P Sainath : The Real Picture
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May 14 2013
FIGHTING PAID NEWS
Paid news undermines democracy
FIGHTING PAID NEWS : Paid news undermines democracy

The government’s counter-affidavit in a recent suit could strip the ECI of its power to disqualify candidates for fraudulent accounts or put an end to the pandemic of paid news. P Sainath reports on civil society attempts to stop the subversion of the EC’s powers.

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Dec 08 2011
FARMER SUICIDES
Some states fight the trend, but still ...
FARMER SUICIDES : Some states fight the trend, but still ...
Five States did manage a significant decline in the average number of farm suicides between 2003 and 2010. However, more States have reported increases over the same period, reports P Sainath.
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Oct 29 2011
PAID NEWS
The pay-to-print saga resumes
PAID NEWS : The pay-to-print saga resumes

The Delhi High Court's dismissal of Ashok Chavan's petition and the CIC's orders to the Press Council to make its report on 'paid news' public promise many blushes for Big Media and platinum-tier politicians, writes P Sainath.

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Nov 19 2010
FINANCIAL FLOWS
The great drain robbery
FINANCIAL FLOWS : The great drain robbery
India has lost nearly a half-trillion dollars in illegal financial flows out of the country, says a new study by Global Financial Integrity. P Sainath reports.
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Oct 19 2010
COMMONWEALTH GAMES
The narcissism of the neurotic
COMMONWEALTH GAMES : The narcissism of the neurotic
The Commonwealth Games were no showcase, but a mirror of India 2010. If they presented anything, it was Indian crony, casino capitalism at its most vigorous, writes P Sainath.
Sep 05 2010
HUNGER
Food security, by definition
HUNGER : Food security, by definition
In the 1960s, Maharashtra ended famine forever by passing an Act that deleted the word 'famine' from all laws of the State. It's an idea that is still in fashion, writes P Sainath.
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Aug 16 2010
HUNGER
Oliver Twist seeks food security
HUNGER : Oliver Twist seeks food security
The NREGS is restricted to a 100 days a year. The PDS is targeted to exclude 'APL' families. Only exploitation is universal, writes P Sainath.
Aug 16 2010
PRESS SCANDAL
Private Treaties harm fair, unbiased news, says SEBI
PRESS SCANDAL : Private Treaties harm fair, unbiased news, says SEBI
There is indeed a vital link between paid news and private treaties. One is in the political sphere. And, second, in the sphere of business and commerce, writes P Sainath.
Aug 05 2010
PRESS SCANDAL
The Empire strikes back - and how!
PRESS SCANDAL : The Empire strikes back - and how!
The original report on 'paid news' of the Press Council of India sub-committee is relegated to the archive. Then too, it does not even appear on the PCI's website, writes P Sainath.
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Jul 07 2010
FOOD FOR ALL
Food security - of APL, BPL and IPL
FOOD FOR ALL : Food security - of APL, BPL and IPL
The official line is simple. Since we cannot afford to feed all the hungry, there must only be as many hungry as we can afford to feed. The truth is the government seeks ways to spend less and less on the very food security it talks about, writes P Sainath.
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Palagummi Sainath is the winner of the 2007 Ramon Magsaysay award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts. (click to read India Together's interview with P Sainath)

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Over decades of reporting, he has established himself as among the pre-eminent chroniclers of rural life in our times. His stories, photo-essays, and other work record an India seldom visible to many of us. Sainath received the A.H. Boerma Award in 2001 for his contributions. In July 2004, he was awarded the Prem Bhatia Award for excellence in political reporting and analysis for 2003-04 in recognition of his 'outstanding, indeed exceptional, work on the problems of the poorest of the poor, especially in Andhra Pradesh.' He is the Rural Affairs Editor of The Hindu.