The purpose :

MS is an attempt to capture the life and times of ordinary people who have helped build the vague but oft-flaunted phrase called 'Indian values'. It is in fact a subaltern history project that will skirt big names except insofar as they touched individual lives. A history and a culture is not about kings, leaders and headline events, but about how faceless citizens coped with them.

There is a pupose here, greater than building content. People remember the better times more often than they do the bad times. Oh yes, they do tend to over-imagine 'the good', but given even that, recollections of good times slow us down, and calm and relax us. In that state of mind we heal and are motivated to do 'the right thing'. Time shall have played its proverbial part. MS seeks to induce postive action by listing how others had coped. Not necessarily heroic or epochal action, but acts of cheer, daring, coping, hardiness and the like.

But for all that, MS will not carry nostalgic fluff. Contributors will be queried for authenticity and some peripheral research will be done to ensure a worthwhile experience for the reader. After all, GNI hopes to motivate its visitor into 'becoming' the good news.

What makes a good contribution?:

A quick answer to that is, if your piece evokes any one of the following --or similar-- responses, it could be a candidate for MS:

"Ah, I didn't know that?"
"Really! How charming!"
"I *must* do something"
"How I wish *I* could conserve/restore/adapt/adopt/promote/practice that!"

Episodic pieces are better than descriptive one. Let you piece tell a little story. Remember a reader is always is looking to *learn* something, so bring out little known facts. For example, if you are writing about a weaver, tell something about his techniques and his tools. If it is a recipe, don't write it like for a cookbook. Stories could also narrate incidents of human interest dealing with disasters and traumas.

More specifically, here's a 'no-no' list:
--No story relating to less than 40 years ago is likely to be of interest.
--No stories of miracles, religious feats, gurus, --though they are indeed a part of Indian life, they belong elsewhere.
--No opinion pieces, rants, longings, lyrical pieces on "wonderful/glorious/beautiful/peaceful times" or those condemnatory of the times we live.

We all love our ancestors. But as a writer take, it one step further: instead of sending *your* view on your forbear, send what *they* are said to have believed or experienced.

If you are over 60 however, you are likely to be a rich resource. Sit down and recollect what you heard, experienced or saw as a child. That would be invaluable. That in fact will drive this project. If you are under 60, try and meet some that are not and get them to talk.

Finally here's a list of keywords that you could use as triggers as you cast wide for stories: family gatherings, joint family living,early schools, weddings, outings, famous sons, colourful characters, festivals, fairs and markets, shopping, proverbs, sayings, beliefs, traditions, customs, graces, food and recipes, veranda trades, forgotten crafts, jewellery, clothes, design, folk art, modes of travel, arrival of modern amenities [eg.cinema, camera, electricity, telephones]

Where to look for stories?:

Unless you are well into your sixties, the stories that will interest MS are in the people you are related to, or you know: your great-grandparent or your friend's. At a minimum, make that 'a grandparent'. Or perhaps an uncle or an aunt.

Many elderly people are great story tellers. But they normally retail great events or their own deeds. Egg them along and make them talk about what *their* grandparents did or told them. You may be on way to a delightful story.

Look outside your own world. The traders, the craftsmen, the entrepreneurs, heirs to small businesses like shops, services, workshops and so on. They always have stories to tell. Point to the portrait on the wall and ask who it was and you may have a great story.

How to submit and how submissions are processed?:

The published length of each story will be between 300 and 500 words, though exceptionally, there could be longer pieces. So write with these numbers in mind. If a story was heard from a person GNI would need the name, age and address. Stories have to be authentic.

Write simply and directly, without elaborate prefaces like "In this age and time, it is difficult to believe that there was etc", "How delightful it must have been in the bygone times etc", or "One of the rapidly disappearing features etc." Tell your story and let the reader form his opinion. Write as well as you can and don't worry about style too much. Each piece will be edited as required.

Once you have the piece ready you can either hit the "Suggest An Item " button at the top on all pages in this section and paste your article in the space provided. Or you can send it by email to memoryspeaks@goodnewsindia.com .

Ms. Anuradha Bakshi has consented to be the series manager for Memory Speaks. She will be the first person to review a submission, so you may also send your piece directly to her at anuba@goodnewsindia.com

All submissions will be reviewed without fail and you will be informed of selection or non-selection. The chosen ones will be sent to an editor [-- GNI is actually looking for someone willing to do that online. Are you good at it? Then get in touch].

Do be prepared for a long wait -- about 6 or 8 weeks before a selected piece appears. There's much processing that needs to be done on a story.

Payments and the GNI Model:

With MS, GNI is pioneering a novel payback model. Thus far the site has been funded entirely by D V Sridharan. There have been occasional, unsolicited donations by a few well-wishers. But there has been no assured revenue stream. Starting this November 20, 2003 GNI pages have begun displaying unobtrusive, non-flashing text ads served by Google. It is early days yet, but there is promise that this could become a steady stream.

With that promise in mind, GNI will pay Rs.200 for each published piece in this section in return for web and print rights assigned to GNI. This is a very modest sum yes, but GNI is constrained in the matter. The contributor if resident in India can have this sum sent by money order.

Alternately, a contributor can ask for this sum to be sent to a project in a list approved by GNI. All these projects have been verified and featured in these pages. This will be a growing list [see below]. You can click the links to read more and make your choice.

Alas GNI does not have the resources to handle transmission of such small sums overseas. Therefore, a contributor resident outside India, has perforce to choose a project from the list. The money will be sent by GNI as coming from the author. And you will be intimated.

This way GNI will be paying back something to India. 25% of all its revenues will always be reserved for this purpose. This then is the GNI Model which is making its debut today.

Projects list:
Udavum Karangal, Chennai. A total care destitute home for all.
The Banyan, Chennai. A rescue and rehabilitation centre for deranged women.
Mahadeva,Bangalore. A man who buries abandoned bodies as a public service.
Thimmakka, Karnataka. A woman who with her late husband planted and raised avenue trees on public road.
Project Why, New Delhi. A non-formal education service for the urban poor.

Terms:

GNI will have the web and print rights to your writing in return for payment as cited.

GNI may edit your writing as required without deviating from the facts supplied by you.

GNI has the right to reject your writing and not respond --if it so decides-- on reasons for rejection.