eBooks | Adivasi literature, a “distinct theme with many new voices”: Bhasha Research and Publication Centre – Gujarat

Bhasha is not an acronym. The term ‘bhasha’ means in most Indian languages, ‘language’, ‘speech’, ‘definition’ or ‘voice’. Bhasha Research and Publication Centre was founded in 1996 for study, documentation and conservation of Non Scheduled languages not protected by the Constitution of India. In the initial years, Bhasha focused on languages of Adivasi and Nomadic communities, many … Read more

Reviving native ecology as to restore the wealth of the people: Cultural continuity for the twenty-first century – Kerala

Places like Kerala where there were numerous sacred groves and related culture, are ecologically disturbed now due to ill conceived developments chartered out by those who did not have any knowledge or concern about nature/ecology. Modernists could not understand the natural significance of the numerous rituals and myths. The tribal communities had their own thoughts … Read more

Forest dwellers in early India – myths and ecology in historical perspective

Source: “Perceiving the Forest: Early India Studies” in History (February 2001 17: 1-16)URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/025764300101700101 | Backup (PDF, 1MB) >>Date Visited: 6 November 2021 The Aryans describe their enemies as dark in complexion, noseless or flat-nosed, of harsh speech, not honouring the Aryan gods, not observing the Aryan religious ritual, but rich in material possessions and … Read more

eJournal | State sponsored tribal festivals: New visibility, modernization and commercialisation of indigenous culture – Odisha

Introduction: Some considerations on dance in tribal India (Excerpts pp. 126-127) The symbolic and ritual use of dance in the Indian Subcontinent is so diverse and widespread that we cannot but restrict ourselves here to some general considerations. Acting as a rhythmic order, the dance of gods and mythical heroes contributes to the cyclical adjustment … Read more

The “participatory guarantee system” (PGS Organic Council): A renewed effort to sustain the lives and cultures of indigenous communities – Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

Rich Forests: Making a living under the canopy […] PGS has been received enthusiastically in India and elsewhere. The PGS Organic Council was registered in Goa, India, in April 2011. Since then, the Government of India – under the national project on organic farming – has officially launched the participatory guarantee system (PGS India) for organic produce. In India … Read more