- Community facilities >>
Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan, “an Abode of Learning Unlike Any in the World” | Learn more >> - Crafts and visual arts >>
Araku Museum: “Like being in the world of local tribes” | Learn more >> - Democracy >>
Trust India’s “village republics” to bring in some good news | Learn more >> - Ecology and environment >>
A Climate Conscious Diwali | Learn more >> - Education and literacy >>
A learning environment which is aesthetically pleasing, cost effective, environment and child friendly | Learn more >> - Fashion >>
An interview with Gond artist and textile designer Roshni at the National Institute of Fashion Technology| Learn more >> - Film >>
Dissemination of art and cultural heritage | Learn more >> - Literature and bibliographies >>
Books illustrated by tribal artists: Books for the reading pleasure of children in different languages | Learn more >> - Performing arts >>
Adivasi Adi Bimb Festivals: Silently but surely bringing the Adivasis of the land to limelight | Learn more >> - Women & other Success stories >>
A flourishing matriarchal village economy with agriculture, forest based activities and weaving | Learn more >>
“Nehru was fascinated by the spontaneity of tribal culture and their capacity of joy and heroism in spite of their appalling poverty, destitution, and ignorance. […] In Nehru’s view, the process of modernization must not be taken as forcing a sudden break with the tribals past but help them build upon it and grow by a natural process of evolution.” – Dr. Chittaranjan Mishra in “Tribal Philosophy and Pandit Nehru” (Odisha Review, November 2017) | Learn more >>
Photo © Indian Express
The current predicament of Adivasis
The current predicament of a vast majority of Adivasis is one of sharp erosion in their livelihoods and their life-worlds. Despite assurances of autonomy (the Fifth and Sixth Schedules, the Panchsheel, PESA 1996, Forests Rights Act 2006) and attempts of focused addressal of Adivasi and Tribal issues (including the establishment of an umbrella outfit, the National Council for Tribal Welfare), there are counter structures and programmes that defy the enabling of genuinely decentralised autonomy and the guarantee of democratic participation. For instance, the recently approved ‘Integrated Action Plan’ in Tribal areas overrides the representation of Adivasis in local issues in decision-making processes and arrogates powers of governance to bureaucrats and specialists.
In addition to such contradictory and conflicting measures, the forces of fast-expanding capital, along with the top-down deployment of development models have resulted in large scale displacement in Adivasi regions. Global capital’s access to mineral wealth has also intensified violence of various forms and degrees.
Source: Ch. 2, “Context and Conditions of Adivasi Life Worlds” (p. 5) in THE EDUCATION QUESTION’ FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ADIVASIS: CONDITIONS, POLICIES AND STRUCTURES by National Institute of Advanced Studies (Bangalore), March 2012 & UNICEF | Backup (PDF, 4 MB)
In North India it is still common to reprimand a child: study or else you’ll cut grass; the prospect of manual work invoked as a threat. Education was valued because it could widen the distance from the labouring multitudes.
Source: Author and diplomat Pavan K. Varma in Being Indian: Inside the Real India (2005), p.104 | Find a library copy via Worldcat.org >>
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See also
Adivasi Academy & Museum of Adivasi Voice at Tejgadh
Atree.org | Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology & the Environment (posts)
Biodiversity | Hyderabad biodiversity pledge | Nilgiri Biosphere
eBook | Background guide for education
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