Learning from the Kattunayakan community: How to live with elephants? – Tamil Nadu

Elephant conservation: Can elephants and humans live together?   Berserk beasts, trashed crops, vengeful villagers: tales of ‘conflict’ come thick and fast as humans and elephants are forced into closer contact. But does it have to be war? Across Asia and Africa, there are hints of how we might live in peace | To view more photos … Read more

“Not a lack of knowledge but loss of land”: How forced dependence on distribution system shatters self-sustained communities – Kerala

The tribes in Attappady are classified into three categories; Kurumba, Irula and Muduga. Kurumbas live deep inside the forests in 19 settlements of Pudur. Whereas, most of the Irula and Muduga populations live on revenue lands of Pudur, Agaly and Sholayur. A few among the settlements of Irula and Muduga are in forest lands. […]  There are 149 … Read more

“We have a special responsibility to document, monitor and conserve our most precious asset”: Biodiversity for sustaining their livelihoods – Survey of the Environment

India may be the only large country with huge scientific capability to lack a serious programme to monitor the state of its ecosystems. Because the major drivers of habitat loss or change are rooted in political, economic and social factors, India needs to develop a monitoring programme that is focused not only on biodiversity, but … Read more

Slideshow | Museum of Santal Culture at “A Unique Exhibition – Cluster of Museums” – World Heritage Week 2021

Presentation: Museum of Santal Culture (Bishnubati) organized by Kolkata Centre for Creativity and Paschimbanga Sangrahalaya Samiti on the occasion of World Heritage Week – Photos courtesy Dr. Boro Baski (by email 20 November 2021) “The Museum of Santal Culture is located in Bishnubati, a Santal village situated 10 kilometers away from Tagore’s Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan. … Read more

Reviving tattoos: An integral way of life for ages – Manipur

Tattooing the face, maybe a style fad today, but for certain tribal and indigenous people in the far North East of the country, such tattoos have been a integral way of life for ages. And now, a 27-year-old Naga youth from Manipur is working to revive and give a new form to the traditional tattooing … Read more