Reams have been written about adivasis by so-called experts. Much of it is subjective interpretation, an exercise I have always been wary of indulging in. For this issue, therefore, my husband Stan and I recorded reflections of different adivasis on how they view life, their religion, politics, the past, the present and the world around … Read more
Scheduled Tribes of TamilnaduADI DRAVIDAR AND TRIBAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT POLICY NOTE 2018 – 2019 INTRODUCTION: As per the census of 2011, the population of Tamil Nadu is 7.21 crore [72,1 million] of which Scheduled Castes (known as Adi Dravidar in Tamil Nadu) are 1.44 crore (20.01%) and Scheduled Tribes are 7.95 lakh [795.000] (1.10%). The mandate … Read more
In the matter of poverty, group inequality is still a matter of concern for Kerala as we see in the following chapter: Absolute deprivation continues to be largely concentrated among the marginalised communities, such as the tribals (adivasi) and fishing community […] and the hiatus between the Scheduled Castes and non-Scheduled Castes is a distressing … Read more
Kaathadi started a year ago, and draws from experiences of the teachers and the students of Vidyodaya, which has educated hundreds of children from the adivasi communities living in and around Gudalur. It was started in 1996 by the Viswa Bharati Vidyodaya Trust (VBVT). The aim was to address the deprivation of education opportunities among … Read more
The forest in Shanthi Teacher’s classroom Priti David, Ruralindiaonline.org May 23, 2018 | To read the full story or view a slideshow, click here | View on Instagram >> The forest enters the classroom at Vidyodaya School, Gudalur, when ‘Shanthi Teacher’ starts the mathematics session. Adivasi children, mostly nine-year-olds in this class, scurry outside, climbing … Read more