the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking a third consecutive term. The opposition claims that Modi’s success rate has very little to do with his governance – but more because scores of his political rivals have … Read more
The collapse blows the chance for both firms to better compete with international streaming rivals. Sony has announced that it is pulling out of a $10bn merger of its Indian operations with local rival Zee Entertainment. Sony’s confirmation on Monday that the deal, agreed three years ago, is a deathblow to the hopes of both … Read more
More than 36 years ago, 72 Muslims were massacred in the Indian village of Maliyana. Today, victims still await justice. On May 23, 1987, 72 Muslims were massacred in the village of Maliyana in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The violence was allegedly carried out by a mob of locals and the state government’s … Read more
In the latest episode of UpFront, we look at how relations between the two countries have evolved in recent decades. India has traditionally been a supporter of Palestinian rights, so it was a surprise when, amid Israel’s deadly air strikes, India abstained from a vote on the United Nations resolution calling for a ceasefire. Early … Read more
Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images LGBTQ activists attend a pride parade in Kolkata on June 25, 2023. CNN — In a landmark decision, India’s top court has ruled in favor of upholding the rights of the LGBTQ community, but stopped short of legally recognizing same-sex unions. The ruling is a partial victory for LGBTQ Indians who have … Read more
Reason for derailment not immediately known as India’s Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw says cause of accident will be identified. At least four people were killed and several others injured when an express train derailed in the Indian state of Bihar, local media and officials reported. The train from Anand Vihar Terminal railway station in … Read more