Category Archives: Democracy

“The highest court of judgement regarding social customs was the general hunt council to which the Santal tribes of a particular region gather together. [A]nybody could lodge a complaint against a decision of a village council or Pargana council, either disagreeing with or thinking that the decision made there was malafide. […] It was an exemplary institution of a direct democracy where for one night the final authority was the people themselves.” – Timotheas Hembrom in The Santal and the Biblical Creation Traditions: Anthropological & Theological Reflections (Ch. “Introduction to the Santals”, pp. 26-27)
Learn more: Tip | Book on the ancient religion of the Santals: Ancestral creation narratives – Assam, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tripura & Arunachal Pradesh
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=13041

“The first report on minority rights, made public in late August 1947, provided for reservation for Untouchables only. [O]ne member of the Assembly regretted that ‘the most needy, the most deserving group of adibasis [tribals] has been completely left out of the picture.’ The member was Jaipal Singh, himself an adivasi. […] To the tribals of Chotanagpur, he was their marang gomke, or ‘great leader’. In the Constituent Assembly he came to represent the tribals not just of his native plateau, but of all India. […] His first speech was made on 19 December 1946 when, in welcoming the Objectives Resolution, he provided a masterly summary of the adivasi case.” – Ramachandra Guha in India After Gandhi: The History of the World’s Largest Democracy (p. 115)
Learn more: “Jaipal Singh and the adivasi (adibasi) movement of modern India: A gifted speaker from Chotanagpur – Jharkhand”
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=15375

Tip | A plethora of cultural strengths that can be fruitfully utilised in educational initiatives: Report “Living World of the Adivasis of West Bengal: An Ethnographic Exploration” – West Bengal

Posted on 10/04/2020 by website administrator

Adivasis do not form a homogenous community. Achievements related to socio-economic well-being were found to vary across groups and places among the members of the same community. [some excerpts]* There exists—in both the public and academic domains—a wide knowledge gap … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Anthropology, Democracy, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature and bibliographies, Misconceptions, Names and communities, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Organizations, Success story | Tagged | Comments Off on Tip | A plethora of cultural strengths that can be fruitfully utilised in educational initiatives: Report “Living World of the Adivasis of West Bengal: An Ethnographic Exploration” – West Bengal

Tip | “How to address misconceptions on tribal customs and culture in the classroom?” – Ideas and practices worth sharing among peers and students

Posted on 28/03/2020 by website administrator

There’s much to learn from the positive contributions made by tribal communities on a daily basis. To start with, let’s learn from insiders and others who have dedicated their lives to ensuring that a precious heritage will continue to make … Continue reading →

Posted in Adverse inclusion, Childhood and children, Colonial policies, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, Customs, Democracy, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Endangered language, Ethnobotany, Gandhian social movement, Health and nutrition, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Maps, Misconceptions, Modernity, Multi-lingual education, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Particularly vulnerable tribal group, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Sacred grove, Storytelling, Success story, Tagore and rural culture, Tips, Tribal identity | Comments Off on Tip | “How to address misconceptions on tribal customs and culture in the classroom?” – Ideas and practices worth sharing among peers and students

“A celebration of variety” in contrast with conservatism and separatism: Tagore’s pioneer work for rural education – Nobel Prize awardee Amartya Sen

Posted on 22/03/2020 by website administrator

Tagore and His Indiaby Amartya Sen, nobelprize.org (with permission from The New York Review, first published 28 August 2001) Voice of Bengal Rabindranath Tagore, who died in 1941 at the age of eighty, is a towering figure in the millennium-old literature of Bengal. … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Eastern region, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Film, Misconceptions, Modernity, Organizations, Press snippets, Quotes, Rural poverty, Tagore and rural culture | Comments Off on “A celebration of variety” in contrast with conservatism and separatism: Tagore’s pioneer work for rural education – Nobel Prize awardee Amartya Sen

Guatemalan indigenous writing: “Inversion of the Locus of Enunciation of knowledge in Time Commences in Xibalba“– Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (National Conference) – New Delhi

Posted on 20/02/2020 by website administrator

Abstract 9: Inversion of the Locus of Enunciation of knowledge in Time Commences in Xibalba by Luis de Lion Paper presented for “Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (National Conference) – New Delhi EKTA KANDHWAY Centre for European … Continue reading →

Posted in Colonial policies, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Literature and bibliographies, Networking, Organizations, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Storytelling, Success story, Tribal culture worldwide | Comments Off on Guatemalan indigenous writing: “Inversion of the Locus of Enunciation of knowledge in Time Commences in Xibalba“– Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (National Conference) – New Delhi

Sacred groves foster a sense of togetherness and harmony: Protecting nature in and beyond India’s tribal communities – Kerala & Karnataka

Posted on 16/02/2020 by website administrator

CULTURAL TRADITIONS OF NATURE CONSERVATION IN INDIA by Dr S.M. Nair Living in harmony with Nature has been an integral part of Indian culture. This has been abundantly reflected in a variety of traditional practices, religious beliefs, rituals, folklore, arts … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Community facilities, Crafts and visual arts, Customs, Democracy, eBook download sites, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Ethnobotany, Gandhian social movement, Globalization, Government of India, History, Libraries, Literature and bibliographies, Misconceptions, Modernity, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Quotes, Resources, Revival of traditions, Sacred grove, Tips, Trees, Tribal identity, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology, Women, Worship and rituals | Comments Off on Sacred groves foster a sense of togetherness and harmony: Protecting nature in and beyond India’s tribal communities – Kerala & Karnataka