By Editors
Aparna Karthikeyan, a member of the Network of Women in Media, India, was awarded the First Prize in The Statesman Awards for Rural Reporting 2023. She won the award for five stories from the series, “Let Them Eat Rice” published in the People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI) which focused on how small farmers in Tamil Nadu have to adapt and strive for profitability in the face of a challenging environment—a combination of climate change, market dynamics and mechanisation.
The award organisers commended Aparna’s approach to rural reporting as “both innovative and deeply immersive”, stating she offers a fresh perspective on the agricultural sector by focusing on the lives of farmers through their relationship with crops.
The award-winning stories:
In TN: the struggles behind the scent of jasmine (March 20. 2023)
Madurai, its market, and the miraculous malli (March 29, 2023)
Karuvadu: the wet world of dry fish (August 22, 2023)
Open Sesame (October 25, 2023)
Everybody loves a good pickle (November 29, 2023)
Congratulations, Aparna!
