India’s indigenous Adivasi tribes are among the most disadvantaged people south of the Himalayan mountains. To improve their lot, some have begun to set up community-based organisations.
Birbhum is the latest minefield where Adivasi lives are at stake THE FIRST time Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee met Rabin Soren was five years ago; the West Bengal chief minister gave the 23-yearold his diploma for completing a government-run course in mass communication. The second meeting was on 9 July this year, …
Over the past few years, the West Bengal government and its law enforcement agencies used repression against the tribals in Lalgarh on the pretext of acting against the Maoists. This resulted in a genuine resistance movement since November 2008, which has reacted not only to state repression, but had also …
The political movement that came up from among the people of Lalgarh in November 2008 cried out for help and support from the civil and democratic society
Investigations were carried out in 26 sacred groves of the district of Bankura of West Bengal during 2006 to 2007. 114 plant species were recorded from those groves including 102 dicots and 12 monocots. The major tribal groups in those areas are Santals and Koramudis; others are Bedias and Mahalis. …
The story of UCIL-Jaduguda and the struggle of the mostly Santal Adivasi People against the company is not unknown to the general public. UCIL has been operating for over four decades now. Many of the social problems like the just compensation for the land acquired, cost of medical treatment for …
http://wesanthals.tripod.com/ The Santhals are amongst the better studied tribal communities in the country. In fact, the first attempt to study Santhali culture was made in colonial times by some Christian missionaries. The Norwegian-born missionary Paul Olaf Bodding wrote the first grammar for the Santhal community in the early 20th century. …
The dying art of the Santhal craftsman miniature Chadar Badar wooden puppets, tucked into their thatched roof in Dumka, Bihar, caught the eye of photojournalist and filmmaker Ravi Kant Dwivedi. In an appeal to save the art, he started a documentary film (16mm, colour) with meagre resources. Today, the Indira …
Year Vilalge/police station Description 1953 Pipra Five thousand santhals perfromed Gopikandar bitlaha on a boy and a girl for having illicit sexual relations. Both their houses were damaged 1956 Kharibari The police had to open fire at Maheshpur; 20,000 Santhals assembled to perform the bitlaha for sexual intercourse between a …
WHEN Ganga Murmu, a 5-month pregnant Santhal tribal of Bhangabandh village in West Bengal's Medinipur district, was raped in February by the son of the landlord in whose field she used to work, the members of her community decided to take the law into their own hands. Instead of going …
