PARI Team

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PARI Founder Editor P. Sainath has won the <a href="https://fukuoka-prize.org/en/">Fukuoka Grand Prize</a>
– among Japan&#39;s very top international awards (open to people from all
Asian countries). It was announced this year on June 28. At the awards ceremony – scheduled for
end-September – the crown prince of
Japan is usually present. Sainath is the first ever winner in the <a href="https://fukuoka-prize.org/en/laureates?q=Journalism&amp;year=&amp;nationality_id=&amp;field_id=&amp;prize_id=&amp;action=search">journalism</a>
category.

There are three prizes: Academic Prize,
Culture Prize and the Grand Prize – the 
biggest of the lot. Previous Indian winners of the Academic Prize include
Prof. Romila Thapar. Previous Indian winners of the Culture Prize include sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. The last Grand Prize winner from India was composer-musician A. R. Rahman (2016). This award carries a cash
prize of 5 million yen (roughly Rs. 33.5 lakh).

To Sainath, it has been given also taking
PARI into account. The <a href="https://fukuoka-prize.org/en/laureates/detail/de88519f-9b41-45c8-9e0d-bfdbb241e3a7">full
citation</a> on the Fukuoka Grand Prize website mentions
PARI in the very first paragraph. It says that Sainath is: &quot;A passionately
committed journalist who has continued to investigate impoverished farming
villages in India, listen to voices from the rural population, capture the
reality of the people’s lifestyle, and report &#39;rural stories&#39;. As
Asia goes through turbulent changes, Mr. Sainath has been seeking new
&#39;knowledge&#39; and promoting civil cooperation. For this reason, he is a very
deserving recipient of the Grand Prize of Fukuoka Prize.&quot;  

Sainath has announced that the cash prize (about
Rs. 33.5 lakhs) will be used this way:1) Rs. 12 lakhs will contribute to helping
families of rural journalists who have died of Covid-19 -- 25  families will get Rs. 50,000 each

2) The remaining amount of a little
over Rs. 20 lakhs will go towards setting up 10 new PARI fellowships for rural
journalists working in Indian languages, and from Dalit and Adivasi
communities.

These are the  details and <a href="https://fukuoka-prize.org/en/laureates">Sainath’s acceptance speech</a>.
The website of the prize has photographs of Sainath in the field and at one of
his many talks with a houseful audience. There is even a photo of the entire
PARI team. 

During his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF57I2kCt4o&amp;t=10s">40 years
in journalism</a>, Sainath has won over 50
national and international awards, and journalism fellowships. But he has also declined
a few, like the Padma Bhushan, which is given by the government of India.

He has taught thousands of journalism students and
continues to teach over a hundred of them each year. He also mentors scores of
reporters, and inspires several photographers, filmmakers, editors, writers and
readers. 

This is PARI’s 30th prize in six and a
half years of our existence.

Other recent big wins

On June 3, 2021, the PARI
series on <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/pari-series-on-womens-health/">Women’s Reproductive Health
Rights</a>
won a Special Mention in the Asian College of Journalism Awards, 2020 in
the Investigate Journalism category. The reporting in the ongoing series, in
collaboration with the Population Foundation of India, is the work of an
all-women team of reporters. Those whose reports figured in the series winning
a special mention include: 

Kavitha
Muralidharan, Anubha Bhonsle, Priti David, Amruta Byatnal, Jyoti Shinoli,
Sanskriti Talwar, Pallavi Prasad, Medha Kale and Jigyasa Mishra for their
stories from February to November 2020.On April 5, 2021, the Spoorthidhama Foundation in Karnataka – an organisation dedicated to the values and ideals of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar – announced a lifetime achievement award for PARI founder editor P. Sainath for his “exceptional contribution and commitment to journalism,” his “exemplary service through PARI,” and his “concerns towards socio, economic and political inequalities.” The award, carrying a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, was conferred online on April 14, Ambedkar Jayanti.This is the 30th award won by PARI since we launched in December 2014. The full list so far follows.

People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI): Awards received from 2015 to 2021 30. Fukuoka City Foundation and Citizens of the City, 2021 
















P. Sainath wins the Fukuoka Grand Prize for
his outstanding journalism and as the founder of PARI. The award is conferred
every year to honour individuals who have made contributions to the fields
of Asian studies, Asian art and Asian culture. 29. ACJ Journalism Awards, 2020PARI Women’s Health series wins the Special Mention award in the Investigative Journalism category for stories published in the series in the year 2020. The award goes to: Kavitha Muralidharan, Anubha Bhonsle, Priti David, Amruta Byatnal, Jyoti Shinoli, Sanskriti Talwar, Pallavi Prasad, Medha Kale and Jigyasa Mishra for their stories from February to November 2020 in the series: <a id="10544" linktype="page">PARI series on women’s health</a>28. Spoortidhamma Foundation 
















P. Sainath wins the Bodhivruksha Award for his
journalism work and as the founder of PARI. The award is conferred every year
on people who have dedicated their lives to enable and empower the socially
excluded communities through their meaningful interventions. 
 27. WAN-IFRA ‘s South Asian Digital Media Awards, 2020 The PARI Team won the silver prize of WAN-IFRA ‘s <a href="https://wan-ifra.org/2020/12/south-asian-digital-media-awards-2020-winners-announced/">South Asian Digital Media Awards</a>,
 2020. PARI bagged the Silver in the category &#39;Best Special Project for 
Covid-19&#39;. Beginning from the last week of March, PARI has published 
nearly 150 landmark stories and stories and documents related to impact 
of the lockdown on the livelihoods and daily lives of the most 
marginalised segments of India.26. Press Institute of India-International Committee of the Red Cross media award PARI Reporter Jigyasa Mishra won a Press Institute of India-International Committee of the Red Cross media award for her story <a id="10891" linktype="page">Footprints of protest in the sands of a mine</a> (June
 6, 2020) in the category Best Article on a Humanitarian Subject. The 
story records the courageous and inspirational battle of women farmers 
to save the Ken, one of Bundelkhand’s major rivers, from the 
depredations of a sand mining mafia.25. Laadli Media and Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity, 2020   PARI Reporter Jyoti Shinoli won a Laadli Media and Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity, 2020 for the story <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/no-crime-unending-punishment/">No crime, unending punishment </a>(August 10, 2018), a searing account of the unending persecution of the Pardhis, a de-notified tribe.              24. Prem Bhatia Memorial Trust, New Delhi, 2020 The
 PARI Team won the Prem Bhatia Award for journalism on Environment and 
Development issues “for its extensive field reports, including climate 
change effects and the impact of the pandemic on rural India.” 23. Public Relation Council of India, Bengaluru, 2020 PARI Fellow M. Palani Kumar won the Communicator of the Year – Best Story of the Year award for <a id="7915" linktype="page">Tamil Nadu’s seaweed harvesters in rough seas</a>.
 This is a photo story about an unusual activity of the fisherwomen of 
Bharathinagar in Tamil Nadu, which keeps them more in the water than on 
boats. And how climate change and overexploitation of marine resources 
are eroding their livelihoods.22. Public Relations Council of India, Bengaluru, 2020  PARI Reporter Jyoti Shinoli won the Communicator of the Year – Best Content of the Year award for her story <a id="6714" linktype="page">Pardhi school bull-dozed by Prosperity Highway</a>.
 The story is about a school in Amravati district, Maharashtra, started 
by a Phanse Pardhi teacher for kids from his long-stigmatised and 
impoverished community, which was demolished on June 6, 2019, leaving 
them anxious and uncertain.21. Press Institute of India  and the International Committee of the Red Cross, New Delhi, 2019 PARI Fellow Urvashi Sarkar won the first prize in the Best Article category for her article ‘<a id="5139" linktype="page">Our houses are vanishing. Nobody cares</a>’.
 The story tracks climate-related displacement and looks at the 
migration of people between Sagar and Ghoramara Islands in West Bengal, 
and the vanishing of islands, homes and livelihoods.20. Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2019 (October 17-24) PARI Fellow Yashaswini Raghunandan’s film was selected for the INDIA GOLD category at the festival, for her  film That Cloud Never Left.19. FILAF film festival, Perpignan, France: Festival International du Livre d&#39;Art et du Film, 2019 PARI Fellow Yashaswini Raghunandan won the GOLD FILAF at the FILAF film festival in France (<a href="https://www.filaf.com/filaf-2019-1">Festival International du Livre d&#39;Art et du Film</a>) for her film That Cloud Never Left.18. Tutti I Premi Del Pesaro Film Fest, Pesaro, Italy 2019 PARI Fellow Yashaswini Raghunandan received <a href="https://www.pesarofilmfest.it/en/press/comunicati-stampa/48-tutti-i-premi-del-pesaro-film-fest-2019">a special mention</a> for the film That Cloud Never Left at this festival in Pesaro, Italy.17. Mumbai Press Club, 2019 PARI Reporter Jyoti Shinoli won the Red Ink Award in the Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality category for her story <a id="4807" linktype="page">Collecting 6,000 leaves a day for a living</a>, published on PARI on May 3, 2018.16. Indian Express Group, New Delhi, 2019 PARI Fellow Parth M. N. won the Ramnath Goenka award (in the Uncovering India Invisible category) for his <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/authors/parth-mn/">series of stories on Marathwada</a> published on PARI.15. The Statesman, Kolkata, 2018 PARI
 Author Puja Awasthi won the Statesman Prize for Rural Reporting for two
 stories published on PARI on July 5 and August 3, 2017: <a id="3106" linktype="page">Beaten but unbowed</a> – <a id="3106" linktype="page">Sunanda Sahoo&#39;s silent struggle</a> and <a id="3482" linktype="page">Drums and dreams beyond pickle and papad</a>.14. Population First, New Delhi, 2018 PARI
 Fellow Urvashi Sarkar received the Laadli Media and Advertising Award 
for Gender Sensitivity, 2017, in the Features category for her story <a id="3861" linktype="page">Widowed by tigers, abandoned by the state</a>, published on PARI on October 12, 2017.13. European Commission, Brussels, Belgium, 2018 PARI Fellow Parth M. N. received the Lorenzo Natali Media Prize for the story <a id="4337" linktype="page">Cutting cane for 2000 hours</a> published on PARI on February 6, 2018.12. South Asian Short Film Festival, Kolkata, 2018 15
 of PARI’s video films were selected for SASFF-2018: 13 films in the 
Competition Documentary category and 2 in the Official Panorama 
category (the films are listed below).11. Parigi Hanumantha Rao Foundation, Andhra Pradesh, 2018 PARI Fellow Rahul M. received the Parigi Hanumantha Rao journalism award for 2017-2018, for <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/authors/rahul-m/">his stories</a> published on PARI.10. Vasant Vyakhyanmala, Pune, Maharashtra, 2018 The
 first Justice M.G. Ranade Award (inaugural year), recognising the 
unique nature of the new journalism “initiative called the <a href="http://www.ruralindiaonline.org/">People’s Archive of Rural India</a>.”9. Sri Muruga Matha, Chitradurga, Karnataka, 2017 The
 Basavashree Award for “service rendered through the People’s Archive of
 Rural India to the rural folk in the way of a Journalism Movement.” The award was
<a href="https://twitter.com/PSainath_org/status/1565716643677978624?t=GLqLTNi86P6i6h8JKT_I6g&amp;s=19">
returned to Sri Muruga Matha
</a>
on September 2, 2022.
8. Appan Menon Memorial Committee, New Delhi, 2017 Appan Menon Memorial Award for “the work being done by the People’s Archive of Rural India to document life in rural India.”7. C-Shell Media and Literary Awards, Dubai, 2017 C-Shell Journalism Prize, for “extraordinary and in-depth reporting of rural India and the unique achievement that is PARI.”6. Kesari Mahratta Trust and Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune, 2017 The <a href="https://www.loksatta.com/pune-news/p-sainath-get-lokmanya-tilak-journalism-award-1374912/">Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak award</a> for Excellence in Journalism to P. Sainath/PARI (recognising his launch of PARI).5. Anant Bhalerao Smriti Foundation, Aurangabad, 2016 The
 Anant Bhalerao Smriti Puraskar for “incisive reporting of rural India, 
the People’s Archive of Rural India and its approach to boosting 
journalism in Indian languages.”4. Krantisinh Nana Patil Foundation, Sangli,  Maharashtra, 2016 Krantisinh Nana Patil Memorial Award for P. Sainath (recognising, also, the importance of PARI).3. National Film Awards, Government of India, New Delhi, 2016 PARI
 Fellows Nidhi Kamath and Keya Vaswani received the Silver Lotus (Rajat 
Kamal) for the Best Promotional Film at the 63rd National Film Awards 
2016 for their film <a id="1267" linktype="page">Weaves of Maheshwar</a>, published on PARI on May 2, 2016.2. Praful Bidwai Memorial Committee, New Delhi, 2016 The first <a id="1473" linktype="page">Praful Bidwai Memorial Prize</a> for “reportage and commentary on agrarian distress and the source of information and inspiration that is PARI.”1. Population First, Mumbai, 2015 PARI
 Fellow Purusottam Thakur received the Laadli Media and Advertising 
Award for Gender Sensitivity 2014-15 in the Best Investigative Story 
category for the story <a id="561" linktype="page">Making history, heading for a hundred, </a>published on PARI on March 20, 2015.

Special Mention: In April 2020, the United States Library of 
Congress informed us that they had selected the PARI website for 
inclusion in their web archives: &quot;We consider your website to be an 
important part of this collection and the historical record.&quot;

Competition: Documentary1. Archana Phadke/ <a href="https://youtu.be/WUsJ6oomHC0">Captain Elder Brother’ and the Whirlwind Army</a>/ India/ Marathi/ 06M 2. Shreya Katyayini/ <a href="https://youtu.be/VcAzSwd1YJU">Tussar: The Crumbling Cocoon</a>/ India/ Hindi/ 12M 3. Sinchita Maji/ <a href="https://youtu.be/_HHTsRNxsdI">Heavy Lifting in the Hills</a>/ India/ Marathi/ 09M 4. Sayantoni Palchoudhuri/ <a href="https://youtu.be/p0pjPgwmsI0">Jahangir&#39;s Story</a>/ India/ Hindi/ 08M 5. Sayantoni Palchoudhuri/ <a href="https://youtu.be/TDXgEO3tQfg">Vote for Boat</a>/ India/ Hindi/ 08M 6. Stanzin Saldon/ <a href="https://youtu.be/i6fmxcRDw5E">The Loom is My Love, My Legacy</a>/ India/ Ladakhi/ 09M 7. Sinchita Maji/ <a href="https://youtu.be/JmUzvsMgzO8">Basudeb Baul</a>/ India/ Bengali/ 12M 8. Ankan Roy/ <a href="https://youtu.be/bX2Pdsmls9Q">Bahurupi: A Family of Many Faces</a>/ India/ Bengali/ 10M 9. Shreya Katyayini/ <a href="https://youtu.be/kMIDVeTCKEA">When the Queen Strikes</a>/ India/ Hindi/ 15M 10. Anubha Bhonsle &amp; Others/ <a href="https://youtu.be/WRWGD09AIno">Ima Keithel: Every Day is Women’s Day</a>/ India/ Manipuri/ 15M 11.Aparna Karthikeyan/ <a href="https://youtu.be/JmAzS133VeI">The Dance of the False Legged Horse</a>/ India/ Tamil/ 18M 12. V. Sasikumar/ <a href="https://youtu.be/IeGhR66DPck">Mending Boats with Music</a>/ India/ Malayalam/ 15M 13. Purusottam Thakur/ <a href="https://youtu.be/I9MmyREtKwQ">The Fading Weaves of Duajhar</a>/ India/ Odiya/ 16M  Official Selection: Panorama – Documentary14. Sinchita Maji/ <a href="https://youtu.be/fw4jhlTWamI">Threadbare in Santipur</a>/ India/ Bengali/ 13M 15.  Sinchita Maji/ <a href="https://youtu.be/BoP6EeNIH08">Dhol on Wheels</a>/ India/ Bengali/ 06MSouth Asian Short Film Festival, March 2019: List of PARI videos/films Competition: Documentary 1. Sinchita Maji/ <a href="https://youtu.be/vNszSHdYRf8">Ganpati Yadav&#39;s Gripping Life Cycle</a>/ India/ Marathi/ 17M 2. Ankan Roy &amp; Others / <a href="https://youtu.be/Bwo7P94Meig">Possessed by His Art, a Bahurupi Transforms</a>/  India/ Bengali /05M 3. Vishaka George &amp; Others / <a href="https://youtu.be/zg5JkIaRDi0">I Feel So Happy to See the Paddy Growing</a>/ India/ Malayalam/05M 4. Anubha Bhonsle &amp; Others / <a href="https://youtu.be/PPydT48TXgA">Into The Chakshangs Of Imphal</a>/ India/ Manipuri, Meitei/05M 5. Subuhi Jiwani/ <a href="https://youtu.be/L5FvJVVSkhs">Farming Doesn&#39;t Give Us Our Sustenance</a>/ India/ Hindi/04M

PARI founder wins Fukuoka Grand Prize

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Younger, media-saturated generations are growing up knowing little about their country, but a lot about the elites of a few metros and towns. For a narrowly-owned, commercially-driven media, the dumbing down of a nation is part of standard operating procedure. The last available data of the Centre for Media Studies (CMS, Delhi) show us that reports from New Delhi account for 66 per cent of news on the front pages of major dailies. The CMS data also found that just about 0.24 per cent of front page news came out of rural India. The TV channels are not much better.PARI exists to change that.We are a non-profit organisation. We publish under creative commons, and do not charge readers a subscription fee or put-up advertisements. Nothing is behind a paywall and we are completely free-to-access by anyone. We guard our independence and receive no direct grants from governments and corporations, nor any funding that could dictate our content. So, we are dependent on volunteer labour, donations from individuals, foundations and institutions that see value in independent and free media.PARI is changing the way Indian journalism reports and documents the rural.India is more than the elite of a few metros and towns. We report on rural lives and livelihoods, languages, communities, migrants and more. We need your help to pull off this most ambitious of Indian journalistic endeavours. The scale of this effort costs money. Donate generously - and spread the word about PARI.&nbsp;

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PARI founder wins Fukuoka Grand Prize

P. Sainath is the first ever winner in the journalism category, and the citation mentions PARI

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