Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...
Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh taking salute of NCC cadets. The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has said that the youth of today are a force that can truly transform the nation and enable it to get rid of poverty, disease, underdevelopment and ignorance. Addressing the PM’s NCC Rally here today, he said “we are living in a rapidly changing and increasingly interconnected world”. Dr Manmohan Singh said the youth today are not only aware and ready to articulate their views but are also willing and prepared to participate in shaping our polity and society in a way that responds to their aspirations. This is an extremely positive development, he said. Dr Manmohan Singh acknowledged the vital role and commitment of the NCC to groom future leaders. He mentioned that NCC is the foremost organisation that empowers the youth with sound values and cherished ideals, yet offering plethora of opportunities to excel in all walks of life and become worthy citizens of our great Nat...