Yanadi
Yanadi Abandon Traditions, Modernize
The schoolmaster in the Yanadi hamlet of Pamulametta, portrayed in news stories a year ago, continues to lead the community into changing their lives. A news story last week in The Hindu describes the work that Chilukuri Srinivasa Rao has been doing with the children in his school. The hamlet, located in the Indian state […]
Proposed Port Threatens Yanadi Villages
The government of India has approved the construction of a huge port facility on the southeast coast of Andhra Pradesh, though the exact location is unclear. Last week the proposal received a scathing review for the harm it would do to the local villagers, to some Yanadi communities in the area, and to a unique […]
Avoiding Conflicts in South Asia [anthology chapter review]
The four peaceful South Indian foraging societies included in this website have similar beliefs that tend to inhibit conflicts, and they have comparable techniques for resolving them when they do occur. Out of the 18 distinct foraging societies in South India, six have been extensively studied by anthropologists, and four—the Malapandaram, Paliyans, Kadar, and Yanadi—are […]
The Yanadi: Criminals or Sought After Citizens
The Yanadi were stigmatized as a “Criminal Tribe” by the British, and while they are still very poor, a recent series of articles suggests conditions may be improving. The Hindu, a major paper in India, has run three news stories over the past year on a small Yanadi hamlet in Andhra Pradesh. They report some […]
Yanadi Fish Farming May Be Threatened
Two years ago the Indian press covered a hopeful story about a Yanadi village that had established a crab framing operation near Sorlagondi, a coastal community in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Last week, a news source reported that the Indian Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) has completed studies about the suitability of a […]
Yanadi Families in Andhra Pradesh Gain and Lose Welfare
Some very poor Yanadi families in India’s Andhra Pradesh state seem to be getting more welfare support, but others are losing out due to official corruption. Two articles last week in The Hindu, a major paper in India, provided details about the situation. An article on Thursday, the more hopeful one, indicated that over 10,000 […]
Peaceful Societies in India Champion Women’s Rights
Michelle Bachelet argues that a much stronger economic and political role for women in India will not only be the right thing to do, it will send an important message to the world. She summarized her thoughts on the subject during a speech in New Delhi at the beginning of October. The former president of […]
Reclaiming Land for the Yanadi
Karthik Navayan posted a most interesting news story last week exposing the corruption of the upper class land barons in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh who have deprived the Yanadis of properties that rightfully belong to them. He told his intriguing story on March 26 on his own blog and on the website of […]
Yanadi Colony Troubles Former Film Star
Indian film superstar Chiranjeevi championed a Yanadi woman, Tupakula Munemma, over two years ago when he founded his Praja Rajyam party and ran, unsuccessfully, for Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He invited her to run for the state legislative assembly in his party, which she did. Last week, Chiranjeevi, the film star turned politician—he was […]
Yanadi Traditional Knowledge Threatened
Last Thursday, the Herbal Folklore Research Centre in India uploaded a 12 minute video to YouTube that describes the importance of preserving traditional healing practices and natural herbal preparations used by the Yanadi in the Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh. Other literature indicates, for example, that Yanadi healers may prescribe for children a powder made […]
