Communities with populations spread across state/linguistic borders are often known by different names by local authorities while “some of these communities figure in various classifications in the states” according to the National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes: “There are many anomalies in terms of identification of these communities, from state to state. Many people also do not know what is denotified tribe and which authority is looking after their grievances. […] In some states they are called ‘tribal settlers’. In some states they are called ‘hidden tribes’ etc.” – Bibek Debroy in “An unfortunate legacy” (Indian Express, 5 January 2017)
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/crime-criminal-act-racial-discrimination-non-bailable-offence-criminal-tribes-act-an-unfortunate-legacy-4459258/
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=12284
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
Enjoying Palm Juice At the end of a village three Santal men sit under a Banyan tree and are happily drinking fermented juice of the tal, a commonly seen palm tree. In the summer, the men climb on the trees to collect the refreshing juice from the tree’s buds in earthen pots. A goat is … Read more
This exhibition is a collaboration between the Rietberg Museum in Zurich, the Crafts Museum and the National Museum in New Delhi, with the support of the Swiss federal office of culture. – On show from 16 April 2015 to 17 May 2015 Collection Fosshag Crafts and visual arts Museum collections – India Museum Rietberg Zuerich Revival … Read more
To read the full article or view more photos and video clips, click here >> Som Murmu, a 60 year old Santal cultivator and master craftsman from Birbhum, has been a wood carver for over forty years. In his youth, he tried his hand working with various media including straw, bamboo, clay tiles, asbestos and … Read more
A Tamil couplet from Kannappar Kuravanji of Thozuvoor Markanda Naavalar I meditate on the divine forces of the wilderness, to whom the forest rituals are offered. O Mannaru Saami, O Mother Maari, Chamundi, Irulan, Sangile Karuppan – Your though delights me. Quoted from Pidhana – The Canopy of Life (Chennai, 2014, ISBN: 978-81-921627-3-7). This richly illustrated publication tells the story of the … Read more