“Different tribes are the original inhabitants of this district for millennia”: Govt. of India tourist promotion for India’s most densely forested districts – Maharashtra

Chandrapur District Endowed with rich flora and fauna, water resources and mineral wealth, Chandrapur has been famous from ancient times as the capital of Gond dynasty. Anandavan at Varora is famous the world over due to social worker Baba Amte whose ashram rehabilitates leprosy victims. India’s largest thermal power plant, many coal mines, cement and … Read more

Let indigenous people decide their own future and that of their environment: Ramon Magsaysay Award 2014 for Butet Manurung – Indonesia

Manasi Mathkar, The Hindu, Sunday Magazine, September 20, 2014 | To read the full interview, click here >> Butet Manurung, winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2014, talks about her work with Indonesia’s indigenous tribes and why she chose to start a school in the jungle. Saur Marlina Manurung, better known as Butet Manurung, is an … Read more

The peaceful agitation by Garo and Khasi communities: Challenging displacement and resenting the use of human exhibits in the name of “biodiversity conservation” – Bangladesh

CLEARINGHOUSE FOR REVIEWING ECOTOURISM, No. 17 To read the full article, click here >> […] The following documents outline the severe ramifications of a governmental “eco-park” programme on ethnic minority groups and their forested hill habitats in Bangladesh. The controversial scheme has become a significant national issue as civil society organizations as well as a number … Read more

Eco tourism and employment opportunities in the “adivasi pockets” of Thane district: Government and the private sector agree on tapping a diverse and rich cultural heritage – Maharashtra

We work on tourism in natural spaces such as forests, coasts, and hills and mountains. These natural spaces, are primarily home to people who have an interdependent relationship with their environment, and these natural resources support innumerable livelihoods in such regions. With this perspective, we critically examine the effects of tourism and related policies on … Read more

An annual affair prone to hurting the sentiments of those communities it claims to represent: Live models have made a return at the ‘Adivasi Mela’ – Odisha

Debabrata Mohanty, indianexpress.com, Bhubaneswar, February 2, 2014 Live models have made a return, with an old Santhal tribal standing within his barricaded space playing the musical instrument kendara. | To read the full article, click here >> Two years after the Orissa government drew flak for bringing in around 250 tribals to pose as live models during … Read more