By Mari Marcel Thekaekara, The New Internationalist, September 14, 2012 Culture is a tricky thing. How do we define it? Who decides when customs and traditions, even ancient, cherished ones, can be dispensed with? These and many other similar questions have been debated by the Adivasi groups we (ACCORD, an NGO in the Nilgiri hills of … Read more
By Mari Marcel Thekaekara, New Internationalist, March 19, 2012 The organization I work with, ACCORD – which aims to improve the human rights of adivasi people in India – arranged a fund raiser cycle trip from Bangalore to Gudalur last week to raise funds for an amazing school for adivasi kids. In addition to the basics, the school, … Read more
MARI MARCEL THEKAEKARA, The Hindu, 1 May 2010 Universal language: Darpana performs in Gudalur. As Mallika Sarabhai and her troupe performed for the adivasis in Gudalur, it ignited a spark, of using dance for social change. […]Tucked away in the Gudalur Valley, the not-so-famous part of the Nilgiris, we could not believe what we’d heard. Mallika Sarabhai … Read more
“Adivasi people have an alternative world view, which has rarely been acknowledged or recognized. Their existence was never based on accumulation or consumerism. […] All of us can learn from them. And it’s about time we started.” – Mari Marcel Thekaekara >>