On this special day, we are delighted to share some heartening news. More than 160 students have completed their internships this year (2026) under the Samadhwani Students Internship Programme, a field-based initiative on village history and cultural documentation.
Students from across Odisha and Jharkhand took part in this journey, from Aska Science College under Berhampur University; Sohela College under Sambalpur University; Ispat College, Rourkela; and Jamshedpur Women’s University, Jharkhand. We were also glad to welcome a few students from Sikkim University, Gangtok, who joined us this year, extending the reach of this initiative beyond its original home. These students went back to their own villages, sat with their grandparents and elders, listened to stories that are quietly slipping away, and began writing them down before they’re lost for good. Stories of land, of tradition, and often, of the everyday struggle communities face simply to hold on to what is theirs – their forests, their water, their farming, their identity. For our small team, this has been a truly proud and encouraging moment. What began as a simple dream, to help young people reconnect with their roots, has grown into something we didn’t fully anticipate. These students showed real courage and care: asking difficult questions, sitting with complicated histories, and documenting not only the richness of village life but also the quiet resilience it takes to protect it.
It has been especially heartening to see so many young people, particularly Gen Z students, step into this work with such sincerity. This is only our starting point. There is a long road ahead, and much still to learn. But the enthusiasm and commitment of these students give us real hope that this small beginning can grow into a meaningful, collective movement, bringing together young people committed to documenting, preserving, and sharing the histories of their own villages.
On this Independence Day, we celebrate not only the freedom of our nation, but also the quiet, everyday resilience of our villages, the people who protect their land, culture, and memory, often without anyone noticing. That, to us, is its own kind of freedom, and one very much worth fighting for.
Jai Hind!
