Tip | Opportunities to appreciate India’s tribal cultural heritage from different angles: Visit one of India’s many museum collections

Please note: India has far more museums and archives with “tribal collections” than can be shown here. Smaller collections are rarely advertised in tourist brochures or on the internet yet accessible by appointment (e.g. anthropology departments and research institutions). Collections and documentations of musical instruments are also found in the premises of the Sangeet Natak Akademi (New Delhi), exhibitions at some of the Zonal Cultural Centres (Government of India), and in … Read more

“Real history is created by ordinary people”: Mahashweta Devi (1926-2016), a writer who became a voice of marginalised communities

Mahashweta Devi, a writer who became a voice of marginalised communities Mahashweta Devi was not just an onlooker, but a responsible representative of the downtrodden and the ignored population of India She always believed that the real history is created by ordinary people. For her, the endless source of inspiration for writing used to lie … Read more

“The tribal world and the tribal way is complete in itself”: Mahasweta Devi (1926-2016)

Quoted from “Swearing by Mahasweta” by Gopalkrishna Gandhi, The Hindu, August 7, 2016 | Backup (PDF, 450 KB) >> Ms. Devi had cast off the trappings of the middle class she was born into and chose to live simply, often roaming the country with her subjects as she did research. In more than 100 novels and short … Read more

Adivasis’ world view: A truly sustainable lifestyle – Comment

Adivasi people: proud not primitive | Read the full article >> […] Defining what’s special about India’s adivasi or indigenous people is complicated. People, mostly anthropologists and human rights defenders, who know adivasis and have worked closely with them, also tend to be accused of romanticizing tribal peoples. Yet you can begin to understand what’s special … Read more