Forest Rights Act (FRA)

“[I]t is unimaginable to think of tribes as landless, as land and forest have been traditionally their life support system.” – Virginius Xaxa, excerpt from Being Adivasi (Gurugram: Penguin Books India, 2021)
https://scroll.in/article/1014436/being-adivasi-autonomous-existence-or-integration-nehru-had-proposed-a-third-way
https://worldcat.org/en/title/1290015863
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=27829

“We are nothing without the forest, and the forest is nothing without us”: Kattunayakans in the Nilgiris, one of the last few remaining honey gathering communities of the world – Tamil Nadu

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Living in the Nilgiris, the Kattunayakans are one of the last few remaining honey gathering communities of the world. Over many generations they have mastered the skills required to tap honey and they take great pride in their knowledge and expertise. For the tribal community, honey gathering is of social, cultural, economic and spiritual relevance. … Read more

Reserves that are central to the ecological security of a unique group of islands: Tribal rights and conservation – Andaman and Nicobar Islands

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Source: “An intricate web” by Pankaj Sekhsaria (The Hindu, 4 February 2012)Address : https://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine//article59800934.eceDate Visited: 24 July 2025 Andaman’s clean environment, ecology must be preserved: President MurmuPORT BLAIR: President Droupadi Murmu on Monday stressed on the need for preserving the clean environment and ecology of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Murmu, while addressing a gathering … Read more

“When your neighbour is a tiger”: A healthy ecosystem involves tribal communities as tigers thrive in areas inhabited by people – World Tiger Day 2020

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Picture a world where tigers are a distant memory. Majestic beasts of old legends and fairytales, that later generations will never get to witness. With development projects encroaching deeper into their natural habitats, this scenario is not too far from reality. International Tiger Day was created on 29th July 2010, when global tiger numbers dropped … Read more

Tribal communities have a right to collect, use and sell bamboo: “The adivasi is not the enemy of the forests”

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“Today, bamboo is liberated,” proclaimed Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh at a function here on Wednesday, where he handed over to Mendha’s community leader Devaji Tofa a transit pass that would allow the sale and transportation of bamboo within the community. Ever since bamboo was given the status of a … Read more

A treasure preserved for posterity in Bhadrachalam: A mini museum, library serving the cause of Integrated Tribal Development – Telangana

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The Regional Centre of Tribal Cultural Research and Training Institute (TCR&TI) has laid renewed focus on preserving and popularising the rich collection of objects and artefacts of tribal communities at the mini-museum in Bhadrachalam. The mini-museum at the Youth Training Centre on the premises of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) office has a rich … Read more