Pari Sagar

The People's Archive of Rural India (PARI) is a digital journalism initiative established in December 2014 by veteran journalist Palagummi Sainath. It functions as a multimedia platform dedicated to capturing the essence of rural India through a diverse range of content, including detailed stories, video, and photo essays. PARI's coverage spans numerous categories such as farming, indigenous communities, caste issues, women's lives, healthcare, the rural-urban divide, and resource conflicts, aiming to provide context and depth for its audience.

The platform emphasizes authenticity and detail, showcasing India's occupational, linguistic, and cultural diversity. Content is regularly published in English and ten other Indian languages, often with the help of volunteer translators. Beyond its journalistic output, PARI hosts a free online library containing reports and surveys relevant to rural India and features a unique section called FACES, which maps India's facial diversity. It has been recognized as a significant contribution to public-spirited journalism.

PARI operates as a 'living, breathing archive' rather than a breaking news outlet, focusing on topical coverage of rural India. Its content is organized into approximately 26 categories, encompassing themes like 'Things We Do,' 'Things We Make,' 'Women,' 'Adivasis,' 'Environment,' and 'Resource Conflicts.' The platform frequently publishes ongoing series that delve deeply into specific issues. These include extensive documentation of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on ordinary Indians, detailed coverage of farmers' protests and their demands, and a series on climate change developed in collaboration with the UNDP, featuring lived experiences from various agro-ecological zones. Additionally, PARI features a series on women's reproductive health in partnership with the Population Foundation of India, highlighting struggles and achievements related to gender and healthcare.

Beyond its regular reporting, PARI undertakes significant archival projects. The 'Foot-Soldiers of Freedom' category preserves the stories of India's last living freedom fighters. The 'Grindmill Songs Project' is a vast collection of traditional Marathi couplets sung by women, offering insights into village life, culture, and social issues. PARI also documents the impact of national events like demonetization and the implementation of Aadhaar cards on rural populations. The platform aims to serve as a 'textbook for the future' by systematically recording India's rapidly transforming countryside, including unique occupations, arts, and crafts that risk disappearing. The FACES project specifically records the facial and occupational diversity across India, while PARI Education provides teaching resources for classrooms.

The PARI Library functions as an extensive online repository of publicly accessible documents and data pertaining to rural India. It is curated for students, researchers, and the general public, offering free access to a wide array of materials. The library's collection includes reports, journal articles, surveys, laws, research papers, and historical writings, with dedicated sections on subjects such as climate change, health, gender, and agriculture. A notable component is the PARI Health Archive, which comprises over 120 resources focused on health, nutrition, and the COVID-19 pandemic. This comprehensive resource aims to support a deeper understanding of rural India's complexities and challenges.

““one of the brightest spots of public-spirited journalism””

““living, breathing archive””

““We had fought for independence and freedom, but our contribution was forgotten,””

““We had fought for independence and freedom, but our contribution was forgotten,””

““the stigma around infertility, the emphasis on female sterilisation, the lack of ‘male engagement’ in family planning, inadequate rural healthcare systems that too are out of reach for many, unqualified medical practitioners and dangerous childbirths, discrimination due to menstruation, the preference for sons – and more. Stories that speak of a wide range of health-related prejudices and practices, people and communities, gender and rights, and the everyday struggles and occasional small victories of women in rural India.””