The Kurmis or Kudmis have been asking for Scheduled Tribe status and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. They claim that they were classified as a “notified tribe” during the British Raj. S. Shrobana reports. PART-2

With their rail and road blockades not yielding the desired result, the Adivasi Kurmi Samaj has decided to field its candidates in Purulia, Bankura, Midnapore and Jhargram to ruin the party of BJP and TMC. S. Shrobana digs deep into the issue in a 2-part series.  PART-1

The British de-notified the Sabars through the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 accusing them of criminal activities. But subsequent legislations and amendments too were not kind to this tribal community, writes S. Shrobana PART-2

Even their deaths due to starvation failed to force successive Governments to effectively come to the rescue of this primitive tribe group. In a two-part series, S. Shrobana takes a closer look at the community, scattered in Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore PART-1

Sandesh stands for a famous Bengali sweetmeat. Ironically, there is nothing sweet about Sandeshkhali. Instead, women of the island, mostly tribals, finally gathered courage to send out a sandesh (message) to the powers that be about their allegedly hellish experiences at the hands of a politically-protected local strongman [...]

By and large, a run of the mill, inconspicuous, semi-urban administrative block of West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, the tribal-dominated region hit the national headlines in two tranches, and has kept the political cauldron boiling. S. Shrobana digs deep into the burning issue in a two-part series. [...]

The officials were summoned following a complaint of misconduct filed against them by BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar, who was injured in a clash with police personnel after being stopped from going to Sandeshkhali, where tribal women have complained of excesses by local Trinamool Congress leaders. The Indian Tribal [...]

Apprehensions about large scale violence and loss of lives in the rural polls in the State turned true amid bomb explosions, stone pelting, arson, ballot boxes loot and booth capturing, The Indian Tribal reports

With the rural polls announced, political parties in the State are having to do a fine balancing act between Kurmis, firm on their demand for a ST status, and the Adivasis, who reiterated their strong opposition to any such move with a 12-hour State bandh, Munu Chatterjee reports

A week after the rail and road blockade was suspended, an uneasy calm prevails at Khemasuli – the hotbed of Kurmis’ agitation for Scheduled Tribe (ST) quota in the State – even as the prospect of a renewed agitation is not being ruled out, The Indian Tribal reports