Category Archives: Misconceptions

Subscribing to the Gandhian way of life – Gujarat

I have often heard it said by some of the tribal activists that Gandhi had no take on the Girijans (his term for Adivasis). However, during my twenty years of work among Adivasis in Gujarat, I find a number of community … Continue reading

Posted in Gandhian social movement, Misconceptions, Quotes, Revival of traditions | Comments Off

Tip | Search articles on tribal history, politics and literature on Ramachandra Guha’s website

Type “adivasi”, “tribal”, “Mahasweta Devi”, “Verrier Elwin”, the name of place or a tribal community or similar combinations of words in the the Quick Search field seen on Ramachandra Guha’s website >> Guha’s books include a pioneering environmental history, The … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Anthropology, Assimilation, Colonial policies, Commentary, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Dress and ornaments, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Gandhian social movement, Health and nutrition, History, Internet, Literature and bibliographies, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Seasons and festivals, Tips, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Egalitarian culture leaves Adivasi youth unprepared for competition: On the challenge of balancing tradition and modernity

Boro Baski is a teacher and social worker with the community-based organisation Ghosaldanga Adibasi Seva Sangha in West Bengal. Read the entire article >> Boro Baski, 13/05/2013 The young generation of India’s tribal communities is struggling with different problems than the college-educated urban … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Assimilation, Commentary, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Government of India, History, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Worship and rituals | 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

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

Tip | Watch an educational video on ecowalkthetalk.com: Appreciating and sustaining India’s biodiversity

To view video contents on ecology and more, select a topic under Multimedia Biodiversity Development Sustainable agriculture and more … Eco WALK the Talk is a non-profit environmental website with an Asia focus. We cover eco news and insights, offer green … Continue reading

Posted in Customs, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Globalization, Health and nutrition, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Nature and wildlife, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Tips, Video resources - external, Women | Comments Off

Adivasis (Scheduled Tribes) are the largest tribal population in the world – World Directory of Minorities

From “Adivasis of India” (dated 2008) | Read the full article >> Alternative names: Scheduled Tribes, various tribal names e.g. Santhals, Hos, Mundas, Oraons, Gonds, Konds, Bhils etc. [...] The Adivasis (original inhabitants) is the collective name used for the many tribal … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Assimilation, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Languages and linguistic heritage, Misconceptions, Names and communities, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Worship and rituals | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off

There you go! – Survival’s cartoon book

There you go! – Survival’s cartoon book – takes a satirical swipe at the ‘development’ of tribal peoples. With beautiful illustrations and wry humour, Oren Ginzburg tells the story of how tribal peoples are being destroyed in the name of … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, eBook download sites, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Globalization, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Photos and slideshows, Resources, Storytelling | 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

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

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

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

Tip | Tribal culture worldwide: Search newint.org

To read the regular newint.org blog on developments in India by Mari Marcel Thekaekara (e.g. Adivasi culture, environmental issues and women’s rights) and others (i.e. tribal culture worldwide), search here: http://newint.org/themes/society/indigenous-peoples/>> Related posts Democracy Mari Thekaekara (on this website) Misconceptions Modernity Tribal culture worldwide … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Colonial policies, Democracy, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Globalization, Health and nutrition, History, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Organizations, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Tips, Tribal culture worldwide, Tribal identity, Women | Comments Off

Mahatma Gandhi on industrialism and his appeal to capitalists of India to become “trustees to the welfare of the masses” – Young India 1928

Capitalists Of India Wardha Before 20 December 1928 GOD FORBID that India should ever take to industrialism after the manner of the West. The economic imperialism of a single tiny island kingdom (England) is today keeping the world in chains. … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Colonial policies, Customs, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Gandhian social movement, Globalization, Health and nutrition, History, Literature and bibliographies, Misconceptions, Modernity, Organizations, Quotes, Rural poverty | Comments Off

Ensuring continued access to Indian medicine poorer sections of Indian society – Traditional Knowledge And World Intellectual Property Law

Jennifer Anne Blaylock Rina Elster Pantalony Copyright, Legal Issues and Policy H72.1804 December 16, 2008 Traditional Knowledge And World Intellectual Property Law [...] TK [Traditional Knowledge] policies ideally benefit indigenous populations by protecting their specialized knowledge from exploitation by third parties. … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, De- and re-tribalisation, Economy and development, Globalization, Health and nutrition, Literature and bibliographies, Misconceptions, Organizations, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Tribal culture worldwide | Comments Off

Tribal children instill change in their communities: overcoming domestic violence and oppression of women – Tamil Nadu

SARAH ELIZABETH WEBB, The Hindu, February 16, 2013 I have been patient — tolerant even — of the constant threat of sexual harassment that comes with travelling as a Western Woman. I anticipated it and took precautions by dressing conservatively and … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Customs, Education and literacy, Misconceptions, Modernity, Press snippets, Women | Comments Off

Interview on the award winning documentary “Have You Seen The Arana?”: A sojourn that takes you through the crests, troughs and flats of Wayanad – Kerala

Catherine Rhea Roy, The Hindu, Bangalore, March 14, 2013 Though Ningal Aranaye Kando has a bleak premise, filmmaker Sunanda Bhat injects it with the lightness of everyday occurrences, simple slice-of-life moments and hope for the future, finds Catherine Rhea Roy. [...] … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, De- and re-tribalisation, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Film, Health and nutrition, History, Misconceptions, Modernity, Music and dance, Press snippets, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology, Women | Comments Off

Alcohol and drug-awareness group, political leaders and women activists worried: Increased alcoholism in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

What’s the price of the ‘right’ to alcohol? By Mari Marcel Thekaekara, New Internationalist, March 8, 2013 While successive governments have patted themselves on their backs, each claiming credit for our galloping economy, India refuses to talk about the enormous social costs to … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Childhood and children, Economy and development, Figures, census and other statistics, Government of India, Health and nutrition, Misconceptions, Modernity, Networking, Organizations, Press snippets, Rural poverty, Women | Comments Off

Forcing tribal peoples into the mainstream, exploitative ‘human safaris’ allowed to continue – Andaman Islands

Survival for tribal peoples, 5 March 2013 India’s Supreme Court today reportedly reversed its previous ‘interim order’ to ban ‘human safaris’ in the Andaman Islands, dealing a major blow to the campaign against the controversial tours. [...] Alarm bells also rang when … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Commentary, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Government of India, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Names and communities, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tourism, Tribal identity | Tagged | Comments Off

The Status of Tribal Children in India: A historical perspective – UNICEF Working Paper Series Children of India

Brief excerpts from the IHD – UNICEF Working Paper Series, Children of India: Rights and Opportunities. Read the full report (PDF) >> By Virginius Xerox, Professor of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University 2. Status of Tribal Children  On the eve of Independence, … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Childhood and children, Democracy, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Government of India, History, Misconceptions, Organizations, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty | Comments Off

Sensitive documentary about the Adivasis: “Ab Aur Waqt Nahin” (Running Out of Time) by Abhijay Karlekar – Jharkhand

Frontline, Volume 23 – Issue 13, Jul. 01-14, 2006 View more photos here >> UNTIL the 1990s, when the movement for a separate state gathered momentum, Jharkhand was not in the public mind. Carved out of southern Bihar, it came into … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Figures, census and other statistics, Film, History, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Rural poverty | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

Tribals’ excellent knowledge of the environment, closer to an ideal society: – Jharkhand

A.S.R.P. MUKESH, The Telegraph, Jharkhand, November 18, 2010 Ranchi, Nov. 17: He is British by birth, but prefers to call himself an Indian. Having lived in this country for three decades now, Felix Padel, the great great grandson of father of … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Colonial policies, Commentary, Customs, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Figures, census and other statistics, Misconceptions, Modernity, Press snippets | Comments Off

Orissa tribal girl Sanjukta Pangi represents India at the J8 international youth summit in Rome – Odisha (Orissa)

S T Beuria, Deccan Herald, Bhubaneswar, 1-3-2013 The tribal dominated backward Orissa district of Koraput, which had always remained in news for wrong reasons like acute poverty and increasing naxal activities, is in the spotlight now for a completely different reason … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood and children, Ecology and environment, Education and literacy, Misconceptions, Modernity, Organizations, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Women | Comments Off

Video | Portrait Dayamani Barla known as the “Iron Lady of Jharkhand”

Documentary directed and produced by Leena Manimekalai.  IAWRT Documentary Fellowship (2012) “Still I Rise” is a video portrait of indigenous tribal journalist and activist Dayamani Barla. “I was amidst the world of non Adivasi journalists because I was completely a newcomer … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Democracy, Economy and development, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Networking, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Storytelling, Video resources - external, Women | Tagged | Comments Off