Health & nutrition

“Tribal children have higher levels of undernutrition compared to children of socially economically advanced sections.” – Programme report on Tribal nutrition: “UNICEF’s efforts to support the tribal population, especially children who suffer from malnourishment”
https://www.unicef.org/india/what-we-do/tribal-nutrition
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=11674

Adivasi rice beer – ceremonial drinking vs bondage caused by strong liquor

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Adivasis and alcohol Historically, ‘pioneers’ of ‘civilized’ dominant (‘mainstream’ is politically incorrect) society have used alcohol to enslave and destroy the indigenous communities they invaded. Like exploitative marauders, they credited themselves with finding ‘new’ lands, sweepingly declaring them Terra Nullis (occasionally even classifying indigenous people as ‘fauna’, making it legal to hunt them). I recently read … Read more

Tip | Indigenous innovations, how to help tribal kids reach school on time, creating awareness of women’s health and other success stories – The Better India

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Our community health workers and village co-ordinators have been leading from the front in responding to the needs of all the tribals across 320 hamlets, putting their lives at-risk while ensuring the safety of others. […] And to engage children during the lockdown, we at the Vidyodaya Maths and Science Resource Centre have created a … Read more

Video | Deepor Beel: A wetland protected by Karbi customs or rituals that give importance to the environment – Assam

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Deepor Beel is a wetland situated in Assam inhabited mostly by tribal people along with their distinct folklore and practices. One thousand and two hundred families of 14 indigenous villages around Deepor Beel depend directly or indirectly on the wetland’s natural resources for their livelihood. The main inhabitants around the Deepor Beel site are the … Read more

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

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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

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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