Tribe vs Adivasi: A collective Identity – Dictionary definition vs. traditional India’s socio-religious and economic distinctions (jana, jati)

The concept tribe has evolved from the Middle English term ‘tribuz’ meaning the three divisions into which the early Romans are grouped. For the Romans, the tribe is a political division. But for others it is equated with geographical divisions. The Irish history conceives the term as families or communities of persons having the same … Read more

Independent origins of Indian tribal paternal lineages

Richard Cordaux, Robert Aunger, Gillian Bentley, Ivane Nasidze, S M Sirajuddin, Mark Stoneking Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany. The origins of the nearly one billion people inhabiting the Indian subcontinent and following the customs of the Hindu caste system are controversial: are they largely derived from Indian local populations (i.e. tribal groups) or from recent immigrants … Read more

Celebrating victory over unjust authority together with non-tribal communities: The Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara festival – Telangana

The Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara has got bigger, with believers from various non-tribal communities participating enthusiastically, writes Manjula Kolanu Manjula Kolanu, The Hindu, February 25, 2016 | To read the full article, click here >> Assertion of independence, pride in one’s identity and an open defiance of unjust authority have long been hallmarks of Telangana history. Heroes of … Read more

Linguistic diversity and multilingualism – Interviews with Prof. Ganesh Devy

Devy has worked incessantly to establish the linguistic diversity and numeric strength of subaltern cultures in India. In a politically resonant statement during a public lecture last year in Bengaluru, he said the most beloved stories of mainstream Hinduism start in the mouths of Dalits. It is a suta, both charioteer and bard, who speaks … Read more

The Mannans and the plantation zones established in the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats – “Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (National Conference)

Abstract 2: The Mannans and the plantation zones established in the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats Paper presented for “Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (National Conference) – New Delhi  ANU KRISHNASchool of Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai KEYWORDS: MANNANS, PLANTATION, CARDAMOM HILLS, CULTURAL IMPERIALISM, SETTLERS Plantation is a colonial … Read more