Sacred groves foster a sense of togetherness and harmony: Protecting nature in and beyond India’s tribal communities – Kerala & Karnataka

CULTURAL TRADITIONS OF NATURE CONSERVATION IN INDIABy Dr S.M. Nair Living in harmony with Nature has been an integral part of Indian culture. This has been abundantly reflected in a variety of traditional practices, religious beliefs, rituals, folklore, arts and crafts, and in the daily lives of the Indian people from time immemorial. The present … Read more

Audio | Birsa Munda (1875-1900), the young, charismatic healer: “The only Adivasi whose portrait hangs in the Indian Parliament”

Prof. Sunil Khilnani profiles Birsa Munda, the young, charismatic healer who led his tribal community in revolt against the British and whose life, more than a century after his death, poses the question: ‘Who owns India?’ | Listen to the programme on the BBC Radio 4 website >> Scattered across the subcontinent, India’s tribal peoples … Read more

Tiger – a national symbol of India since Indus Valley Civilisation

The Bengal tiger, or Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), is a subspecies of tiger native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The Bengal tiger is the most numerous of the tiger subspecies — with populations estimated at 1,411 in India, 200 in Bangladesh, 155 in Nepal and 67–81 in Bhutan. The Bengal tiger has … Read more

Egalitarian culture leaves Adivasi youth unprepared for competition: On the challenge of balancing tradition and modernity

Santal worriesBy Boro Baski, D+C 13/05/2013, Print Edition no. 6 2013 The young generation of India’s tribal communities is struggling with different problems than the college-educated urban youth that is presented in the media. Our author is from a Santal village and knows the challenges. In recent years India has seen an enormous amount of … Read more

The Alluri Sitarama Raju Memorial Tribal Museum: Commemorating the leader of the Rampa Rebellion – Andhra Pradesh

The sprawling Shilparamam Jatara at Madhurawada, which is slowly drawing tourists and visitors, has an added attraction from Friday — a diorama on the life of legendary freedom fighter and leader of tribal uprising in Rampa Alluri Sitarama Raju. The narrative of the legendary freedom fighter’s life, right from as a boy, when he was … Read more