Bikash Barman

As the ‘oldest son’ of his family, Bikash was forced to give up his dreams of joining the Indian Army when his father was rendered immobile after an accidental fall at a construction site. Bikash works odd jobs as a construction labourer and mason and dedicates his free time at Cooch Behar Anasrishti, a local youth organization working on conservation, biodiversity and skill building for local youth. He teaches at the local computer centre in an effort to make available skills he himself never really had access to as a child. Falling back on the years spent at National Cadet…

Rajbanshi tribe celebrate an 800-year-old Gadadhar fair in Cooch Behar. Community Correspondent Bikash Burman shows the celebrations which are attended by over a million people and narrates the history behind the festival.

This video was made by a Video Volunteers Community Correspondent Bikash Burman.

Community Correspondents come from marginalised communities in India and produce videos on unreported stories. These stories are ’news by those who live it.’ They give the hyperlocal context to global human rights and development challenges.

See more such videos at www.videovolunteers.org. Take action for a more just global media by sharing their videos and joining in their call for change.