Indigenous communities’ decisions on traditional lands and habitats to be respected, based on information provided in a language accessible to them: Supreme Court ruling a great victory for indigenous rights – Odisha

India: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a great victory for indigenous rights Today’s ruling by India’s Supreme Court that the Indigenous (Adivasi) communities will have the final decision on plans for a bauxite mine by a subsidiary of UK-based Vedanta Resources in the Niyamgiri hills of Orissa is a landmark victory in recognizing indigenous rights in … Read more

Conference on unrecognized languages: Bhasha Research Centre – Gujarat

The Indian Express, Vadodara, Thu Feb 18 2010 Come March, and the city’s linguistic diversity will increase manifold, though for a few days. […] People speaking as many as 250 languages, which are not recognised by the Indian constitution, will come together at a conference to be hosted by Vadodara-based Bhasha Research Centre from March … Read more

Missing school in spite “very good laws” for child protection: Unicef – Meghalaya

By GARDINER HARRIS, nytimes.com, February 25, 2013 Slideshow >> “We have very good laws in this country,” said Vandhana Kandhari, a child protection specialist at Unicef. “It’s our implementation that’s the problem.” […] Meghalaya lies in India’s isolated northeast, a stump of land squashed between China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Its people are largely tribal and … Read more

EU supported project to “bring back forests on forest land”: Auroville bioregion – Tamil Nadu

    01 April 2002 | by Isha; source: Auroville Today, April 2002   European Union supports Auroville’s afforestation project. The planting of 75,000 trees within Auroville, fortifying Auroville’s forest gene and bunding and check dam work needed to combat soil erosion and enhance groundwater percolation are going to be the main components of the … Read more

Tribal children instill change in their communities: overcoming domestic violence and oppression of women – Tamil Nadu

SARAH ELIZABETH WEBB, The Hindu, February 16, 2013 I have been patient — tolerant even — of the constant threat of sexual harassment that comes with travelling as a Western Woman. I anticipated it and took precautions by dressing conservatively and even wearing a fake wedding ring to ward off unwanted attention. I am conscious of … Read more