A musical success story spanning several generations: The Kalbelia gypsy group who “never collaborated with any musician” – Rajasthan

Sumiran Atal, Indian Express, Pune, August 18, 2016 | To read the full article, click here >> The history of the group – the Kahlbeliyas [Kalbelias] – is nearly seven generations old. It was formed by musicians who migrated from Afghanistan to Rajasthan several decades back, and is being continued by each coming generation.Nine members of … Read more

Raising the levels of literacy among the tribal children: Easier teaching methods introduced by volunteers – Andhra Pradesh

To read the full article and view more images, click here >> About 9.58 % of the population of Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh are tribals who live in remote hilly areas. The region is predominantly populated by the Savara, Kondadora, and Jatapu tribes, and the average literacy rate is only 59 %. The low … Read more

The most important tribal festival celebrated commemorating the centuries-old relations between rulers of plains and hills: Modamamba festival (May) | Andhra Pradesh

G V Prasada Sarma, The Hindu, Visakhapatnam, April 26 | To read the full article, click here >> Modamamba festival is the most important tribal festival celebrated commemorating the centuries-old relations between rulers of plains (Vaddadi) and hills (Nandapuram, presently near Jeypore of Orissa) hills, and the marriage of Moda Kondamma’s son Sanjiva Raju, bringing people together. … Read more

Founding a rural tribal school in response to local demand: Sarvodaya Shishu Vatika and Sarvodaya High School – Jharkhand

Sanjay Oraon, a resident of Toto village, 9 kilometers from Gumla has defied the rat race of his generation and started a school for the needy. […] He now runs the Sarvodaya Shishu Vatika and Sarvodaya High School on a plot owned by his father and struggling to give it a facelift. There are 300 children … Read more

Sharing a theology with ecology as the most important ethical guide for humans: The Asurs, a “Particularly vulnerable tribal group” – Jharkhand

G.N. Devy, The Indian Express, 6 March 2016 | To read the full article, click here >> The term tribal defies any universal definition. Between the Maoris of New Zealand, the Aborigines of Australia and the Indigenous People of North America, there is a shared historical fact. They were all there before the colonial powers pushed them … Read more