Over the past year, the South First team helped people make their voices heard, capturing their emotions vividly.
Published Jan 01, 2026 | 10:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 01, 2026 | 10:00 AM
In modern journalism, video stories can convey what text often fails to capture — the emotions behind the voices. Over the past year, the South First team helped people make their voices heard, capturing their emotions vividly.
Here are some of South First’s best video stories from 2025.
Many people think that caste discrimination exists only among Hindus. But in reality, it also exists among Christians—and sometimes it’s even harsher. Aleena, who is a writer and a Dalit Christian, talks about the discrimination that Dalit Christians face, especially from other Christians who come from privileged backgrounds. This conversation is about the political aspects of this issue, the fight for reservation for Dalit Christians, and the attacks they face from right-wing groups in India.
The Karnataka government had set a deadline of 31 October to make Bengaluru pothole-free. However, the city’s roads tell a different story. From Kengeri and JP Nagar to Whitefield, Yelahanka, and Anekal, potholes continue to trouble commuters despite ongoing repair works.
Citizens and activists say that little has changed on the ground, pointing to poor-quality materials and unscientific repair methods as key reasons why Bengaluru’s pothole problem refuses to go away
In a conversation with South First, Kerala Legislative Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer elaborates on the vision behind KLIBF, its remarkable growth, and its impact on the literary world, positioning it as a platform for resistance in the age of misinformation. The Speaker also offers insightful takes on the pressing issues of federalism, the controversial “One Nation, One Election” proposal, and the challenges of maintaining impartiality in a politically charged atmosphere. His reflections underscore the importance of strengthening constitutional literacy and engaging the younger generation in the democratic process. In this candid interview, the Speaker also emphasises the Assembly’s commitment to a paperless future.
In Vadakadu village in Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu, a temple festival erupted into large-scale caste violence, leaving dozens of Dalit homes damaged. Members of the dominant Mutharaiyar community allegedly launched a violent attack on the Scheduled Caste area after a long-standing dispute over temple rights escalated. Eyewitnesses recount chilling scenes of mob violence, police inaction, and systemic bias. This ground report reveals the human toll of caste hatred and political apathy.
In a dramatic political twist, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced that Kerala will freeze the implementation of the PM SHRI scheme — for now. A seven-member Cabinet subcommittee led by Education Minister V Sivankutty, with CPI ministers K Rajan and P Prasad among its members, will study the matter and submit a report. The move signals more than just a policy rethink — it marks a clear ideological victory for the CPI within the ruling Left alliance. While the CPI(M) emphasised practicality, the CPI stood firm on principle, declaring that “if the Centre won’t fund education, the people will.” But the controversy is far from over. Several questions remain. As Kerala politics holds its breath, the battle between funds and ideology continues.
Two lakh Tamil Nadu hill tribe members’ voting rights in danger
Across the hill regions of Tamil Nadu, thousands of tribal voters are facing the danger of losing their voting rights due to documentation hurdles, lack of mobile connectivity, migration for work, and insufficient time for verification. In areas with hundreds of eligible voters, dozens remain unregistered or have had their forms rejected, even though many voted in previous elections. Several hill communities still lack basic facilities such as mobile phone towers, forcing residents to walk kilometres just to access information. If tribal voters lose their voting rights, they will also lose the right to contest in local body, block and district-level elections under the ST quota. The Tamil Nadu Tribal Association has urged authorities to extend the deadline and conduct door-to-door verification to ensure no eligible voter is excluded.
