Names & communities

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

Advantage of Podu (slash-and-burn) cultivation: Almost all varieties of cereals and vegetables grow in one plot – Odisha & Andhra Pradesh

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A HORTICULTURE technique, some 10,000 years old and forerunner to the systematic cultivation of food crops, is still practised by tribal societies living on hills and mountains the world over and the hill areas of Visakhapatnam are no exception. Known as slash-and-burn cultivation, or Podu in Visakhapatnam, it involves clearing the jungle on the hill … Read more

Forcing tribal peoples into the mainstream, exploitative ‘human safaris’ allowed to continue – Andaman Islands

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Survival for tribal peoples, 5 March 2013 India’s Supreme Court today reportedly reversed its previous ‘interim order’ to ban ‘human safaris’ in the Andaman Islands, dealing a major blow to the campaign against the controversial tours. […] Alarm bells also rang when the Court reportedly asked the Andaman authorities ‘whether they wanted the Jarawa to be kept … Read more

On the experience of translating Rabindranath Tagore’s Raktakarabi into Santali: Lecture by Boro Baski – West Bengal

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The main aspects of the lecture held on 23rd February, 2013 What are practical problems I faced while translating the play, for instances Bengali terms, thoughts, feeling etc. Tagore’s play ‘Raktakarabi’ which was written almost 90 years ago and still relevant with modern time, why is it also relevant to Santal world view especially with their life and nature, despite the belief … Read more

India’s Supreme Court orders a “no-go” zone: protecting the Jarawa people’s dignity and health – Andaman & Nicobar

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Dhananjay Mahapatra, Times Of India,  Jan 22, 2013 Supreme Court bars entry of tourists in Jarawa tribe habitat NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday wanted to know from Andaman & Nicobar Island administration whether it intended to keep in isolation the extremely endangered Jarawa tribe, which numbered just over 300, and banned all tourist movement in … Read more

On the Totem Trail | People & Places | Smithsonian Magazine

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By Mary Jane Lenz, Smithsonian magazine, June 2001 | Read the full article or subscribe here >> Totem poles, those giant red cedar poles elaborately carved with images of animals and people, can be thought of as three-dimensional family histories; histories that began in the time before people lived on the earth, when birds and animals spoke … Read more