Images of India

Officially, India has about 12 million workers under 14, more than any other nation. Voluntary groups put the number at a whopping 60 million. The law does little to address the reasons that compel the family to put children to work: poverty, debt and marginalisation. Kids have no option but to work, parents have no option but to put them to work. In 2006, a 1986 ban on child labour was extended to the domestic and hospitality sectors but for those who work 15-hour days in the confines of urban homes or slave in street food stalls, the law hasn't held much hope. Life for them is still meagre wages, leftover food, cast-offs to wear, a space on the floor...and a lost childhood. Report dated 15 Jun, 2009

An artisan paints a chariot for the Rath Yatra, also known as the "Chariot Festival", at the Jagannath temple in Ahmedabad. The annual religious procession, which will be held on June 24, commemorates the mythological journey of Hindu deity Jagannath to his birthplace in Mathura. The procession starts in the morning from the Jagdish Mandir in the Jamalpur area of the city. The chariots of Jagannath (incarnation of Lord Krishna), Balram and Subhadra, ornamented with garlands, are taken around the city amidst much pomp and pageantry amidst chanting of Vedic hymns. Report dated 14 Jun, 2009

Bollywood - a combo of 'Bombay' and 'Hollywood' - widely used for India's movie industry is a complete misnomer. India produces over 1000 films a year in over 15 languages. Hindi films usually produced in Mumbai (Bombay) account for only between 150 to 200 annually. The movie business generates between US$ 2.5 billion to 4 billion every year yet it is not given the 'status' of an industry by the government. Report dated 11 Jun, 2009

Sikh pilgrims on a special train to Pakistan at the railway station in Amritsar (June 9, 2009). Hundreds of Sikh pilgrims are expected to take part in the 403rd Martyrdom Day celebrations of the fifth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Arjun Dev ji which falls on June 16, celebrations for which are being held at Gurdawara Dera Sahib in Lahore from June 9-17. Report dated 10 Jun, 2009

The Bathini Goud family, which has been distributing a free fish medicine for over 160 years, started administering it at the sprawling Exhibition Grounds in Hyderabad on June 8. About 300 members of the family are busy administering the drug to the thousands of patients from India and abroad. A yellow herbal paste, the ingredients of which have remained a family secret, is first put into a live three centimetre-long murrel fish and is then slipped down the throat of the patient. If taken for three successive years, the medicine is believed to cure asthma. Report dated 09 Jun, 2009

The scared, polluted Yamuna River is New Delhi's main source of water. It is one of the most polluted rivers in India. At Wazirabad on the outskirts of New Delhi, one can spot bubbles of fetid gas emanating from rotting sewage. Half-a-billion US dollars have been spent on cleaning up the river, but it has mysteriously just become worse. Up to 40% of the city's water supply is lost in leaks and seepage along the 8,900 kilometers of water pipeline that the city government runs. At the current rate of water consumption, New Delhi reserves will run out by 2015. Report dated 08 Jun, 2009

Members of students' associations protest in New Delhi against the senseless attacks on NRI students in Australia. The Indian students are considered soft targets and are racially abused, mugged, robbed, attacked and their property vandalised. Some have escaped with minor injuries, some have been critically wounded. There have been at least 10 reported cases in the last 30 days. Several cases go unreported. Tourist traffic from India this summer has already seen a dip of 50%. Report dated 07 Jun, 2009

Tata Motors unveiled its new range of world standard trucks on June 2. Tatas expect to increase their 10 per cent share in the export market to 25 per cent. The new truck was expected to be launched in the quarter - July-August - and exports to start by the end of the financial year. The company will introduce the new vehicles in South Korea, South Africa, the SAARC countries and the Middle East. The company has invested Rs.1000 crores to modernise the existing plant in Jamshedpur and will produce 55,000 units of the new range per annum. Report dated 04 Jun, 2009

Preparations are on for the approaching monsoon season. The most excited are children who get new raincoats, rain shoes and colourful umbrellas. Report dated 02 Jun, 2009

A Karbi tribal woman sells Bakhor, a preparation of herbs and rice flour used in the preparation of rice beer, in a market in Assam. Rice beer is a delicacy among tribal communities in northeast India. Every household prepares its own rice beer for daily consumption. Report dated 01 Jun, 2009