Category Archives: Adivasi

“Adivasi – which is derived from Sanskrit – is applied to the dark-skinned or Austro-Asiatic indigenous groups of India (usually those from Eastern India). It is a commonly-used term in Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha. It is also used by the local Mongoloid tribes of North Eastern India for the migrant workers who were brought in as indentured labourers to work in tea plantations during the colonial period. ‘Tribal’ is a very broad term in the English language, as we all know, and includes all the different indigenous groups of India.” – Santal scholar Ivy Hansdak (email dated 27 March 2020)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=4315

“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. […] Instead of seeing the Adivasis as ‘problems,’ the entire country can benefit massively by perceiving the Adivasis as co-citizens and sharing their historically constructed cultural values which often manifest the best forms of democracy and uphold the notions of higher levels of justice, fairness and equality than those which prevail in the seemingly mainstream societies. By ensuring their rights to live their own lives, the country can in fact guarantee itself a flourishing democracy.” – Brochure for the report titled “Living World of the Adivasis of West Bengal: An Ethnographic Exploration”, issued on the occasion of the Kolkata International Book Fair 2020
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=31882

“Adivasi people have an alternative world view, which has rarely been acknowledged or recognized. Their existence was never based on accumulation or consumerism. […] All of us can learn from them.”– Mari Marcel Thekaekara (“Adivasi people: proud not primitive”, New Internationalist 15 July 2013)
https://newint.org/blog/2013/07/15/india-adivasi-survival-international/?55521117611331971
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=11937

“Adivasis is the collective name used for the many indigenous peoples of India. The term Adivasi derives from the Hindi word ‘adi’ which means of earliest times or from the beginning and ‘vasi’ meaning inhabitant or resident, and it was coined in the 1930s, largely a consequence of a political movement to forge a sense of identity among the various indigenous peoples of India.” – Minority Rights Group International (World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples – India: Adivasis 2008)
https://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/49749d14c.html 
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=8415

Garden party with the forest people of the Nilgiri mountains – Tamil Nadu

Posted on 27/09/2020 by website administrator

By Mari Marcel Thekaekara, New Internationalist, June 1, 2012 After my last blog, lots of people wrote to me saying ‘we wish we could attend your Chembakolli party too’. Well, I wish you could too. So, the next best thing, I thought … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Customs, Ecology and environment, Education and literacy, Health and nutrition, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Networking, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Women | Tagged | Comments Off on Garden party with the forest people of the Nilgiri mountains – Tamil Nadu

Tribal history covered in “India After Gandhi” by Ramachandra Guha

Posted on 24/09/2020 by website administrator

A tribute to Indian democracy capturing the pain and the struggle, the humiliations and the glories Review by KN Panikkar: “Democracy in practice”,  The Hindu, Tuesday, Jun 19, 2007 […] Guha is quite obviously an admirer of the achievements Indian … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi, Adverse inclusion, Colonial policies, Constitution and Supreme Court, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Gandhian social movement, Government of India, History, Literature and bibliographies, Misconceptions, Modernity, Organizations, Press snippets, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Success story | Comments Off on Tribal history covered in “India After Gandhi” by Ramachandra Guha

The Tribe against Itself: Narratives of Ethnicity and Othering of the Bodos and the Adivasis in Bodoland – “Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (National Conference) – New Delhi

Posted on 17/09/2020 by website administrator

Abstract 10: The Tribe against Itself: Narratives of Ethnicity and Othering of the Bodos and the Adivasis in Bodoland Paper presented for “Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (National Conference) – New Delhi EVY MEHZABEEN Centre for the Study … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi, Adverse inclusion, Anthropology, Economy and development, History, Literature and bibliographies, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Quotes, Seven Sister States | Tagged | Comments Off on The Tribe against Itself: Narratives of Ethnicity and Othering of the Bodos and the Adivasis in Bodoland – “Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (National Conference) – New Delhi

Teaching Santal children by Boro Baski

Posted on 16/09/2020 by website administrator

Since the inceptions of our organization we have been working towards striking a balance between our traditional way of life and modernity. The transition to a modern life should be gradual and not stressful, and allow us to keep rooted … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi, Assimilation, Childhood and children, Community facilities, Constitution and Supreme Court, Customs, Eastern region, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Gandhian social movement, Globalization, Government of India, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature and bibliographies, Maps, Modernity, Multi-lingual education, Museum collections - India, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rural poverty, Seasons and festivals, Social conventions, Success story, Tagore and rural culture, Tribal elders, Video contents, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off on Teaching Santal children by Boro Baski

Tip | Call for rural schools in tune with local needs: Achieving Unesco’s goal of “integrated education”

Posted on 12/09/2020 by website administrator

Enrolment rates have improved in India, but especially in rural areas, the quality of primary education remains too poor. Our assessment was written by a member of the Santal community, one of India’s many Adivasi tribes. […] Experience tells us that … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Commentary, Democracy, Eastern region, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, ePub, Figures, census and other statistics, Government of India, Health and nutrition, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Press snippets, Quotes, Rural poverty | Tagged | Comments Off on Tip | Call for rural schools in tune with local needs: Achieving Unesco’s goal of “integrated education”