The Santals, a proto-Austroloid racial group, are the largest tribe in West Bengal accounting for more than 50% of the state`s tribal population. Other than West Bengal, their major concentration is in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Tripura. In Assam, they are not classified separately as a tribe and their lot is clubbed … Read more
von Fürer-Haimendorf, Christoph. Tribes of India: The Struggle for Survival. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1982, pp. 36-37: Rebellions of aboriginal tribesmen against the authority of the government are among the most tragic conflicts between ruler and ruled. Whatever course the clash may take, it is always a hopeless struggle of the weak against the strong, … Read more
Though India is hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, our small cluster of two Adivasi villages in West Bengal has not suffered infections yet. We do feel the economic impacts of course. […] Farm work has continued quietly. To many Santals, one lesson of the pandemic has been that agriculture provides the safest livelihoods. It … Read more
Six Murals by Sanyasi Lohar and his team Text and photos by Boro Baski © 2014Edited by Martin KämpchenPublished by Ashadullapur Gramin Silpa & Sastha Bidhan Kendra (Ashadullapur) and Ghosaldanga Bishnubati Adibasi Trust (Bishnubati and Kolkata) Preface The Santal village Bishnubati is situated about 8 km from Santiniketan and Sriniketan, the abodes which Rabindranath Tagore … Read more
Santali is one of India’s many Adivasi languages. Today, seven different alphabets are used to write in it. Some argue that this great variety does not help the community’s development. | Read the full article by Boro Baski (3,3 MB) >> Among South Asian Adivasis, we are the largest homogenous group. More than 10 million … Read more