Nature & wildlife

“We – forest-dependent communities, supported by others – declare: The natural forests are a nurturing mother to us. Our very identities, cultures and world-views are closely linked to the forests that provide our primary needs. […] Our cultures discourage greed, the root of scarcity, harm and sorrow.” – An appeal for a new consciousness of empathy and wise governance to protect our rich natural heritage, culture, and harmonious collective future by Kavitha (“Forest Foods & Ecology” Festival, December 12 to 14, 2014 at Sri Aurobindo Society, New Delhi)
www.kisanswaraj.in/2014/12/31/forest-foods-and-ecology/
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=16371

“A celebration of variety” in contrast with conservatism and separatism: Tagore’s pioneer work for rural education – Nobel Prize awardee Amartya Sen

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Tagore and His Indiaby Amartya Sen, nobelprize.org (with permission from The New York Review, first published 28 August 2001) Voice of Bengal Rabindranath Tagore, who died in 1941 at the age of eighty, is a towering figure in the millennium-old literature of Bengal. Anyone who becomes familiar with this large and flourishing tradition will be impressed by the … Read more

Understanding the economic context and ecological challenges faced by India’s tribal communities – Down To Earth

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In the past 10 years [prior to 2013], India’s environmental movement has had a rebirth. It was first born in the 1970s, when the industrialised world was seeing the impact of growth on its environment. […] It was also in the 1970s that the second environmental challenge—issues of access and sustainable management of natural resources—emerged. In … Read more

A balanced curriculum that helps children “retain the tribal values that have relevance even today and accept the good brought in by modernization”: Interview with the founders of the Vidyodaya School for Adivasi children – Tamil Nadu

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The Vidyodaya School Tucked away in the Blue Mountains, close to Ooty, the tourist destination of Tamil Nadu in southern India, is the small sleepy town of Gudalur, the home town of Rama and B. Ramdas. Gudalur is a land of tea, coffee and pepper. The region is home to the Betta Kurumba, Mullu Kurumba, … Read more

Globalisation in a historical perspective: “Histories of the Adivasis have largely been neglected”

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Globalisation, Environmentally Non-sustainable Growth and the Plight of the Adivasis of India Historian Anjana Singh offers insights into Adivasi’s living conditions In this article the attempt will be made to analyse the long-term and current challenges of the adivasis. The problem is twofold: on the one hand economic development is a necessity for India; on … Read more

Linguistic diversity and multilingualism – Interviews with Prof. Ganesh Devy

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Devy has worked incessantly to establish the linguistic diversity and numeric strength of subaltern cultures in India. In a politically resonant statement during a public lecture last year in Bengaluru, he said the most beloved stories of mainstream Hinduism start in the mouths of Dalits. It is a suta, both charioteer and bard, who speaks … Read more