"... I will continue working until Adivasis are self-reliant..." says Ramsinghbhai H.Rathwa, an extension worker for self-help groups at the Bhasha tribal academy in Tejgadh, Gujarat. And he is not the only one committed to actualizing this goal. Sonalben Rathwa, Arjun Bhai Rathwa, Rekhaben N. Rathwa, Umesh Rathwa and several others are consistently working towards fulfilling the adivasis' dream of development, freedom from indebtedness, illiteracy, forced migration, hunger and unattended illness.

Based in Gujarat, Bhasha was established in 1996 to provide a forum for the ?voice' of tribal and denotified communities of India. Through its innovative approach of combining academic interest with purposeful social activism, Bhasha has made substantial contribution towards preserving and promoting tribal languages, literature, arts and culture. The organization is working for better education, health, and livelihood opportunities for the tribals within the human rights framework. To achieve its goal, Bhasha has created several units that work in close collaboration. These include Research and Publications for awareness among the tribal communities, Adivasi Academy to bring about social change through research and training, Development Services Centers or Gram Vikas Kendras for capacity building at the grassroots and Lok Adhikar Parishad, a movement for legal and social justice for tribal and denotified communities.

The core strength of the organization is not only in the vision of its founder, Dr Ganesh Devy, "... to create a focus for the rejuvenation of tribal self-articulation, their collective wisdom, and above all their cultural self-confidence," but in the translation of this vision into its everyday working. Rather than impose its own development paradigm on the tribals, Bhasha engages the communities in their development processes and is empowering them to effectively contribute towards their development. "We are working to create a community of thinkers who can plan for sustainable development and alternate way of life," says Umesh Rathwa at the Adivasi academy. It is not surprising that almost all the initiatives of the organization are managed by the tribals who are most often trained at Bhasha's adivasi academy.

In Bhasha, AID has found a long term partner and an excellent mentor. Radhika Rammohan, AID volunteer from Pittsburgh says, "...my understanding from working with Bhasha is that identity loss can cause greater sense of displacement than even the physical displacement. That is, mainstreaming of tribals by forces of modernity can disorient them from their roots, sense of community and outlook on life. So keeping alive the vibrant culture, is not seen as a purely cultural activity of making available tribal art for the consumption of urban well-off, but rather as essential to tribal well-being."

One of Bhasha's unique contributions is in creating a much-needed "space" for tribals in the mainstream society. It has been a tough challenge, but according to Dr Ganesh Devy, the organization is endowed with "negative capability: an ability to live amidst uncertainty..."

For more information on Bhasha, click here

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Compiled in the field by by Sonal Baxi, Bhasha.
Contributed by Geetu Ambwani, Radhika Rammohan and Udayan, AID Pittsburgh