Books that capture the plight of Adivasis

Tribals in India have borne the brunt of modern development. These authors tell you more about the injustices meted out to them

In our race to build more roads, dams and mines, India has done considerable damage to Adivasis, their forests, and culture. Many have been displaced from their land and given a pittance in name of compensation.

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples that was celebrated on August 9 aims to bring these issues to light and Metrolife has curated some books that capture them in a searing manner.

The Adivasis will not dance

Author: Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar

A collection of 10 short stories, ‘The Adivasis will not dance’ chronicles the atrocities perpetrated on the Adivasis by the state and the society at large. It brings forth the struggles faced by the marginalised, particularly in relation with coal mining projects. Author Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar is a medical officer but also a member of the Santhal tribe and his realistic retelling got him a place as one of the five writers for The Hindu Prize 2017. This book was banned by the Jharkhand government for allegedly showing women of the Santhal tribe in a bad light.

The Adivasi Question: Issues of Land, Forest and livelihood

Author: Indra Munshi

Construction of dams, setting up of army training camps or extraction of mineral ores has displaced millions of tribals from their traditionally-held forest lands. This 2012 book is a compilation of essays from the Economic and Political Weekly. It discusses the aspects of community rights, rehabilitation policies of the state, and management of the local forests through a set of case studies.

Contemporary Adivasi writings in India

Author: Dr Rajashree Trivedi and Dr Rupalee Burke

This book comprises essays that provide a critical analysis of the writings by Adivasis and non-Advasis. It’s a good resource for students and academicians who want to dwell on the subject of Adivasi literature and culture in India and the social psychology, political science, and cognitive linguistics around it. The last two essays give a glimpse of the cultural life of the Adivasis.

Narratives from the margin: Aspects of Adivasi history in India

Author: Sanjuka Das Gupta and Raj Sekhar Basu

This 2012 book discusses the history of various Adivasi communities, spread from the west to east of India. It delineates the various issues that have affected the socio-cultural life of the Adivasi community through the lens of gender, famine, migration, liberalisation, and globalisation. Like other books, it’s also a commentary on the sufferings unleased on the Adivasis by the state.

White as Milk and Rice: Stories of India’s Isolated Tribes

Author: Nidhi Dugar Kundalia

This 2020 book is a documentation of six tribal communities from Bastar, in the form of proses and oral narratives. The Halakkis of Ankola, Kanjars of Chambal, Kurumbas of the Nilgiris, Marias of Bastar, Kashis of Shillong, Konyaks of Nagaland are the tribal communities that feature in the book.