In the run-up to the 15th Loksabha elections in 2009, the Hindustan Times
decided to take its readers up close to grassroots India, and to share the lives
and perspective of ordinary Indians – the people who really matter in an
election. India Yatra was probably the biggest national reporting project of its
kind. It spanned more than 23,000 kilometers and 117 constituencies – around
one-fifth of all Loksabha constituencies. Fifty-six reporters and the same
number of photographers were sent out on selected routes to explore different
themes and convey the concerns that occupy the people. The exercise showed just
how diverse India really is, and how