Category Archives: Press snippets

Bamboo is the lifeline of the Kaani tribe living in the forests of Kanyakumari district – Tamil Nadu

P. S. Suresh Kumar, The Hindu, NAGERCOIL, January 25, 2013 It is used as a knife to sever the umbilical cord of a newborn baby and as a cradle. It transforms into a bed (locally known as ‘padai’) that carries the … Continue reading

Posted in Crafts and visual arts, Customs, Ecology and environment, Education and literacy, Health and nutrition, Homes and utensils, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets | Tagged | Comments Off

Supreme Court declares a buffer zone around the Jarawa Tribal Reserve Area: Protecting the safety, security and interests of the Jarawas – Andaman

J. Venkatesan, The Hindu, New Delhi, January 21, 2013 The Supreme Court on Monday banned tourists from taking the Andaman Nicobar Trunk Road that passes through the area where the Jarawas live. The road is used to reach the Limestone Cave. … Continue reading

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A way to preserve biodiversity: India’s inspiring tradition of sacred groves – Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel

In commissioning a High-Level Working Group headed by the space scientist K. Kasturirangan to study the recommendations of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), the Ministry of Environment and Forests hoped to resolve an impasse. It now appears that … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Colonial policies, Commentary, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Figures, census and other statistics, Government of India, Media portrayal, Modernity, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Comments Off

Lending a voice to the nation’s indigenous population: Adivaani, a trust that publishes books written by Adivasis – Jharkhand and West Bengal

Garima Mishra, Indian Express New Delhi, Sat Apr 27 2013 | Read the full article >> “Why don’t we have an Adivasi voice?”, “Why don’t we have a ‘for and by’ Adivasi publishing house?”, “Where is the authentic Adivasi narrative?” … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Media portrayal, Modernity, Names and communities, Press snippets, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Storytelling, Tribal culture worldwide | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Collective of tribals successful in initiating and maintaining a sustainable commercial cultivation of coffee – Andhra Pradesh

G. S. SUBRAHMANYAM, The Hindu, VISAKHAPATNAM, January 29, 2013 Coop society creates steady source of income for over 11,000 farmers The ability of the collective of tribals in Paderu Agency area in initiating and maintaining a sustainable commercial cultivation of coffee … Continue reading

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The Irulas’ Natural Products Corporation: Providing employment to several hundred Irula women – Tamil Nadu & New Delhi

Times of India, 29-3-2005 The Irulas’ Natural Products Corporation is a partnership firm located in the ITWWS campus, which produces, promotes and markets Irula health-care products. It provides employment to several hundred Irula women. [...] A team of experienced vaidyars … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Customs, Economy and development, Government of India, Health and nutrition, History, Maps, Names and communities, Organizations, Press snippets, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Encouraging centuries-old life-skills of Irulas: Eking out a living outside forests – Tamil Nadu

APARNA KARTHIKEYAN, The Hindu, 11-12-12 Janaki Lenin’s book [My Husband and Other Animals], a compilation of her popular column in The Hindu MetroPlus, offers insights into her husband Rom Whitaker’s fascination for animals, particularly snakes  When he came to Madras, Rom … Continue reading

Posted in Assimilation, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Literature and bibliographies, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Press snippets, Rural poverty, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Seminar on the issue of trans-border Asia’s trans-border communities: Struggling to preserve their social and cultural characteristics – National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Organisation

Ipsita Pati, The Hindu, Kolkata, February 24, 2013 Tribal groups have to relocate themselves to create new identities or merge with bigger nations as an adaptive strategy to preserve their inherited social and cultural characteristics, said National Atlas & Thematic Mapping … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Assimilation, Government of India, History, Modernity, Networking, Organizations, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tribal culture worldwide, Tribal identity | Comments Off

Call for providing children’s literature in Jharkhand’s endangered tribal languages: Sahitya Akademi’s seminar – Ranchi

The Telegraph, Kolkata, November 28 , 2012 Eight languages spoken by tribals of Jharkhand are among the world’s endangered list of 1,763, including 171 in India, according to a Unesco report. In this context, Sahitya Akademi, which hosted a two-day … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood and children, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Globalization, Government of India, Languages and linguistic heritage, Modernity, Organizations, Press snippets | Comments Off

Indigenous communities’ decisions on traditional lands and habitats to be respected, based on information provided in a language accessible to them: Supreme Court ruling a great victory for indigenous rights – Odisha (Orissa)

Amnesty International, 18 April 2013 India: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a great victory for indigenous rights Today’s ruling by India’s Supreme Court that the Indigenous (Adivasi) communities will have the final decision on plans for a bauxite mine by a subsidiary … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Democracy, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Languages and linguistic heritage, Maps, Names and communities, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

The Western Ghats are no ordinary ecosystem: They constitute the water tower of peninsular India

Madhav Gadgil & Ligia Noronha, The Hindu, 2-5-13  [...] This is a challenging time in India’s development history where a number of tenets of environmental governance are being questioned by the imperative of growth. Environmental governance in India is under … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Commentary, Democracy, Ecology and environment, Figures, census and other statistics, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Maps, Misconceptions, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Comments Off

Documentation of tribal music of India by Bhasha and Adivasi Academy, Tejgadh – Gujarat

Times of India, Nov 6, 2011 VADODARA: Now, you will be able to peep into the life of tribals and even hum some of their songs. The Bhasha Research and Publication Centre (BRPC), which has taken up a project for … Continue reading

Posted in Literature and bibliographies, Modernity, Museum collections - India, Music and dance, Musicology, Names and communities, Performing arts, Press snippets, Resources, Seasons and festivals, Women | Tagged , | Comments Off

Earth Day 2013 celebrated at Vellambi tribal settlement: by Tribal Foundation Nagercoil – Tamil Nadu

Photos: courtesy S S Davidson © 2013 Tribal Foundation (Nagercoil) The Hindu, NAGERCOIL, April 23, 2013 Owing to rampant industrialization, unregulated use of chemicals and unplanned development, the planet was losing its regenerative capacity, environmental educator S. S. Davidson observed. … Continue reading

Posted in Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Modernity, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets | Comments Off

Akshara experiment and book – The wealth of India’s crafts combined with linguistic diversity

View the Caravan Magazine’s slideshow with explanations and picture credit here >> By Devina Dutt,  Caravan Magazine,  1 February 2013 [...] The Akshara experiment, carried out over five years, brought together 58 artists in crafts, textiles and traditional paintings on a journey … Continue reading

Posted in Crafts and visual arts, Education and literacy, Gandhian social movement, Globalization, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature and bibliographies, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets | Comments Off

An indigenous film industry for large indigenous populations: ‘Jhollywood’ tells the stories of modern Adivasis in Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Manipur

From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 7, Issue 26, Dated July 3, 2010 Jhollywood is calling Forget the faux tribals grunting in Raavan. Jharkhand has its own film industry, made by Adivasi filmmakers for Adivasi viewers, says G VISHNUIS BEERA Formula for … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Film, Government of India, Languages and linguistic heritage, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Press snippets, Storytelling | Comments Off

Conference on unrecognized languages: Bhasha Research Centre – Gujarat

The Indian Express, Vadodara, Thu Feb 18 2010 Come March, and the city’s linguistic diversity will increase manifold, though for a few days. [...] People speaking as many as 250 languages, which are not recognised by the Indian constitution, will … Continue reading

Posted in Government of India, Languages and linguistic heritage, Modernity, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Press snippets | Tagged | Comments Off

Memories of life in a remote Bhil hamlet on the Narmada river: “poor but not impoverished” – Maharashtra

Simple ways of life Yoginder Sikand, Dec 23, 2012 : Reflections It was almost three decades ago and I have only very hazy memories of the trip. We, a batch of university students, accompanied our Anthropology professor to a remote tribal … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Assimilation, Commentary, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Dress and ornaments, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Government of India, Health and nutrition, History, Misconceptions, Modernity, Music and dance, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Doctorate on edible mushroom: Applying traditional knowledge of people belonging to Kaani tribe in the Western Ghats – Tamil Nadu

The Hindu, Nagercoil, April 8, 2013 The traditional knowledge of people belonging to Kaani tribe in the Western Ghats of Kanyakumari district has helped a research student secure her doctorate. The Kaani tribe, who inhabit hills and deep jungles, are a … Continue reading

Posted in Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Health and nutrition, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Revival of traditions, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Tagged | Comments Off

Book review: A Rogue and Peasant Slave by Shashank Kela

STAN THEKAEKARA, Indian Express, 5-1-2013 The Nine Per Cent An incisive account of adivasi survival, from colonial risings to contemporary insurgencies IS IT an anthropological study by an academic, a textbook by a historian, a political polemic by an activist … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Colonial policies, Cultural heritage, Forest Rights Act (FRA), History, Misconceptions, Names and communities, Press snippets, Storytelling | Tagged | Comments Off

Missing school in spite “very good laws” for child protection: Unicef – Meghalaya

By GARDINER HARRIS, nytimes.com, February 25, 2013 Slideshow >> “We have very good laws in this country,” said Vandhana Kandhari, a child protection specialist at Unicef. “It’s our implementation that’s the problem.” [...] Meghalaya lies in India’s isolated northeast, a stump … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Childhood and children, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Government of India, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty | Comments Off

EU supported project to “bring back forests on forest land”: Auroville bioregion – Tamil Nadu

01 April 2002 | by Isha; source: Auroville Today, April 2002 European Union supports Auroville’s afforestation project. The planting of 75,000 trees within Auroville, fortifying Auroville’s forest gene and bunding and check dam work needed to combat soil erosion and … Continue reading

Posted in Ecology and environment, Figures, census and other statistics, Maps, Modernity, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Press snippets, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

A significant cultural moment among the Bodos: The literary rebirth of a compelling character in Indira Goswami’s novel “The Bronze Sword of Thengphakhri Tehsildar” – Assam

ARUNI KASHYAP, The Hindu, March 2, 2013 Indira Goswami’s novel on the legendary Bodo heroine Thengphakhri was not just about the life of a forgotten heroine, but also an attempt to reignite interest in an under-represented region of Assam’s history. I … Continue reading

Posted in Colonial policies, Cultural heritage, De- and re-tribalisation, History, Literature - fiction, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Slideshow | World Forestry Day school celebration in the western ghats of Kanyakumari district – Tamil Nadu

Photos: courtesy S S Davidson © 2013 Tribal Foundation (Nagercoil) The Hindu, NAGERCOIL, March 22, 2013 Forests were the lungs of the earth and global warming and its attendant climate change needed to be dealt with in this context, said environmental educator … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood and children, Ecology and environment, Education and literacy, Globalization, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Comments Off

Celebrating World Water Day 2013: Government Tribal Middle School at Manalodai in the forest area of Western Ghats – Tamil Nadu

Photo: courtesy S S Davidson © 2013 Tribal Foundation (Nagercoil) The Hindu, NAGERCOIL, March 25, 2013 World Water Day was celebrated at the Government Tribal Middle School at Manalodai in the forest area of Western Ghats in Kanyakumari on Saturday. Addressing the … Continue reading

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New Amarambalam forests deserve better conservation status – Kerala & Tamil Nadu

T. Nandakumar, The Hindu, Thiruvananthapuram, December 12, 2012 New moss species found in New Amarambalam forests: Characterised by long, drooping primary branches, ridged leaves  - Photo: The Hindu | Researchers have named the new plant Symphysodontella madhusoodanii.

Posted in Ecology and environment, Maps, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Tagged | Comments Off