Land allocation and alienation: The Kaani tribal community inhabiting the forests of Kanyakumari – Tamil Nadu

Excerpts from a report by environmental educator Davidson Sargunam (Nagercoil) titled Land Alienation of the tribe: Rich forest lands, poor tribal people. The Kaani tribal community inhabits the forests of Kanyakumari in 48 Settlements in the Western Ghats in Agasthiar Biosphere Reserve. Once a nomadic tribe, they have settled in the deep forests and jungles. They … Read more

Reviving tribal culture and creating economic self-reliance through grain banks: Green economic zones and education (Bhasha Trust) – Gujarat

[…] A unique idea that has taken root over the last two years among the tribespeople here—the Rathwas, Dungras, Chaudharis, Bhils and Nayaks, across 1,200 villages in the Narmada, Baroda, Surat and the Panchmahals districts—is that of creating what they call green economic zones (GEZs) as bulwarks against special economic zones (SEZs). Rather than lose … Read more

The moral standard of state and society: T.G. Narayanan Memorial Lecture on Social Deprivation – Gujarat

By Jan BremanEmeritus professor Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (University of Amsterdam) The moral standard of state and society can be deduced from the way people are treated who are not productive anymore and have no assets of their own. Missing the means for self-providence includes all those among the labouring poor who are … Read more

Education, development, and reform to counter debt bondage: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights revisited

A Report on Debt Bondage, Carpet-Making, and Child Slavery In Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy, Dr. Kevin Bales estimates that there are at least 27 million slaves in the world today – more than at any other time in human history. Slavery is on the rise around the world for the simple … Read more

Continuation of colonial-era forest laws and mass evictions: Historical displacement of tribals from forests – Forest Rights Act

State governments would have to undertake mass evictions if the court accepts a petition filed by wildlife groups. […]   If the court accepts the plea of petitioners, state governments would have to undertake mass evictions. The union ministry for tribal affairs estimates that by the end of November 2018, out of the 4.2 million claims received, … Read more