André and Magda Trocmé Le Chambon-sur-Lignon is a village on the Vivarais Plateau in the Auvergne, a hilly region of south-central France. During World War II, even as the Germans were occupying France and other parts of Europe, the residents of Le Chambon (along with those of the surrounding villages) did something remarkable: From December…
061. Kokkarebellur: Community protects migrating birds
Birds in Kokkerebellur (Photo: Kuttan) Kokkarebellur is a village located 80 km from Bangalore in Mandya District of Karnataka, India. For six months of the year, it is a quiet village like any other one in that rural area. In December, however, a spectacular transformation occurs here with the arrival of hundreds of spot-billed pelicans…
Q 02. Hope in dark times: Inspiring quotations 2
Sixty stories and more to come! Yesterday I published the 60th story on this site in as many days. There are 20 meaningful tales and 40 inspiring true stories (33 stories about individuals, five on communities and people’s movements, and two from the corporate sector). From now on, I will be publishing 2-4 stories every…
060. Mulla Nusruddin: Where should one find happiness?
For the 60th story, I turn to my favourite character: Mulla Nusruddin Mulla Nusruddin on his donkey Mulla Nusruddin was walking on the road and he saw a man sitting on the wayside, looking very unhappy and dejected. Mulla asked him, “What is bothering you?” The man replied, “I have nothing of interest in my…
059. Jyoti Kumari: Biking home 1200 km carrying injured dad
Mohan Paswan and Jyoti Kumari On March 25, 2020, the Government of India imposed a countrywide lockdown to prevent the spread of corona virus. The citizens got just a few of hours of notice. The lockdown was a shock to all but specially so to India’s millions of migrant labour. With the stoppage of all…
058. Plachimada: Who owns the ground water?
Mayilamma: Iconic Face of the Plachimada Struggle If a soft drink industry owns a piece of land, can it exploit the ground water without any limit? This is the core issue in what came to be known as the Plachimada case in Kerala, India. In January 2000, the Perumatty Panchayat gave permission to Hindustan Coca-Cola…
057. How should we judge a horse (or any person, for that matter)?
Pen Lo had for many years breeding horses for the Duke. Pen Lo was getting old and so the Duke asked him to find a younger person from his family to take over the breeding of horses. Pen Lo told the Duke, “We can judge a horse by its muscles and appearance. But the best…
056. Popatrao Pawar and Hiware Bazar: From Poverty to Prosperity
Popatrao Pawar Hiware Bazar is a village in Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra, India. A resident, Raosaheb Rauji Pawar, recalls how things were in the village about 50 years ago: “We lived in a poor village, but were happy with our simple lives. But, after the drought of 1972, the peace was shattered. People became irritable…
055. Desmond Tutu: Standing for justice, truth, and reconciliation
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu of South Africa is a great living moral icon of our time. He was the first black South African Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, and primate of the Anglican Church of South Africa. Desmond Tutu played a key role in…
054. The stonecutter’s wish
There was once a stonecutter who went up a mountain every day to cut stones. Though poor, he was content with his life and work. One day, he was called to cut some stones in the mansion of a nobleman. On seeing the magnificent mansion and all that was inside, the stonecutter had a sudden…