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State and Centre Failed to Prevent Manipur Violence: Independent Tribunal
State and Centre Failed to Prevent Manipur Violence: Independent Tribunal

An independent inquiry into the ethnic violence that began in Manipur in May 2023, based on survivor testimonies and first-person accounts, finds consistent failures by state institutions, security forces and political leaders. The report holds both the state and central governments responsible for failing to uphold constitutional protections and deliver justice.

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How to Make Sense of News?
Why Sikkim Has the Highest Suicide Rate
The Hidden Threat To India's Workforce

Newsreel Asia is an independent news media committed to rigorous journalism and narrative storytelling across governance, democracy, economy and society, focused currently on India. Founded on World Press Freedom Day 2021, we work to cut through the noise and bring clear, truthful reporting to the forefront. Our perspective is humanitarian — we look at how issues shape the lives of ordinary citizens, not through the lens of political ideologies.

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State and Centre Failed to Prevent Manipur Violence: Independent Tribunal

An independent inquiry into the ethnic violence that began in Manipur in May 2023, based on survivor testimonies and first-person accounts, finds consistent failures by state institutions, security forces and political leaders. The report holds both the state and central governments responsible for failing to uphold constitutional protections and deliver justice.

India’s Shift to Russia–China Axis Damages Its Democratic, Economic Interests

India is moving closer to Russia and China, stepping away from its partnerships with Western democracies. This new direction weakens its position in global trade, technology and democratic cooperation, pulling India toward authoritarian governments and brings economic punishment and fewer reliable international ties.

Three New Bills Seek to Allow Removal of PMs and CMs

Union home minister Amit Shah has tabled three bills in the Lok Sabha that empower the removal of the prime minister, chief ministers and other ministers if they remain in jail for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges. The move appears to be an attempt by the government to expand executive powers over elected offices, including in Jammu and Kashmir where statehood had been expected.

7 Psychological Tactics Politicians Use to Distract Us From Their Failures, Part 2

Political messaging affects what people believe, how they act and what they expect from their leaders. Some of the most common tactics used by politicians are meant to make people give up on asking questions, stop demanding better and accept poor performance without protest. In the first part of this series, we looked at four of the seven psychological tactics politicians use to shift public focus away from governance failures. This piece explains the remaining three.

7 Psychological Tactics Politicians Use to Distract Us From Their Failures, Part 1

Politicians rarely admit failure. They redirect attention, reduce criticism and protect their image instead. The methods they use draw on psychology, exploiting universal and predictable patterns in human thinking.

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India’s Shift to Russia–China Axis Damages Its Democratic, Economic Interests
India’s Shift to Russia–China Axis Damages Its Democratic, Economic Interests

India is moving closer to Russia and China, stepping away from its partnerships with Western democracies. This new direction weakens its position in global trade, technology and democratic cooperation, pulling India toward authoritarian governments and brings economic punishment and fewer reliable international ties.

The Quiet Power of a 90-Year-Old Monk That China Cannot Silence
The Quiet Power of a 90-Year-Old Monk That China Cannot Silence

China stands as a global giant, with the world’s second largest economy, an expanding military footprint and growing influence in international diplomacy. Yet for all its power, it remains deeply unsettled by a monk living in exile in the Indian Himalayas – the Dalai Lama, who will turn 90 on July 6. The reason lies in what he symbolises and what China has failed to control despite decades of effort.

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Stunted Futures: Malnutrition in Rural Karnataka
Stunted Futures: Malnutrition in Rural Karnataka

Kavitha, a mother in Raichur district, doesn’t follow the nutrition charts or growth tracking numbers. What she understands is hunger. The rice from the public distribution shop lasts less than a week. On some nights, there’s nothing but water and silence. For families like hers, malnutrition isn’t just a report—it’s dinner time. In Raichur, all women aged 15–49 are anaemic at a rate of about 57%, combining both pregnant and non‑pregnant groups, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). Among children under five, 36.8% are stunted, 31.3% are underweight and 21.6% are wasted—figures that point to persistent, long-term nutritional deprivation.

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Is Nationalism Splitting Communities in Assam?
Is Nationalism Splitting Communities in Assam?

In Assam’s Morigaon district, Jamal Uddin, a madrasa teacher from Borbori, still carries the trauma of the 1983 Nellie massacre over alleged illegal immigrants. He lost his mother, brother and sister, who were among an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims, who were killed in a matter of hours. The issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh remains deeply contentious in the state’s politics and society. Successive governments have carried out actions in the name of anti-terror measures, targeting the minority Muslim community and fuelling widespread suspicion against it.

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Exploited Women Workers of Assam’s Tea Industry
Exploited Women Workers of Assam’s Tea Industry

Neeta Oraon lives in Nazira, a small town in Assam’s Sibsagar district. At 27, she has already spent more than a decade working in a tea garden. Her dream of becoming a nurse gave way early to the demands of poverty, debt, and family survival. She now works long hours under the sun, earning 250 rupees a day while caring for her ailing mother. Like Neeta, thousands of women in Assam’s tea gardens remain trapped in cycles of generational hardship and unseen labour.

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Why Sikkim Has the Highest Suicide Rate
Why Sikkim Has the Highest Suicide Rate

Narsisus was addicted for 27 years and survived multiple suicide attempts. Today, he runs a modest community rehab centre. With no frills, only a few beds, basic meals and peer support, it offers a fragile but vital lifeline for those who walk through its doors. His journey, from the darkest moments to helping others avoid the same brink, unfolds in a state battling one of India’s deadliest mental health crises: Sikkim.

MAPPING INDIA

A banner with Mapping India and description written: Feel the Lives of People in Every State and Union Territory
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What 9 Communities Taught Me Over Dinner
What 9 Communities Taught Me Over Dinner


What do India’s persecuted communities go through behind closed doors?
What happens when you sit across a dinner table and truly listen?
Over the course of 9 powerful episodes, The Dinner Table, a docu-series by Newsreel Asia, brings together stories from communities who have long been silenced, sidelined, or targeted — simply for their identity, faith, or beliefs.

As the host, I travelled across different states, cooked meals with families from Muslim, Kashmiri Pandit, Dalit, Christian tribal, Sikh, Tibetan, indigenous tribal, Kuki-Zo, and Chin communities — and sat down with them to share a meal. What unfolded was not just food on the plate, but raw, unscripted conversations around violence, displacement, discrimination, and the deep pain their communities carry.

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Pragya’s Journey: From Acid Attack Survivor To Activist
Pragya’s Journey: From Acid Attack Survivor To Activist

In 2006, just 12 days after her wedding, 23-year-old Pragya Prasun was travelling on a train when a man threw acid on her, leaving her with 47% burn injuries. What followed was a long and painful recovery, and a determination to create a support group for acid attack survivors.
Today, she is not just a survivor — she is a fierce activist, working to support and empower other acid attack survivors through her initiative ‘Atijeevan Foundation,’ an organisation that works with acid attack survivors across India, helping them access surgeries, legal aid, mental health support, and financial independence.

In this episode of Stories of Resilience, Host and Producer Mariya Rajan meets Pragya to trace her journey from being an acid attack survivor to an activist. We explore how she rebuilt her identity, challenged social norms, and became a beacon of hope for other survivors.

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Why Sikkim Has the Highest Suicide Rate
Why Sikkim Has the Highest Suicide Rate

Narsisus was addicted for 27 years and survived multiple suicide attempts. Today, he runs a modest community rehab centre. With no frills, only a few beds, basic meals and peer support, it offers a fragile but vital lifeline for those who walk through its doors. His journey, from the darkest moments to helping others avoid the same brink, unfolds in a state battling one of India’s deadliest mental health crises: Sikkim.

Videos
Unequal Earnings in Salt Farming
Unequal Earnings in Salt Farming

Gujarat stands as India’s foremost salt-producing state, contributing 85% to the nation's total salt output. Within Gujarat, 31% of this production originates from the Agariya community living within the Little Rann of Kutch. Despite being the primary contributors to the salt industry, the Agariya people find themselves receiving the smallest share of profits. Furthermore, they grapple with the adverse effects of climate change, directly impacting their livelihoods. In this narrative, Bhopa and Gunand, two Agariya salt farmers, shed light on the disparity in earnings within the salt farming sector.

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UNEQUAL LIVES | Everyday Struggles of Dalits in Gujarat
UNEQUAL LIVES | Everyday Struggles of Dalits in Gujarat

Bhupat Bhai Sekhaliya, a diligent and hardworking rickshaw driver from Gujarat, belongs to the Dalit community. Despite his unwavering dedication, the respect he deserves eludes him, particularly from individuals of "upper" castes in his vicinity. Many daily activities, deemed "normal" for any resident, remain inaccessible to him. Defiance can lead to physical assault. However, Bhupat's story is not an isolated incident. In Gujarat, the spectre of violence against Dalits looms large, with an average of four cases reported daily. The past seven years have seen a staggering total of over 9,000 documented instances of such violence.

Videos
BREATHLESS IN DELHI | The Human Cost of Air Pollution
BREATHLESS IN DELHI | The Human Cost of Air Pollution

If you are living in Delhi, you might lose 12 years of your life because of air pollution. Jyoti Lavakare Pande, an author and a journalist from Delhi, writes an open letter to highlight the intensity of pollution in Delhi. She reflects on her mother's vibrant and resilient life, filled with smiles and melodies. Her mother, Kamale Pande, a classical vocalist, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, struggling for every breath in Delhi's pollution. She pens down her mother’s journey to raise awareness about the invisible killer looming in Delhi’s air.

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Challenges of Reporting Conflict From the Frontlines
Challenges of Reporting Conflict From the Frontlines

To mark four years since its founding on World Press Freedom Day, Newsreel Asia hosted an online discussion with frontline journalists who have reported from some of India’s most volatile conflict zones. The conversation took place just days before the latest escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan, which saw the use of missiles, drones and artillery fire along the Line of Control.

‘Revisiting Childhood,’ with Screenwriter, Lyricist and Filmmaker Shashwat Dwivedi
‘Revisiting Childhood,’ with Screenwriter, Lyricist and Filmmaker Shashwat Dwivedi

This video is from the third episode of our online event series, “Newsreel Asia Conversations,” which gives you a chance to interact with filmmakers who explore social, economic and political themes in their works. It all came together from our team's interactions with these creative minds at the 2024 Dharamshala International Film Festival. In this episode, we featured screenwriter, lyricist and filmmaker Shashwat Dwivedi, and our conversation centred on “Revisiting Childhood,” based on his latest film “Bobby Beauty Parlour.”

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