Childhood

“Only the collaboration between the children and the adults will be able to solve the problems of our time.” – Maria Montessori from Madras on 11 November 1939 (Report on the First Indian Training Course in Education); quoted in Maria Montessori Writes to her Grandchildren: letters from India, 1939-1946 (Amsterdam, 2020), p. 38
https://montessori-pierson.com/india.html
https://worldcat.org/en/title/1273931392
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=16037

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

Joint efforts, not denials, make India a safer place for girls and women – West Bengal & Madhya Pradesh

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Why am I returning repeatedly to the theme of rape, I puzzled, as I began this blog post. Because, I realized, the problem’s become worse, not better. Rape stories are headlined practically every day. This morning, I read that a 14-year-old girl was gang-raped in my home state of West Bengal. […] Even worse, the Chief … Read more

Santal music and the bamboo flute of Pannalal Ghosh – West Bengal

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Audio contents on YouTube “For centuries, Santhals, spread across West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar, have nurtured culture and heritage. Some of the finest music and art traditions originated in this tribe and went on to influence people like Pannalal Ghosh and Kazi Nazrul Islam.”  The Hindu (Friday Review), 23 April 2015 >> References to the … Read more

Audio | The inspiration of our village development work – West Bengal

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Rabindranath Tagore’s idea of education not only revitalized our initiative of village work but also strengthened our belief that the positive cultural values of Santal life can play an important role in sustainable development of our society even in the modern world.  Dr. Boro Baski in “The inspiration of our village development work”