MYSURU: South India’s first adivasi library, ‘Kaanu’, will be inaugurated at BR Hills in Chamarajanagar district on August 25.‘Kaanu’ means evergreen forest in Soliga language. It will be the first South Indian Adivasi Knowledge Centre.
There is no institution dedicated for research on various aspects related to adivasis in South India.
Scholars from tribal communities held talks with Prashanth N Srinivas, a medical doctor and public health researcher at BR Hills, and Wraner from Germany last year and decided to set up this exclusive library to showcase works and promote research on Jenu Kuruba, Kadu Kuruba, Betta Kuruba, Soliga and other forest-based tribes.
‘Kaanu’ has been set up at the Institute of Public Health building with 1,200 books, research papers and contemporary works on South Indian forest tribes by adivasis and non-adivasis.
Students and scholars doing research on tribal people living in the forests can visit ‘Kaanu’ and make use of the facilities there.
‘250 adivasis pursuing degree, PG courses’
Dr Prashanth and scholars such as Made Gowda said that they wanted to encourage adivasis to write about their customs, traditions, languages, and art and culture. Hence, they came up with the idea of ‘Kaanu’.
Gowda, who is Zilla Buddakuattu Abhivurddhi Sangha’s secretary, said though 250 adivasis are pursuing degree and PG courses in the district, there is no library providing details related to their communities.
Stating that the adivasis are now keen on education, he said several motivational camps have been held for them in Chamarajanagar. Efforts are on to document prominent personalities from tribal communities, he added.