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.
THE NEWS IN PROPORTION
24 July 2017
Society : Adivasis
KOLKATA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL
People's cinema with people's support
People's cinema with people's support
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT
Reversing fate through love for land, forests and water
Abhijit Mohanty brings us the story of certain tribal villages in Koraput district of southern Odisha that have successfully overcome the challenges posed by denudation and inadequate irrigation and have etched out a path towards food security and well-being.
THE DONGRIA KONDH HABITAT
Securing tribal rights means understanding them first
The recent letter from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, urging states to recognise the habitat rights of vulnerable tribal groups under the FRA, is a welcome move. Meenal Tatpati, Rashi Misra and Subrat Kumar Nayak analyse the Dongria Kondh experience to underline what is necessary to do so effectively.India Together offers an excellent forum for people from diverse fields of expertise to present their views, share their experiences and raise questions about where our country and society are headed in the future.
Amitabha Basu
- Retired Scientist
- National Physical
- Laboratory
- India Together reader
India Together
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From Aug 2013, published with support from Oorvani Foundation, a champion of public-funded media for the new India.
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