“Santiniketan is in many ways a pioneering step in the field of education and rural reconstruction. Located in the heart of nature amongst Hindu, Muslim, and Santali villages which were in ‘serious decline’ despite a rich cultural heritage, the school, from almost its beginning aimed to combine education with a sense of obligation towards the larger civic community.” – UNESCO World Heritage Centre website
https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5495/
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=4348
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
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
There’s much to learn from the positive contributions made by tribal communities on a daily basis. To start with, let’s learn from insiders and others who have dedicated their lives to ensuring that a precious heritage will continue to make a difference to people from all backgrounds – all over India and even beyond: “[I]t … Read more
Rights for forgotten tribes Predictably, public discourse on the Gujjar-state-Mina (as the census spells them) standoff in Rajasthan has centred on two, or, at best, three issues […] It is easy to forget, in the midst of all this noise, that the Minas are not the only Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Rajasthan. But everyone, ranging from … Read more
Public health and food security depend on citizens’ willingness to “use and share resources in a sustainable and equitable manner”. The nation’s “primary conservers” – often tribal farmers – are now seen as guardians of biological diversity (Genome Saviour Award); and entitled to protection under the law known as Biodiversity Act. – M S Swaminathan, the scientist … Read more