India’s tribal cultural heritage – Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep, which is a land in the deep Arabian Sea and is a part of the Indian Subcontinent, is recognised as the smallest Union Territory of India. The UT has one Lok Sabha constituency which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST). Lakshadweep is a Lok Sabha / Parliamentary constituency in region of Lakshadweep in South … Read more

Two novels on West Ghat tribal cultural heritage: Changing perceptions of land and its ownership – Kerala & Tamil Nadu

Two novels that capture local history in English translationEach novel is written from a different angle, yet both chronicle the lives of people attached to their land and customs while facing the pressures imposed by mainstream society: one by male Malayalam writer ‘Narayan’ who hails from Kerala’s Malayarayar community; and the other by Rajam Krishnan … Read more

Video | Deowal Chitra & Alpana: Santal art reflecting “simplicity, honesty and a quiet vigour” – West Bengal

The Santhals, a proto-Austroloid racial group, is the largest tribe in West Bengal. Although they reside in several districts of West Bengal, Purulia District is one of the major areas where Santhals are found after Paschim Mednipur district. The primary occupation of Santhals is daily agricultural and manual labour. Santhal religion worships Marang Buru or … Read more

Video | Interview with anthropologist Cristoph von Fürer-Haimendorf on the rapid transition into modernity by a previously untouched tribe: “Apatanis developed fast, not overrun by outsiders” – Assam

Source: “Interview of Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf by Alan Macfarlane, Part 1 of 3”URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV2aJLFU6_YDate Visited: 11 January 2023 “President Droupadi Murmu said that the high respect given to the women in the Naga society is demonstrated through the fact that the literacy rate among women in the state is higher than the national average, and … Read more

Tip | Anthropology and more

Learn more about India’s tribal communities – their cultural heritage, current conditions and aspirations – with the help of the links seen below Despite their vast differences, anthropologists, including [Verrier] Elwin and [G.S.] Ghurye, as well as Srinivas and other Indian public figures and intellectuals, effectively erased or negated tribes’ worldviews and beliefs. When discussing … Read more