Read Of The Week (May 5 to May 11)

For many indigenous peoples, land and the landscape are like religion. Theirs are not structured, efficient communities; nor are such considered desirable. And while organised religions and various ‘isms’ have made their way to these remote domains, they have never been able to take root fully. The open spaces, communities and wilderness that the Adivasis call home have all been shrinking rapidly in recent times, however, and are in danger of being lost forever. Narendra’s new book provides a valuable, fascinating insight into this vanishing realm.

Landscapes of Wilderness draws upon Narendra’s conversations, observations and ethnographic notes made during his stay with the Adivasis in Abujhmad and Bastar for over 33 years, and his deep association with his childhood village in the plains of north India. Rooted in popular Adivasi narratives that are invariably indeterminate and captivating, it evokes the everyday grandeur of Adivasi folk discourse and idiom, and a nativity that is intrinsically comfortable with itself — an echo of the surrounding landscape.

Vivid, compassionate, and a testament to the author’s love for these lands and their people, Landscapes of Wilderness is a heartwarming, thought-provoking book that will appeal to anyone interested in human beings' abiding relationships with nature.