The Asurs’ remembrance of their ancestors: A ‘particularly vulnerable’ tribal group – Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh & West Bengal

Chamru is an Asur, a ‘particularly vulnerable tribal group’ that dominates Sakhuapani’s population of about 2,000 and lives in villages spread over a radius of 10 to 20 km. Besides Jharkhand, members of the tribe live in pockets of Bihar, West Bengal and a few other states. The 2011 Census put the number of Asurs at … Read more

Tribal migration and economic growth – Ramachandra Guha on access to education and wholesome food

As the economist T. N. Srinivasan observes, these wide disparities meant that “if one is poor in India … one is more likely to live in rural areas, more likely to be a member of the Scheduled Caste or Tribe or other socially discriminated group, more likely to be malnourished, sick and in poor health, … Read more

Film | “Mahua Memoirs” by Vinod Raja on Adivasis communities who live in the mountain tracts and forests of the Eastern Ghats – Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Chattisgarh & Jharkhand

Date and Time: 28-30 August, 2020 (48 hours, 6 pm-6 pm)Film: MAHUA MEMOIRSDirector: Vinod RajaDuration: 83 minutesFilm type: Documentary (with English subtitles)Produced by Grassroots media and Equations SYNOPSISSaloo, the bard and Thirku, the Baiga, takes us on a journey through the lives of the many Adivasis communities who live in the mountain tracts and forests … Read more

Old seed festival “a wonderful example of community and NGOs participation” – Andhra Pradesh

Old seed festival, being organised by Sajeevani in association with Samata and CRYNET, is a wonderful example of community and NGOs participation which ensures that farmers get quality seed, said Principal Scientist of National Bureau of Plant Gentic Resource’s Regional Centre at Hyderabad B. Sarath Babu about the programme held at Panasavalasa, 25 km from … Read more

Forests mean different things to different people: Biologists and conservationists, strategic planners and tribal people – Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand & Odisha

Forests mean different things to different people, for biologists and conservationists, an ecosystem has to adhere to certain scientific norms to qualify it as a forest. For strategic planners, forests are “an administrative category implying a desired land use” whether or not trees are included, but it is useful in making claims to “extend the … Read more