Modernity

“Our vital traditions are being lost. They are bing ‘modernized’.” – A tribal mother’s concerns (interviewed for Survival International) in “Factory Schools: Destroying Indigenous People in the Name of Education” (accessed 28 March 2021)
https://www.survivalinternational.org/about/factoryschools
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=34514

On the experience of having become an alien among one’s own people: Insiders’ reflections on the value of Santal customs in modern Indian society | West Bengal & Jharkhand

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Dr. Boro Baski For the Santals, an Adivasi community in eastern India and Bangladesh, herding is traditionally a way to teach the young generation values and rules. School education is becoming ever more important however, and herding is becoming economically unviable. […] Moreover, they play the flute and sing, and they share stories and incidents … Read more

Cultivating wild varieties of medicinal plants makes tribal communities self-reliant: Increased demand for Ayurveda medicines – Kerala

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Giji K. Raman, The Hindu, KATTAPPANA, August 26, 2014 | To view more photos and read the full article, click here >> Murugan, a native of Kammalankudy in the Marayur sandal division, is a happy man. He was selected the best farmer in the forest division for cultivating the largest quantity of ‘kattupadavalam’ (a wild … Read more

Cadence and Counterpoint, Documenting Santal Musical Traditions: An exhibition and publication “conferring upon ethnic and tribal art recognition and dignity” – New Delhi

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SHAILAJA TRIPATHI, The Hindu, April 23, 2015 “An extensive exhibition of Santhal music explores the changing face of the distinct tradition and why we need to restore it to its original form” The exhibition at the National Museum till May 17 On 15 April 2015 the exhibition “Cadence and Counterpoint: Documenting Santal Musical Traditions” was … Read more

Designing their own bags: New livelihood options for tribal women – Jharkhand

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ARTI S. SAHULIYAR, The Telegraph, Calcutta, Friday , August 10 , 2012 A beam of pride crossed Malanti Devi’s face as she spread a Rs 50 currency note on her weather-beaten palm. She had earned it — not by slogging in the field, but by designing her own jute bag. The 32-year-old mother of two … Read more

A richly textured debut novel on Santal customs: “The Mysterious Ailment of Rupi Baskey” – Jhar­khand

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Manjul Bajaj, Outlook Magazine, 14 February 2014 | Read the full review here >> Witchcraft and tribal rituals loop through Santhal lives in a Jharkhand doctor’s richly textured debut novel. Hansda Sowendra Shekhar’s debut novel The Mysterious Ailment of Rupi Baskey is a loving and careful recounting of the Santhal way of life. Spanning several decades … Read more