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Afghanistan: The view from nextdoor

Fifth Floor

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The First Dalit Headmistress of India

Hamalat Alavanam was a social reformer who changed the lives of Tvar Puram. The village had been home to gangs of criminals in the 1960s and 70s. Hemalathan Lavanam met them for the first time and realised they were just normal human beings. She kept constant touch with the prisoners through personal visits and letters. Today, one former criminal told me that she is still revered as a mother by everyone in the village.

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