Colonial policies

“Tribal population was spread all over India and most of them occupied wild tracts, hilly and forested areas, away from more civilized centers. In 1880 their population was estimated at about seventy million. They had existed for centuries with their own social traditions and beliefs and subsisted on natural resources. They had preserved their near isolation and way of life until the British administration and policies made inroads into their territories.” – Subha Johari in “Tribal Dissatisfaction Under Colonial Economy of 19th Century”
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1040271311
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=11961

Lessons in sustainable development, Unity in Diversity: “We shall first have to give up this hubris of considering tribes backward” – Vice President of India’s Foundation Day lecture

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Vice president delivers “first foundation day lecture of NCST” | To download the official transcript, click here >> While delivering the Foundation Day lecture, the Vice President asked that we shall first have to give up this hubris of considering tribes backward. Every tribe has a rich and living cultural tradition and we must respect … Read more

Audio | CBC Unreserved on “Decolonizing the classroom: Is there space for Indigenous knowledge in academia?” – Canada

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Priyamvada Gopal on the rights of indigenous peoples (Adivasi in India): Colonialiality is a dynamic we need to be alert for as much in the present even within so-called independent, decolonized countries [quote from 31:30 onwards] Listen to the full episode including an interview with author Priyamvada Gopal (53:59) on CBC radio >> Priyamvada Gopal’s … Read more

The champions from Stuartpuram: Yerukulas as role models bringing hope to a new generation – Andhra Pradesh

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The Yerukulas were first criminalised by the British and forced into a ‘reformatory’ colony named ‘Stuartpuram’ in 1913. P. Samuel Jonathan reports on the tragic history of a community devastated by colonial prejudice and tracks their struggle to reclaim a life of dignity. | Read the full story >> The Yerukulas were originally traders of grain and salt … Read more

Video | Khasi music – the resilience of a tradition in an age of globalization – Meghalaya

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The Jeebon Roy Memorial Creative Arts Akademi has its origins in the Seng Khasi movement which began as a challenge to British domination and now counters the growing influence of western popular music by promoting the region’s cultural heritage. The universal rules of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ writing are turning out to be colonial relics. […] Having … Read more

Elephants – a way of life for the Korubas of South India – Karnataka

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ASHOKA, ELEPHANT BOY, Age 17Excerpts from Mother India’s Children by Edward Rice Sometimes India reminds me of the ocean. It looks like one great undifferentiated mass of people, like so many identical waves. To the tourists who jump from Calcutta to the Taj Mahal in Agra and then to Bombay, it is. All Indians look … Read more