Eureka! A positive newspaper story

The "news" about newpapers - or rather, their death or the slow decline toward extinction - continues daily.

How gratifying, then, to read of a newspaper which is proving so very positive on many levels. The LA Times reports in "Dalit women find their voice through a newspaper":

"Indian tribal and so-called untouchable women, overcoming social hurdles, write and run their own weekly newspaper in northern India. Their own stories are as compelling as their reports."

And:

"The pen, it's sometimes said, is mightier than the sword. For these women, it's also a ticket to respect.

Khabar Lahariya, or "News Waves," is India's first newspaper written, read and run by tribal women and those from the Dalit, or so-called untouchable, caste.

While most readers know only of the politics, crime or education news in the 8-page weekly, each of the writers has a story of her own about struggling against life's harsh challenges.

Many of the dozen or so women on staff were beaten or sexually abused as children, married off young, endured abusive marriages and fought mightily for an education and a divorce. Often, the newspaper provides them with a voice on important issues for the first time in their lives along with a sense of confidence and purpose."

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