Accountability

The National Human Rights Commission “continued to receive complaints from different parts of the country on a wide range of issues [including] custodial deaths, torture, fake encounters, police high-handedness, violations committed by security forces, conditions relating to prisons.” – Annual Report (2014-2015)
https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/NHRC_AR_EN_2014-2015_27022019.pdf
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=18066

UNICEF study on tribal education conducted by the National Institute of Advanced Studies

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Adivasis in India receive the “lowest-cost, poorest-quality and indifferently administered education”, a [2012] study backed by the UNICEF has revealed. Not only are the Adivasis marginalised, even affirmative action/reservation programmes for Adivasis (as Scheduled Tribes) in higher educational institutions have not had the desired effect, the report suggests. Conducted by the National Institute of Advanced … Read more

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

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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

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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

Bhasha Van (“forest of languages”) – the importance of the mother tongue in education

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The forest of languages and hopeAntara Dev Sen | Wednesday, March 10, 2010 I have just planted a sapling with nice long leaves. […]. As they all grow up, they will make up the Bhasha Van — the forest of languages. All 320 of them, with each tree representing an Indian language. Together, they would … Read more

International framework through ILO and U.N. Conventions recognises rights of indigenous and tribal communities to ownership, control and management of land and resources

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Tribal and indigenous communities across the world have been asserting their rights to the mineral wealth often found under the land they own or possess or have traditional rights to. They have been historically denied even a share of that huge wealth, leave alone legal rights of ownership. Under the contemporary deregulated neo-liberal policy framework, … Read more