Category Archives: Nature and wildlife

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

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

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

Posted in Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Globalization, Maps, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Press snippets | 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

Film review of “Have you seen the Arana?”: Award winning documentary feature on Wayanad’s treasure trove of flora and fauna – Kerala

Bikas Mishra | Sunday, April 21st, 2013 Bikas Mishra writes about Sunanda Bhat’s documentary feature which won the John Abraham Award recently | Read the entire review here >> The Adiya people of Wayanad believe that their goddess has turned into the … Continue reading

Posted in Eco tourism, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Film, Health and nutrition, Media portrayal, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Storytelling | 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

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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

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

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

Slideshow | Butterfly survey by the Ferns Naturalists Society in North Wayanad Forest Division – Kerala

View a slideshow in the online edition of The Hindu (Nov 1, 2011) >> Photo: courtesy The Hindu, KALPETTA, October 30, 2011 – The team reported 38 species of skippers, 14 species of blues, 15 species of swallow tails, 18 white and yellows, and … Continue reading

Posted in Ecology and environment, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Government of India, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Comments Off

Machu Picchu: UNESCO World Heritage site close to some of the world’s last uncontacted tribes – Peru

In 2007, Machu Picchu was declared one of the seven new wonders of the world. Today, the lives of uncontacted tribes in the same valley are threatened by gas and oil extraction. [...] Every year, nearly 1 million tourists visit … Continue reading

Posted in Archaeology, Cultural heritage, Ecology and environment, Figures, census and other statistics, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tourism, Tribal culture worldwide | Comments Off

Consent from tribals no longer required by Govt. of India: handing forestlands over for projects that affect sacred places of worship

Nitin Sethi, Times Of India,  Feb 16, 2013, NEW DELHI: The government has diluted its stand on requiring consent from tribals before handing over their forestlands for projects in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on the Vedanta case. … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, De- and re-tribalisation, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Modernity, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tribal identity, Worship and rituals | Comments Off

Slideshow | Saving the wildlife habitat and livelihood of indigenous population of the Niyamgiri Hills – Odisha (Orissa)

The Dongaria tribe along with other villagers of 150 villages of Rayagada district demonstrating before the Orissa State Assembly in 2005. Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty courtesy The Hindu To view the entire slideshow published in The Hindu, Aug 24, 2010, click here >> … Continue reading

Posted in Democracy, Dress and ornaments, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Media portrayal, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Networking, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tribal identity, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Elephant corridor land to minimise human-elephant conflicts: A new year gift to nearly 1,000 elephants and other wild species – Karnataka

The Deccan Herald, 15-1-2013 It’s a new year gift to nearly 1,000 elephants and other wild species who can now wander freely without any human interference through the Kollegal corridor in Karnataka. This has been made possible by an NGO, … Continue reading

Posted in Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Elephant, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tiger, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Tagged | Comments Off

On the experience of translating Rabindranath Tagore’s Raktakarabi into Santali: Lecture by Boro Baski – West Bengal

Left to right: Prof. Dhoneswar Majhi, Dr. Boro Baski, Subhas Mukherjee (research scholar Visva-Bharati), his wife, Mrs. Chandni Mukherjee (high school teacher) and Mrs. Didimoni Hansda (high school teacher) 

Posted in Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature - fiction, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Storytelling, Tagore and rural culture, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Tribal traditions, colonial history and the birth of a modern state – Jharkhand

Forests and woodlands occupy more than 29% of the state which is amongst the highest in India – www.jharkhand.gov.in | More  information and official statistics here >> The region enshrouded in the hills and forests inaccessible to a large segment of … Continue reading

Posted in Colonial policies, Cultural heritage, De- and re-tribalisation, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Government of India, History, Maps, Nature and wildlife, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples | Comments Off

Slideshow | Wetlands Day 2013 – Tamil Nadu

Photos: courtesy S S Davidson © 2013 Tribal Foundation (Nagercoil) World Wetlands Day was celebrated at the Adi Dravida Welfare Higher Secondary School, Valayathuvayal in the Western Ghats by Tribal Foundation on February 2. Addressing the students, S S Davidson, environmental … Continue reading

Posted in Ecology and environment, Education and literacy, Health and nutrition, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes | Comments Off

New category relating to the Forest Rights Act (FRA)

An overview of all posts with information on India’s legislation is now found on this website: Forest Rights Act (FRA) Tribals have been residing in forest land for generations, cultivating and collecting forest produce like firewood and fruits. They, however, do … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, History, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tips, Topics and issues | Comments Off

Legal rights over forest land: tribals no longer “encroachers” or “illegal occupants” since 2008 – Forest Rights Act (FRA)

The Indian Express, Wed Jan 02 2008 As a New Year gift, the UPA Government notified the long-stalled Forest Rights Act, which gives tribals legal rights over forest land. The notification of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition … Continue reading

Posted in Democracy, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Figures, census and other statistics, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples | Comments Off

The Shola Trust Gudalur – Tamil Nadu

NGO Profile – Sanctuary Asia magazine February 2011: In Gudalar, at the edge of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, a small committed group of volunteers work to protect India’s shola forests – a mosaic of montane evergreen forests and grasslands found … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Eco tourism, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Health and nutrition, Literature and bibliographies, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tiger, Tribal culture worldwide, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Comments Off

Human Elephant (no) Conflict for members of the Bettakurumba communities in the Nilgiri mountains – Tamil Nadu

Tarsh Thekaekara tarshthek.wordpress.com, July 4, 2009 Ramesh is bettakurumba, but not a traditional forest dwelling adivasi by any stretch of imagination. His mother is a health worker, and goes to office every day. He grew up in Gudalur town, likes to … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Customs, Dress and ornaments, Elephant, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Quotes | Tagged | Comments Off

Cycling for Elephants! Initiative by The Shola Trust in Gudalur – Tamil Nadu

We are working with the Make a Difference (MaD) initiative to organise a cycling fund-raiser for our work around ‘elephants in the matrix’. The ‘conflict vs coexistence’ (and larger sharing vs sparing) debate is of course vibrant, but most our work is in … Continue reading

Posted in Ecology and environment, Elephant, Modernity, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Networking, Organizations, Quotes | Tagged , | Comments Off

Eco tourism, the challenge of man-animal conflict and recognition of forest rights – Project Tiger

Aarti Dhar, The Hindu, January 6, 2013 If enhancing funds for tiger conservation is high on its agenda, the government is also facing the huge challenge of man-animal conflict. Reports of loss of life, livestock and crops in animal attacks are … Continue reading

Posted in Eco tourism, Ecology and environment, Figures, census and other statistics, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Misconceptions, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets, Tiger | Comments Off