On 31 May 2002, the feminist, grassroots newspaper run by women in Bundelkhand 'Khabar Lahariya' was born - brought out by the blood, sweat and toil of women at work, most of whom were working mothers.

Meera Chitrakoot was a new mother at the time, her youngest daughter was just three months old, when she began work to bring out a revolutionary newspaper in rural Uttar Pradesh.
Meera lived in Mau, about 50-60 km away from the district headquarters where the office was. She had never spent a night away from home until then. In fact, none of her saathis, co workers, had ever stayed day and night at work...something their families found difficult to stomach.

For the first time in her working career but not the last, Meera left behind her three month old, took the bus from Mau and spent the next few days holed up in a small office, working on producing a newspaper that would spark a revolution with her crew of working mothers, neo-and-semi literate rural women who had no background in journalism. On 31 May, 2002, Khabar Lahariyas first edition came out, brought out by the labours of working mothers.

As another mother's day rolls around, we at Chitrakoot Collective want to share stories of womxn who work, are mothers, carers, earners and persons with desires, needs and dreams.