Democracy

“He who does not lead his life under the direction of others, who sets his own goal of life according to his own reasoning and decides for himself as to how and in what way life should be lead, is a free man.” – Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (who was more than the “drafter of the Constitution”), quoted in “Contested Freedom” (Journal of People’s Studies Volume 1, Issue 4 June 2016, Page iii)
https://www.academia.edu/28587897
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=20996

Video | Right Livelihood Award speech in support of local communities facing environmental threats: India’s “the first line of defense in the world’s largest democracy” – Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE)

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Awarded 2021 Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE) is an organisation working to protect the environment in India through the creative use of law and legal processes. LIFE works with communities through a grassroots approach: it assists and empowers often vulnerable populations to stand up against powerful interests and have a voice in the … Read more

Conserving the forests and protecting the livelihood of semi-nomadic tribal communities – West Bengal

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NESPON – North Eastern Society for Preservation of Nature and Wildlife | Our Partners & Supporters >> Location: 200 forest villages including the 5 forest sub-divisions of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, West Bengal. Project Holder: Mr. Soumitra Ghosh Objectives: # Community mobilized on child right issues in forests and such integrated with the larger movement … Read more

Video | Environmentalism of the poor: “Ecological issues are not a matter of luxury, but a matter of survival” – Centre for Science and Environment – Delhi

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Environmentalism of the poor By Sunita Narain For many disadvantaged communities in developing countries, ecological issues are not a matter of luxury, but a matter of survival. In India, protests and social movements are expressing these worries. All over India today, protests are staged against infrastructure projects and what is generally considered “development”. […] It … Read more

“Give life to the constitutional ideals”: How to combat oppression and cruelty faced tribes – B R Ambedkar Memorial Lecture by Supreme Court Judge

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Tribals are subject to oppression and cruelty even after independence and still picked up by the investigating officers to cover up shoddy investigations, Supreme Court Judge Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said on Monday. Justice Chandrachud was speaking at the 13th B R Ambedkar Memorial Lecture on the topic of ‘Conceptualising Marginalisation: Agency, Assertion & Personhood’ by … Read more

Diversity, plurality and tolerance are “core values of our civilisation”: President Pranab Mukherjee’s statement at Rashtrapati Bhavan – New Delhi

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Source: “Take the cue from the President” – The Hindu, October 16, 2015Address: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/take-the-cue-from-the-president/article7766516.eceDate visited: 24 November 2020 [I]t was by reading and speaking to Tagore that these founders of modern India, Gandhi and Nehru, developed a theory of nationalism that was inclusive rather than exclusive. Tagore’s [collected lectures on the subject of] Nationalism should … Read more