The Indian Tribal

Secure Jharkhand – The Indian Tribal Though Jharkhand was a part of Bihar until 2000, many had seen a need for separate statehood even before Independence. The demand to separate the Chhotanagpur-Santhal Pargana belt was first made by Christian missionaries through a memorandum to the Simon Commission in 1928, which was turned down. “The church always supported a separate Jharkhand for better integrated growth of this area. We also approached the Simon Commission on this issue,” says Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas of Ranchi Archdiocese. In 1936, the Adivasi Mahasabha became the first political outfit to call for a separate state, comprising tribal-dominated areas of Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. When the first Congress ministry was formed in the elections of 1937, the missionaries made a new appearance through the Adivasi Mahasabha, which then got closer to Muslim League. On May 15, 1943, Jawaharlal Nehru, during a visit to Jharkhand’s current capital, Ranchi, accused th...

Chapda Chutney: A Bastar’s delicacy ABHIJAT SHUKLA RAIPUR   Chapda chutney, a food delicacy of Bastar, shot to fame when international celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay included it into his international food menu after he visited the Naxal infested region a couple of years ago.   The sour and chirpy sauce made up of giant red ants, having ingredients as green-chilly and locally available spices, finds an important place in the food menu of Bastar tribals.   Although the sauce, which is one of much sought-after delicacies, is also an essential part in dining for other neighbouring states, Odisha, and Jharkhand , a sort of geo-tagging has been done by Ramsay recently for the Bastar.   A tribal youth , Shyamlal Netam, from village Bahigaon at Kondagaon in Bastar said in local Gondi dialect, ‘Chapda’ means “leaf basket,” a reference to the nests that the ants make weaving the leaves of the Sal tree.   About process of preparing it, Netam says we co...

  Strap: India's law recognises the need to protect and succour its tribals. The Supreme Court, as well as lower courts, have passed some landmark judgements in this regard. Mrittika Jain explores some cases with lower profiles that have had an impact over the years. Intro: Adivasi quite literally means 'earliest inhabitant,' but their fate, lives and welfare too often rest heavily on modern readings and interpretations of law. “The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of… in particular, the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes , and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation,” says Article 46 of the Constitution, which, along with Articles 341, 342, 16(4) and 335, delineates the treatment of SC/STs. Over the years, several government orders, amendments and legal precedents have built a path for the Adivasi to be brought into the mainstream. Reservation has a Geography   Andhra Pradesh migrant Marri...

  “The aroma of a sizzling dish can drag you inside a lion cave,” goes an old tribal saying in Jangalmahal in West Bengal . S. Shrobana travels to the tribal territory bejeweled by autumnal Kaans Grass and Jasmine — a wild beauty often depicted in their works by the likes of Satyajit Ray and Bibhutibhushan Banerjee, and gets transported deep inside the gourmand escapade of Jangalmahal even as the lengthy monsoon lapses into an amorously festive autumn. Laad Jel In the bucolic boondocks of Belpahari-Banspahari in Bengal’s Jangalmahal districts , the sharp, sizzling flavor of Adivasi fare would last ‘generations’. “I don’t know what you talk about Pora Mangsho or stuff but I can tell you about Laad Jel, a traditional raw meat grilled in Sal barks or leaf,” says Madhusudan Hansda from Belpahari. Hansda is a tasted bon vivant who can cook, serve and make you eat to your fill like any Santhali man worth one’s salt. “Laad Jel with Panta (cooked rice soaked in water) is a teenagers’ fad ...

  Dr Rehana Bashir, a tribal girl from Salwah village located in the Mendhar tehsil of frontier Poonch district has come a long way in her brief journey of life. A qualified doctor, she cracked UPSC- 2018 examination by securing an AIR-187 and becoming the first Gujjar IAS officer from the region. After completing her training and mandatory probation period she is currently serving the people of West Bengal as Sub Divisional Officer, Dinhatta, Coochbehar. On August 15 Before joining her maiden field posting Dr Bashir also served as OSD in the Health and Family Welfare Department, West Bengal. She was part of the team of IAS officers who were chiefly responsible for the successful implementation of the National Health Mission.   Speaking exclusively to The Indian Tribal Dr Rehana Bashir talked about her journey and the challenges she faced. She also shared her vision and how she is trying to learn new things in life while discharging her part of the duties. My civil servi...