Adivasi Library and Research Centre

“Dancing under the full moon on the shores of the Tamil Nadu coast, the Irulas celebrate their goddess Kanniyamma by performing rituals all through the night.” The documentation of adivasi activities and traditions in India represents a culture rich in unique customs and a struggle within a caste divided society. The study of adivasi ethnicity, customs, and civilization, and their fight for self-determination is essential when considering the social realities and ethnical structure of India. A definitive collection of books, journals, and articles, ranging from the study of adivasi societies and traditions, to environmental conservation and medicinal techniques can be found within the ITWWS Adivasi Library and Research Centre. Other relevant materials include books on botany, herbal medicine, plants, agriculture, the caste system, health, gender issues and education systems.

The centre now boasts over 6,000 books and a diverse range of tribal artifacts. The collection started in 1990 with the aim of becoming a respected institute for adivasi studies. Jayakumar, networking coordinator at ITWWS states, “We wanted to establish an extensive collection of materials and a base of knowledge covering many aspects of the adivasi struggle in the history of India and the world.”

The centre offers the most in-depth study of Irula tribes and is one of the most extensive sources of adivasi research in south India. ITWWS publications on the achievements and activities of the organization are accompanied by a variety of individual case studies illustrating stories of their exceptional lives. Books and periodicals covering the history, socio-economic realities, agricultural techniques, livelihoods, gender issues, ethno-medical data, educational systems, and the status of Irula people in India are also on hand. 

The ongoing achievements and movements within ITWWS have been, in part, due to the dedicated research of the library’s literature. The very basis in which ITWWS was founded came from a gender based perspective. The gender related books and articles in the centre cover a wide range of gender based movements and provide a comprehensive catalogue of how to further the development of women’s rights. It was vital to study government constitutions, law journals and dalit related books as they offer a framework in which the battle for adivasi rights has to be based. Regarding the creation and maintenance of the ITWWS nursery and seed bank, environmental and botanical journals had to be extensively reviewed and are still consulted when required.

As well as documenting adivasi specific issues, the research centre also contains numerous hard backs and manuscripts on wildlife conservation and environmental research. These issues are of crucial importance when understanding the lives of adivasi communities and the relationship they have with each other. Journals on forestry, zoology, ecology, botany, environmental biodiversity, animals and wildlife provide a considerable base for research and academic study. The many volumes containing research on snakes, reptiles, insects and wildlife in general, are received from the nearby Crocodile Bank which also works in areas of environmental conservation.

The knowledge of adivasi communities concerning the forest’s medicinal values is unrivalled in India. The wide spectrum of natural antidotes and remedies are recorded in detail within the centre’s numerous books and journals. General health books also document the way in which adivasi medicinal practices are developing and gaining respect worldwide.

The centre not only contains shelves of literature but also Irula and other tribal artifacts. Numerous examples of tribal arts, instruments, work tools and sculptures are on display to give a first hand representation of the realities in the lives of adivasi communities. Magazines such as ‘India Today’, ‘Down to Earth’, ‘Sanctuary’ also provide a different scope on the issues facing India’s environment and tribes within the contemporary political landscape.