India’s tribal cultural heritage – Tamil Nadu

The tribal population in India is 84.51 million, which constitutes 8.14% of tribal population. There are about 449 tribes and sub tribes in different parts of India. Half of India’s tribal people live in the forests and forest fringes and their economy is linked with the forests. Tamil Nadu has 7.21 lakh tribal populations as … Read more

“Irulas are very knowledgeable about medicinal plants”: Interview with Zai Whitaker, Director of the Irula Tribal Women’s Welfare Society – Tamil Nadu

The ITWWS is a women’s community-based development organization established in 1986. It was founded with the aim of protecting natural resources, empowering Irula women and using the Irula tribal knowledge of forest resources for economic prosperity. The organization started with five villages and now covers an area of over 100 villages in 4 districts. Because … Read more

Exclusive right for commercial production of Singpho community’s traditional rice varieties – Assam

Sushanta Talukdar, Guwahati, June 19, 2011 Cooked Miaotong rice remains fresh for at least three days Two traditional rice varieties produced by the Singphos — Miaotong and Khawlung, used in making topola bhaat, a delicacy of the tribe and popular with tourists — are set to earn the status of being the first registered farmers’ variety … Read more

The Todas, their cultural traditions and the Nilgiri biosphere – Tamil Nadu

Dharmalingam Venugopal (Honorary Director of Nilgiri Documentation Centre) writes in The Hindu, September 17, 2011: The Todas and the Kotas of the Nilgiris have managed to preserve their strikingly unique culture in the face of relentless development. […] The World Heritage Committee of the United Nations has deferred India’s request to declare the Western Ghats as … Read more