Western Ghats – Tribal heritage and ecology

A mountainous region biologists describe as “one of only nine hottest hotspots” in the world while seeking support for listing it as Unesco World Heritage Site. – Raviprasad Kamila in “Support Unesco tag to save Western Ghats (The Hindu, 11 August 2012)
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/article3753612.ece
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=7495

Toda embroidery: an ancient art thriving in the Nilgiris – Tamil Nadu

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The ancient Toda community people are the residents of Nilgiris that means ‘Blue Mountains’, popularly known as Ooty. Nilgiris is the abode of many interesting tribes and prominent among them are Todas, Kotas, Kurumbas, Irulas, Mullukurumbas and Paniyans. These Todas are said to be of pastoral community and speak Toda language, belonging to Dravidian family … Read more

Member of Siddi community nominated to the Karnataka Legislative Council: A community with African ancestry – Karnataka

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Shantharam Budna Siddi, from the Siddi [Sidhi] community of Karnataka which traces its roots to Africa, has been nominated to the Karnataka Legislative Council by Governor Vajubhai Vala. This is the first time that the community will be represented in the legislature. […] According to him, the Siddi community traces its roots to Africa, somewhere … Read more

Members of the Kaani (Kani) community “guardian angels” of the Karamana river (Western Ghats) – Kerala

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Achuthsankar S. Nair | To read the full story, click here >> Unlike city residents who pollute the water, tribal communities upstream revere the river History is often the story of kings, ministers, chieftains and landlords. The story of ordinary human beings who also lived around them at the same time is very often not … 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

The Mannans and the plantation zones established in the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats – “Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (National Conference)

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Abstract 2: The Mannans and the plantation zones established in the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats Paper presented for “Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (National Conference) – New Delhi  ANU KRISHNASchool of Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai KEYWORDS: MANNANS, PLANTATION, CARDAMOM HILLS, CULTURAL IMPERIALISM, SETTLERS Plantation is a colonial … Read more