RISING FROM THE ROOTS
THE WEEK India|August 18, 2024
As the Bhils’ demand for a state gets louder, a new party is challenging BJP and Congress
SONI MISHRA
RISING FROM THE ROOTS

A rain-washed day is unfolding and the verdant hills and meadows of Banswara are resplendent in their green finery. Though the humidity makes it oppressively warm, the winding road leading up to the monument of Mangarh Dham is abuzz with a festival-like atmosphere. The monument has immense social and historical importance for the Bhil tribe, and the energy-sapping weather does not stop them from trudging up the hill. Many of them carry decorated bows and arrows. The mood is celebratory as groups of people arrive playing traditional musical instruments and singing joyously.

Banswara is a stark contrast to the arid terrain of Rajasthan. It is also the setting of an intense social and political churn. The mobilisation of Bhils as a group keen to assert its identity is evident as they gathered in massive numbers at the Mangarh Dham, built in remembrance of the 1,500 Bhils who were killed by the British in 1913.

Over a lakh Bhils gathered at Mangarh Dham on July 18 demanding Bhil Pradesh, a separate state for the tribal community that will comprise 43 Bhil-dominated districts in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. It is not a new demand, but has grown louder of late, as a campaign is on in the tribal-dominated districts to mobilise the Adivasis as a socially and politically aware group. The movement has now got an electoral boost, with the Bharat Adivasi Party, formed in September 2023, winning three assembly seats in Rajasthan and one in Madhya Pradesh, and also the Banswara Lok Sabha seat.

Bu hikaye THE WEEK India dergisinin August 18, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye THE WEEK India dergisinin August 18, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

THE WEEK INDIA DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
William Dalrymple goes further back
THE WEEK India

William Dalrymple goes further back

Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.

time-read
3 dak  |
November 17, 2024
The bleat from the street
THE WEEK India

The bleat from the street

What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 17, 2024
Courage and conviction
THE WEEK India

Courage and conviction

Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case

time-read
2 dak  |
November 17, 2024
EPIC ENTERPRISE
THE WEEK India

EPIC ENTERPRISE

Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus

time-read
4 dak  |
November 17, 2024
Upgrade your jeans
THE WEEK India

Upgrade your jeans

If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 17, 2024
Garden by the sea
THE WEEK India

Garden by the sea

When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus

time-read
4 dak  |
November 17, 2024
RECRUITERS SPEAK
THE WEEK India

RECRUITERS SPEAK

Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates

time-read
3 dak  |
November 17, 2024
MORAL COMPASS
THE WEEK India

MORAL COMPASS

The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape

time-read
5 dak  |
November 17, 2024
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
THE WEEK India

B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH

INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

time-read
3 dak  |
November 17, 2024
COURSE CORRECTION
THE WEEK India

COURSE CORRECTION

India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI

time-read
8 dak  |
November 17, 2024