Geetanjali Shree, author
The electoral verdict in Ayodhya made a great moment of hope for me. People, sooner than later, will think. Not be swayed forever by grand spectacles and mass hysteria.
Kavita Kabeer, writer and activist
The Lok Sabha elections this year was something to look at. Despite all the exit polls predicting over 350 seats for BJP, the final tally was 293/234, giving more voice to the opposition in the parliament, and thus the people. Social media played its own role in fearlessly adding to the peoples’ narrative and constantly taking up their issues.
Aathira Perinchery, environment reporter, The Wire
The story I wrote about the naturally-occurring fungal toxins in a kodo millet crop that killed 10 elephants in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve made several of readers – including the head of a research NGO – reach out to me and say that they were glad I did the story. Appreciation is hard to come by, and I really appreciated that these people took the time to let me know.
Faiyaz Wajeeh, editor, The Wire Urdu
A truly memorable moment for me this year was the opportunity to write the foreword for renowned Urdu poet and critic Jamal Owaisi’s latest poetry collection, Khamoshi Guftaar. For a literary stalwart of his caliber to entrust me a student of literature – with such a responsibility was both humbling and exhilarating.
The moment became even more special when Pakistani poet Rafiq Sandeelvi remarked that the foreword was outstanding, and Owaisi himself credited my analysis for giving his book the recognition it deserves. To be able to contribute, in however small a way, to such a significant literary work is an honour I will always cherish.
Aruna Roy, social activist and former civil servant
I continue to be surprised by the many conversations spawned by my book The Personal is Political, from interpreting it as a feminist definition of the constitution of India to responses by feminists on the details of the book.
Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta, political editor, The Wire
While doing a story on the death of a Muslim scrap worker in western Uttar Pradesh in July, I realised the extent to which the entire administrative system in Uttar Pradesh has become blatantly communal and anti-poor under the BJP government. I had gone there to probe whether the death was a case of lynching but I came back with an understanding of how India’s most-populous state is witnessing a reversal of gains made by a sustained social justice movement in the last few decades, as every layer of administration is willingly bowing down to their political masters.
Pariplab Chakraborty, illustrator, The Wire
On January 22 this year when prime minister Narendra Modi was busy inaugurating the Ram temple in Ayodhya, thousands of people from different parts of the country marched together in Kolkata in protest and to register their dissent against the majoritarian and communal agendas of the regime at the centre. I had the opportunity to draw and talk to the people in the march. It was a moment of hope for me to witness this vast number of people from across the country rising up against the politics of hate and fear.
Aparna Bhattacharya, political analyst
In 2023, I spoke with several female researchers at Visva-Bharati University who were facing sexual harassment from their supervisors. Despite numerous complaints to authorities like the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), the Prime Minister’s Office, the President of India, and various government bodies, the then Vice-Chancellor, known for his controversial statements, failed to take any action. One of these researchers was recently awarded her PhD. She called to thank us for helping her “win the six-year battle” against harassment.
Tamanna Naseer, associate editor, The Wire English
Sukanya Shantha’s investigative series on prison reforms led to a landmark Supreme Court verdict, declaring caste-based discrimination in prisons unconstitutional. It was not only motivating but also a moment of pride and honour to see our colleague being praised by the CJI for her efforts.
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty
Jehangir Ali, correspondent
When a probe was ordered after our report on the alleged torture of four civilians in Kishtwar by the Army. Who said media can no longer hold the powerful to account!
Pavan Korada, data analyst, The Wire
I must confess I was ecstatic after the results of the general election 2024. It gave me some hope, nudged me to pivot towards journalism and forced me to imitate Milton, rather terribly:
Pride, that gilded lie, swelled bold their tongues,
With boasts of four hundred thrones prepared in Heaven,
Yet Heaven nor Earth conspired to grant their dream.
Lo, the fall—down to the dust of two score less than their mighty vaunt.
Sharmita Kar, assistant editor, The Wire English
I covered the Lok Sabha elections from Gujarat this year. I went back to Ahmedabad, where I grew up, but to view it from a different lens. The story was about Muslim residents living in a communally demarcated city that promises “development”. As a child, I had always overheard people talking about certain areas where “one should not go” and had questions that remained unanswered when I left the city. It was only after I became more politically aware that I understood some of these comments. Although the story was essentially about electoral issues, it was an important milestone for me, and perhaps helped me understand the city better and find a few of the answers.
Elisha Vermani, news producer, The Wire English
I wrote, what has now become of my favourite pieces, by accident this year. I attended a screening of Anand Patwardhan’s The World is Family – with no intention of covering the event – and mentioned how good the film was to a colleague. When she insisted I write about it, I flat-out refused, thinking I’m unqualified to write about the veteran and his work. Thankfully, she persisted and I wrote about the film from memory, having taken no notes or recordings at the screening. Later, I learned that Patwardhan had read the review and shared it on his socials. Grateful for happy coincidences and editors who know better.
Sravasti Dasgupta, senior reporter, The Wire
While travelling in Jharkhand for the assembly elections in November, I had hoped to interview Jairam Mahato, now MLA and founder of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM). Mahato’s name and face was everywhere on the ground as there was palpable excitement around a new young leader who was drawing in huge crowds at his campaign rallies. After a few attempts at setting up a meeting failed, I just had the last day of the campaign left.
After a string of bad outcomes the day before, I was not feeling optimistic about my chances as campaigning was ending that evening, and I was leaving for Delhi the next day. I had prepared myself to travel to any corner of his constituency to catch him on the campaign trail even if it was for just five minutes, and charted out a route that I would follow so I could make the maximum stops before 5 pm when campaign ended. I could not therefore imagine my luck when on my very first stop for the day at the JLKM party office in Dumri, where I was meeting some party workers, within five minutes I saw Mahato walk in. The interview that I was chasing for two days, was done in a few minutes, in what can only be described as a moment of unforeseen brilliant good luck!
Vani Vasudevan, veteran publisher
The publication of Yuval Noah Harari’s latest book, Nexus. I follow him on social media, every interview and podcast, because of his brilliant prophetic insights and his dispassionate and mature ability to break things down to the simplest underlying truth. I just love the way his mind arches over human experience across time, connecting the story of Phaethon, Goethe’s parable of the sorcerer’s apprentice, and the evolving story of AI at the present time – “The spirits that I summoned, I now cannot rid myself of again.”
Illustration by Ashish Bagchi. X/@BagchiAsh
Soumashree Sarkar, news editor, The Wire English
The death of Manmohan Singh marks the end of a year of several significant losses in politics and policy. We also no longer have in our midst Sitaram Yechury and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya – two stalwarts of communist politics and governance. The three can only remain in our collective memory as reflections of a time when politics was exchange and not capitulation.
Atul Ashok Howale, reporter, The Wire
In 2024, I was able to produce several ground reports, but as a journalist and reporter, walking along with the Kanwariyas during the Kanwar Yatra in August 2024 from Haridwar, Uttarakhand, to Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, was an unforgettable experience.
The Yatra prominently showcased the participation of the working-class community. Among those carrying the holy Ganga water in vessels ranging from 2 litres to 151 litres were women, children, and even elderly individuals.
In Haridwar, I met Muslim artisans crafting the Kanwars, while in Uttar Pradesh, Muslim traders ran hotels and fruit stalls throughout the Yatra route. However, these traders faced various challenges during the Kanwar Yatra. Such stories are often unreported by mainstream media.
Armanur Rahman, news producer, The Wire
I wrote a piece on cryptocurrency for a newspaper. I was pleasantly surprised when a friend told me that his father, who is almost 80, liked the story and shared the article with my friend.
Saikat Majumdar, author
The inauguration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya. I felt this event this was the installation of an official Ramayana by the Indian state. But it took away from me, a liberal Hindu, the myriad and multiple possibilities of 300 – or 3,000 Ramayanas.
Rohit Kumar, writer and activist
Meeting and interviewing the farmers camped at Shambhu border, and seeing firsthand their courage, decency and commitment to fight for their rights peacefully, despite all odds being against them.
Banjot Kaur, health reporter, The Wire
Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) submitted an application for Covaxin’s patent at Indian Patent office in 2020. However, it had excluded Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) from the application filed at the IPO and all global jurisdictions, even though the latter was co-developer of the vaccine. The Wire published a story on July 10, 2024, by me, that had it that the company had not amended the application to include ICMR, as per its promise made the previous month. The July 10 story had also highlighted that even after four years of filing the application, BBIL did not ask the IPO to ‘examine’ its patent papers, which is necessary. A day after the publication, BBIL filed a revised application with the IPO and other global jurisdictions as well, including the name of ICMR as ‘co-owners’ of the patent. This revision came after four years. BBIL, this time, also placed a request for examination of documents, as I pointed out in a follow-up story published on July 13, 2024.
But this follow-up pointed out that even though ICMR has been included as co-owner, its scientists were yet not given the status of co-inventors. Then, a day before the Union health minister J.P. Nadda was to make a statement in parliament on the patent, BBIL filed yet another revised application on August 2, 2024, to include ICMR scientists as co-inventors.
Anirudh S.K., news producer, The Wire
It didn’t make my year, but the story ‘As India ages, a secret shame emerges: Elders abandoned by their children’ by Matt Sedensky published in August will stay with me forever, I think. The stories of these old people’s abandonment are so sad and the pictures by David Goldman are very moving.
The story isn’t all sad though. That there are those willing to save these people and help them heal (visibly, as the article reveals) helped to repair some of the heartbreak it gave me.
Omar Rashid, correspondent
I will never forget the joy in the voice of S.M. Yasin, the caretaker of the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, after the Supreme Court put a stay on surveys and further proceedings in cases where Hindutva activists are trying to snatch Muslim properties across the country. That was pure relief. As for me, it brought a much-needed break from the pre-medieval madness occupying the country at present.
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