India is home to numerous indigenous or tribal communities. Many of these stay in forests, which has been their home for hundreds of generations.
The Kadars are one such community, who live in the Anaimalai Hills of South India, mainly in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Manish Chandi, who has worked with this community and is the co-author of the books Walking is a Way of Knowing and Speaking To an Elephant along with Madhuri Ramesh, spoke about his experiences and these books at an event held recently at the Champaca Book Store at Anjuna.
He shared interesting insights about this community of traditional, nomadic hunter-gatherers, who consider the forest as their home.
However, since hunting is now banned, they, like us, have become dependent on markets to survive, and sell wild honey and other forest products in the market so as to make a living.
Manish, who is a sociologist, spent several years with this community to get an idea of how they live and understand the forest.
However, since hunting is now banned, they, like us, have become dependent on markets to survive, and sell wild honey and other forest products in the market so as to make a living.
In the book, Walking is a Way of Knowing, which has some fascinating illustrations by Mathew Frame, the authors explain that how the Kadars read the forest not only with their sight, but by using all five senses as they hear, smell, touch and feel it.
Manish further informed that this community has a special relationship with elephants, and thus, their story is also based on an elephant.
He shared a story from their folklore which explained how a pregnant Kadar woman, while going through her labour, suddenly turned into an elephant. He shared some more folklore associated with them.
Manish also highlighted that when we speak of forests and forest conservation, we don’t take the plight of such indigenous communities into consideration.
They are largely looked upon as intruders, but Manish believes that they understand forests like no one else because the forest is their home.
It is this community, who showed the forest paths to British, and these were then converted into tea gardens. The Kadars are also involved in the conservation of forest species like hornbills, an important avian species considered farmers of the forest.
With their knowledge of medicinal plants, they aid the Ayurvedic industry as well. But, as Manish pointed out, they are paid a paltry sum for their efforts.
It is this community, who showed the forest paths to British, and these were then converted into tea gardens. The Kadars are also involved in the conservation of forest species like hornbills, an important avian species considered farmers of the forest.
Manish, who has worked in the Nicobar Islands over 20 years ago, shared interesting details about the community. In that place, the notion is different and these tribes are protected and considered an integral part of the forests, he explained.
He shared details about Sentinelese tribes who are very isolated. There is no census on their population, but Manish opines that they are definitely less than 150.
They mainly hunt wild boar, monitor lizards and fish with a bow and arrow, and avoid venturing into the deep sea.
He explained that new development projects such as the transshipment port, an international airport, a power plant and a greenfield township at the Great Nicobar Island where Shompen tribes reside, will see the cutting down of around 9 lakh trees, which in turn may destroy these islands forever.
On a concluding note, he urged that urban dwellers, like us, look at these communities in a new light as they are very important in conserving our forests.
The books ‘Walking is a Way of Knowing’ and ‘Speaking To an Elephant’ by Manish Chandi and Madhuri Ramesh are available at the Champaca bookstore, Anjuna, as well as online.
(Arti Das is a freelance journalist based in Goa. She loves writing about art, culture and the ecology of Goa).
