A dimension within Food Security & Access
This theme explores the impact of environmental degradation and pollution on tribal culture, traditional farming, and cultural heritage.
150 voices speak to this
Each dimension splits this theme further — keep drilling to see how it breaks down.
Negative
Overall Community Sentiment
Our ancestors used to farm with plows and bullocks. But nowadays, all those things are disappearing.
— NAGRIK VIKASH SANGATHAN · Kalahandi, Odisha
Our culture, karma, and all these things that existed before – music, songs, Birha, Qawwali – are gradually disappearing today. Tribal people are no longer able to perform them.
— deena rawat · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our culture's traditions are now on the verge of extinction. The Danda Nrutya, Ghumura, and Nachania performers that once existed have all disappeared, and with them, the art and culture.
— Padmini Bhoi
In the tribal area, in earlier times, there were many herbs and their culture. But today, due to deforestation, many birds could not even disperse, and traditional food practices could also not be preserved, leading to their extinction.
— Mohan AHARI · Sarera, Udaipur, Rajasthan
The situation we are in now is that the food we used to get to eat in the past has gradually disappeared.
— swornalata nayak · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
Humans used to have very useful things. Now, beneficial things have died out. Therefore, since those things are no longer present, our country has become very polluted. As a result, even birds are not there.
— swornalata nayak · Balangir, Odisha
Nowadays, people from the tribal community do not prefer to eat tribal food, as a result of which tribal traditions are being lost.
— Arati Khandapatra
Sir, even the items used for worship during festivals are currently not being utilized. It's as if our cultural, traditional, and festive practices are on the verge of disappearing.
— VEER SINGH SIJUI · Gitilāta, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand
We have been living in our village for 100 years. Nowadays, there are no animals. The forests are also dwindling, and songs and dances are also disappearing.
— sudhir gamanga · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha
Earlier, we used to keep seeds in earthen pots with neem leaves, but now those pots are not available. Their traditional profession is slowly coming to an end, and we are also forced to move towards modernity.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
Oh, there is also a distinct language of our Gonda society. And no one speaks that language anymore, slowly it has also disappeared. And now what we used to get from the forest, we are not getting it from the forest anymore, all the forests are cut down.
— RINA BEHERA · Hemagiri, Sundargarh, Odisha
Previously, tribal people used to make various types of traditional cakes during different festivals, but they are not made now.
— KARUKAR MURMU · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
Humans used to have many useful things, but now those useful things are gone. Therefore, since those things are no longer present, our country has become very polluted. Therefore, birds...
— Parikshit Majhi · Balangir, Odisha
The language that our tribal ancestors used to speak, today's generation is unable to speak it.
— sophia akoijam
The game we used to play before is not being played now. Boys and girls are not playing. All these are disappearing for us.
— Puspanjali Nag
We will forget our ancient traditions
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Karamdihi, Sundargarh, Odisha
What our ancestors used to obtain, now 90% of the forest has been destroyed. With the destruction of forests, the hills have also been destroyed. Whatever materials we used to find, especially food items, are no longer available.
— jitendra khila · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
The identity of us tribal people is our culture, customs, attire, traditions, and spoken language, but in today's time, they are gradually disappearing.
— Rupesh Maravi · Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh
We have our tribal languages; people used to know them earlier. And after 20 years, so much forest is being destroyed, and in another 20 years, all those animals and birds will disappear.
— RINA BEHERA · Hemagiri, Sundargarh, Odisha
Nowadays, we are unable to preserve traditional seeds because these traditional seeds have become extinct.
— NAGRIK VIKASH SANGATHAN · Ampani, Kalahandi, Odisha
Our traditions, which were prevalent earlier, have all been forgotten. That's why these programs are meant to preserve them.
— RINA BEHERA
Ancient traditional music and dance are disappearing.
— Anupama Mahanand
They used to make wooden presses for extracting oil. All of that is disappearing and will become extinct in the next 20 years.
— ANIL KUMAR · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
The culture, customs, attire, and traditions of us tribals are gradually disappearing in today's time. People are busy erasing their own existence in the pursuit of modernity. Therefore, it is important to preserve our culture.
— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
In earlier times, medicinal fruits were found in the forest, but now those things are becoming extinct day by day.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Now, old farming is not practiced.
— Kachala Choudhary
In the past, we used to eat various things from the hills, such as Kangu Jona Ganthia, and lived well because of them. Things that grew without fertilizer used to ripen quickly. Now, nothing is ripening from the hills, and they are not cultivating them anymore.
— Prakash ch Pradhani · Karubai, Rayagada, Odisha
Our traditional seeds are exhausted, the old seeds are no longer available.
— Kachala Choudhary
People are not eating millet gruel, it is gradually disappearing.
— upendra sunani · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
People are no longer eating Kodo, Gulji, Mandia, Gongei, Pithalu, Kandha, Chhuali Kandha, and other such items.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
In our village, in olden times, iron axes were made, but now that practice is gradually disappearing day by day.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
The traditional conversations, food, culture, and tradition-based festivals of tribal people are gradually disappearing. Our elders should hand these over to the current young generation to preserve them.
— Santosh Barik · Kalahandi, Odisha
Yes, damage has definitely occurred. Previously, people used to obtain two traditional food items by cutting trees from the forest. Now, these are not available. Furthermore, there has been extensive damage to medicinal plants, and those are also not available.
— gobardhan pangi
Old, traditional foods are not available. As a result, the forest was also destroyed. The food that should be available is not available.
— Keshab Majhi · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
Earlier, everything used to be found in the jungle, but now it's not. For example, banana greens, chakora greens... no, everything is gone now.
— Rupesh Maravi
In some time, the identity of tribal culture will be lost.
— Kachala Choudhary
Forests are disappearing, livelihoods are being destroyed. Forests are also getting depleted, herbs are disappearing. It's not like it used to be.
— Chanda · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our ancestors used to eat sunusunia greens, but these greens have become extinct today.
— upendra sunani
The disappearance of medicinal plants and herbs; earlier, medicinal herbs could be found in forests, but now everything is disappearing.
— VEER SINGH SIJUI · Kharasawan, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand
Our ancestors used to cultivate without fertilizer, and that was delicious and healthy. But now, that taste is not available.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
