A synopsis

When a quiet district in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh is connected via Intranet, it sparks off a small revolution. The power of technology begins to match the enthusiasm of the villagers, and together, make the district of Dhar the locus of change.

Even as debates rage on as to what constitutes ‘development’, Sutra Dhar captures the essence of a movement called ‘Gyandoot’ that is truly of and by the people. Solid players in a system of e-governance, their growing awareness is evident in the fact that Sutra Dhar has no voice-over. The protagonists tell their own tales and that in itself becomes a sign of their achievement.

Literally translated, ‘Gyandoot’ means messenger of knowledge. The project has already won the Stockholm Challenge Award 2000 and as it develops, it takes Dhar further across the Great Digital Divide.