Adivasis News - India Together

CRIME SURVEYS
The way we measure hate crimes is simply bogus

Safety and criminality in society must be assessed directly from the people themselves. The government is deluding itself and citizens by conflating law enforcement statistics with crime data, writes Tara Krishnaswamy.

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SC/ST EMPOWERMENT

How successful has been the SC/ST Sub-Plan

It has been more than 3 decades since the scheme of Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan was implemented. It was given statutory status by converting it into an Act in Karnataka in 2013. Kathyayini Chamaraj examines the promises of the scheme and Act and questions the outcomes.

Government

KOLKATA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL

People's cinema with people's support

Shoma A. Chatterji writes about a film festival that lacks the glitz and glamour of stars, television cameras and paparazzi chasing famous people to freeze them for the media.

Media Human Rights

A TRIBUTE

Mahasweta Devi in cinema

Mahasweta Devi remains a writer whose work was almost impossible to express through cinema, writes Shoma Chatterji paying a tribute to the legendary writer and social activist.

Gender and Media Society Films and Books Media

LIMBU TAMANG ISSUE

Tribal seat reservation issue rakes up storm in Sikkim

The long pending issue of Limbu-Tamang tribal seat reservation in the Sikkim legislative assembly has to be resolved within the next four months as per the latest orders given by the Supreme Court. Soumik Dutta writes about how this could change the political scenario in Sikkim.

Government Sikkim

SUSTAINABLE FOOD

Rays of hope for the ‘local’ in Meghalaya

Even as many pockets of the state, including its capital, battle the ravages of development and consumerism, a couple of villages visited by the author stand as examples of resilient local economies and lifestyles. Aditya Vikram Rametra describes what he saw here.

Agriculture Biodiversity

TRIBAL SUB PLAN

Diversion of funds mars tribal welfare plans

In spite of the development and welfare plans and programs implemented since Independence, the tribals of our nation remain the most marginalised group. There are many valid reasons for this as Abhijit Mohanty finds out when he looks into the existing Tribal Sub Plan funds and what's happening with it.

Government Caste Odisha

FOREST RIGHTS

Is “settling” forest rights in “campaign mode” a good idea?

The central government is pushing state governments to give forest rights to tribals by the end of this year. Kanchi Kohli cautions that the intent behind settling these rights claims under the Forest Rights Act in such haste is not what it appears to be.

Forests Environment Human Rights

CASTE CRIMES

Why do these ghastly stories rarely make news headlines?

Crime and atrocities against Dalits is on rise, while support and justice in these cases are long delayed and the coverage of these crimes is inept, biased or voyeuristic. Pushpa Achanta finds out why media, the fourth pillar of our democracy, is falling short in its duty.

People Justice Media

MAGIC OF WADI

Wadi: A model for sustainable tribal livelihood

Amongst the various models for sustainable livelihoods being tried and tested in the tribal areas of India, the Wadi model has shown a lot of promise. Abhijeet Mohanty, Kieran Robson and Rosie Clarkson, find out why and how the Wadi model is doing in the tribal areas of Koraput district of Odisha.

Food Security Agriculture

MATRILINEAL TRIBES

Lessons from tribals on surviving and thriving

An ancient matrilineal tribe of northeast India has a thriving culture and an increasing population, while a similarly ancient Dravidian matrilineal tribe is in danger of vanishing. Linda Chhakchhuak reports on what the Dravidian tribe can learn from the northeastern tribe to revive its culture and population.

Culture Gender Law and Policy Human Rights

FOREST PATROL

Saving forests: Women sentinels of Gunduribadi

The women of Gunduribadi, a small tribal village in Odisha, go out daily for thengapalli or forest patrolling around their village. They are also members of their Forest Protection Committee which decides how to manage the forest and its resources. Sonali Pattnaik spent a day with these sentinels of Gunduribadi to find out how this movement has restored the forest and empowered the villagers.

Forests Women Odisha

TRIBAL WELFARE

All good, but only on paper

An apparently well-intended plan to help very poor tribes in Madhya Pradesh find sustainable livelihoods bears no relation to the reality of how it is actually implemented. Money is simply distributed and disappears, but things remain unchanged. Susmita Guru reports.

Livelihood Poverty M.P.

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Amitabha Basu

Retired Scientist
India Together reader