“We are nothing without the forest, and the forest is nothing without us”: Kattunayakans in the Nilgiris, one of the last few remaining honey gathering communities of the world – Tamil Nadu

Living in the Nilgiris, the Kattunayakans are one of the last few remaining honey gathering communities of the world. Over many generations they have mastered the skills required to tap honey and they take great pride in their knowledge and expertise. For the tribal community, honey gathering is of social, cultural, economic and spiritual relevance. … Read more

Wild food festivals & Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN): The world’s most important food movement

Enjoy A Feast in The Forest In MaharashtraA few summers ago, I visited Vanvadi forest for the first time. I had just met the environmentalist Bharat Mansata, who asked me to help him photo-document the wild edible plants that grow there. A wise and endearing Thakur Adivasi [Thakar Adivasi] tribal from these parts, Bua, accompanied us; he … Read more

“Democracy and caste system can’t go hand in hand”: Paying attention to the enforcement of India’s 1989 act to prevent the commission of offences of atrocities against members of SCs and STs (Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes)

Hardly anyone seems to have paid attention to India’s dismal showing at the UN Human Rights Council’s universal periodical review when the latter alleged that India is “all words, no action” on working against caste and related discrimination. The allegations are built around, among other things, data from the National Crime Records Bureau, which says, “Atrocities … Read more

“When your neighbour is a tiger”: A healthy ecosystem involves tribal communities as tigers thrive in areas inhabited by people – World Tiger Day 2020

Picture a world where tigers are a distant memory. Majestic beasts of old legends and fairytales, that later generations will never get to witness. With development projects encroaching deeper into their natural habitats, this scenario is not too far from reality. International Tiger Day was created on 29th July 2010, when global tiger numbers dropped … Read more