A child grows up in a large family in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar in the early 1960s. He is the youngest among 10 siblings and is raised by his grandmother, then in her 80s. His mother dies due to poor, unhygienic conditions, a death that could have been prevented with better healthcare. Water is contaminated, medical facilities are scarce, and childhood is difficult.
For Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, widely recognized as the world’s first openly gay prince from the Gohil dynasty of Gujarat, living authentically has never been a private journey. It has been a public responsibility shaped by courage, resistance, and transformation. Born into royalty yet defined by truth, he has spent decades challenging stigma and rebuilding the idea of legacy itself.
Not all heroines make flashy entries; some arrive quietly, without any fanfare, roll up their sleeves, and simply get to work. No spotlight, just sheer dedication to life-altering service. This International Women’s Day, DARPAN salutes two such women—Dr. Mandakini Amte and Advocate Varsha Deshpande.
It's Bombay (now Mumbai) from the 1940s. A young boy from present-day Gujarat lived with his large family on the footpaths of Mumbai. Every night, he and his father slept on the footpath while the others in his family slept inside a one-room home. Every morning, he witnessed fights for each and every drop of water. Even decades later, he could not forget his childhood struggles with clean water.
The word Ehsaas means ‘realization’. In 2002, when Shachi Singh and a group of like-minded individuals founded the organization, they recognized a painful truth: children like Kajal live in danger every day, their rights violated, their voices unheard.
Born in 1944 in Gujarat, Soni was a gifted student. He earned a master's degree in mathematics from MS University of Baroda, graduating first class with distinction and setting a record that remains unbroken.
