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 I’d tell you about it. I’d suggested some adivasi friends visit us for a change, … Read more
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 a difference to people from all backgrounds – all over India and even beyond: “[I]t … Read more
Suggested reading with additional information on this website Marginalised but not Defeated by Tarun Kanti Bose (a seasoned public interest journalist) reviewed by Amit Sengupta: The book travels across the Hindi hinterland, onwards to the west, Gujarat and Maharashtra, then to the East, Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand, and covers the various tribal regions in the … Read more
Lachman Khubchandani believes that tribal culture provides “a living example of the Gandhian concept of trusteeship”. Tarsh Thekaekara asserts that tribal communities “have been living in harmony with nature for centuries and have not caused any destruction at all.” Arup Maharatna quotes C. von Fürer-Haimendorf, “a celebrated authority on Indian tribes”: [O]nly one or two generations ago many tribal communities enjoyed the advantages … Read more
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was the first public figure to highlight the value of his country’s tribal cultural heritage. He created an environment that accounts for the fact that Adivasi culture has long exerted a “profound influence on modern Indian art“. The same can be said about the inspiration derived by flute player Pannalal Ghosh, a pioneer in the … Read more