A living martial art-based dance form: The practice of Firkal in a remote Bhumij tribal village of Chotanagpur – Jharkhand

Firkal is an unusual name for a dance form. Many scholars of Indian dance as well as social anthropologists have not heard of it, far less seen it being performed. […] Older than Kalaripayattu, and even those martial art forms that trace its origins to China and Japan, Firkal is still very much a living … Read more

Video | Representing tribal peasants with grace and dignity: Ramkinkar Baij’s sculpture “Santhal Family” – West Bengal

One of India’s foremost modernist sculptors, Ramkinkar Baij is remembered as the ‘eccentric genius’ from Bankura who was ahead of his times. The pioneering artist experimented both with material and subjects to create works in multiple mediums and give India some of its most monumental sculptures that have become landmarks in public art. […] Several … Read more

Audio & eBook | Folklore of the Santal Parganas by Cecil Henry Bompas – Parganas Librivox recording & Project Gutenberg

This is an intriguing collection of folklore from the Santal Parganas, a district in India located about 150 miles from Calcutta. As its Preface implies, this collection is intended to give an unadulterated view of a culture through its folklore. It contains a variety of stories about different aspects of life, including family and marriage, … Read more

A poem by Maori writer Hone Tuwhare (1922-2008)

A Rainy Day with Hone Tuwhare Hotere: Out the Black Window. Ralph Hotere’s Work with New Zealand Poets. Auckland Art Gallery / Toi o Taamaki, 4 July – 9 September. I can hear youmaking small holesin the silencerain. Rain. It started early that morning: dark, blustery rain. As I drove to meet Hone Tuwhare in … Read more

eJournal | “Children learn best in their mother tongue as a prelude to multilingual education”: Understanding India’s “Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education” – Unesco

Many children speak a home language that differs from the language of instruction in education programs. Research confirms that children learn best in their mother tongue as a prelude to and complement of bilingual and multilingual education. Whether children successfully retain their mother tongue while acquiring additional languages depends on several interacting factors. Studies show … Read more