Alternative Worldviews

In 'Sharing Life: Alternative Worldviews,' Linda Chhakchhuak and other scholars explore the profound connection between indigenous knowledge, jhum cultivation, and sustainable resource management in Northeast India.

News reports and research papers written mostly by non-indigenous journalists and researchers often trivialise and misinterpret the indigenous cultures and knowledge systems.

Indigenous knowledges may complement, rather than compete with, the dominant cultures , with their interaction benefiting all.

Indigenous knowledge have a lot to offer to the world and the need of the hour is to protect and conserve – and not marginalise and erase –them.

As climate change makes food security vulnerable, the resilience of indigenous food system of the small state in India’s Northeast holds promise for the whole world.

It is important to recognise the role and knowledge of indigenous communities and make them active partners in drafting and implementing India’s water policies.

There are some welcome allocations and indications of shifts in thinking (e.g. in agriculture and climate). However, overall, environment continues to be a ‘sideshow’ – it is given a few token sops, while in fact financial allocations continue to fuel an economy that is fundamentally unsustainable.