Author: admin

One recent August day, a festive atmosphere enveloped Budabirmaha hamlet in the tribal Kandhamal district of Odisha. The day had started with dancing to the beating of drums as the villagers welcomed their “guests”, health workers who would test them for malaria.

“Whoever tests positive should complete the medicine course without fail,” Salman Mallick, the village’s health volunteer, told the gathering in the local Kui language.

With this, the team set about testing all 189 villagers in the first of two mass screenings to be conducted each year—before and after the monsoon rains–under a joint programme by Tata Trusts and the Government of Odisha that aims to reduce malaria deaths by 100% and malaria incidence by 40% by 2021.

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Courtesy: hindustan times

Tribals and forest-dependent communities across the country may lose a significant share of the revenue earmarked for their community welfare activities to the Goods and Service Tax regime (GST).

The revenue from the not-for-profit souvenir shops and other ecotourism facilities offered by these vulnerable communities in tiger reserves and protected areas may come under the GST, it is apprehended.

While 50% of the revenue generated from these activities is used for community welfare activities, the rest is used for the management of protected areas. It is estimated that there are around 50 lakh people, including tribals, among those living in the fringe areas of the 50 tiger reserves of the country. Almost all protected areas of the country have ecotourism programmes.

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Courtesy: The Hindu

Almost a decade ago, Mumbai-based documentary maker Pratibha Sharma had visited Taloda village in Nandurbar along with her friend, a social worker, who was working in the region. That was the first time she had met and interacted with tribal families.

Sharma wanted to capture the realities and tribulations of these families, and her idea finally started turning into action in 2013, when she began work on her documentary, Aamo Aakha Ek Se (We are one).

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Courtesy: The Indian Express

A community that lives off the land, an annual migration of around 200 kilometres to the middle Himalayas and an everlasting bond with buffaloes that would put a dog’s love to shame. It was enough of a draw for American photojournalist Michael Benanav to make his way to India in order to spend some time with the Van Gujjars.

The idea was to document the lifestyle of these forest-dwelling nomads, which is under constant threat of being swallowed by the developing world. For 44 days, Benanav followed the Van Gujjars on their spring migration from the jungles at the foothills of the Shivalik Hills to the lush pastures high up in the mountains. And en route, he had a fascinating insight into their life, which he has documented in the book, ‘Himalaya Bound’.

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Courtesy: First Post

Twenty-two Christian bodies and tribal organisations will hold a rally in Ranchi to protest against the Religious Freedom Bill, 2017 and the amendment to Land Acquisition Act, 2013, alleging that these are attempts to divide the tribal population along religious lines while grabbing their land. The rally will be held on September 16 in Morabadi, a day after BJP president Amit Shah begins his three-day Jharkhand visit on September 15.

Organisations that will attend the rally include the All India Churches Committee, Rashtriya Isai Mahasangh, Jharkhand Christian Youth Association and Kendriya Sarna Samiti (Pahari Tola). “On the face of it, they look like laws in two different spheres but they are related,” A J Ekka, Chairman of All India Churches Committee, said.

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Courtesy: The New Indian Express