Vidyodaya 2.0 - Adivasis of Gudalur

The Adivasis of Gudalur

Indigenous Adivasi communities in Gudalur have lived for generations along the forest fringes of the Nilgiris Biosphere Region, shaping life around in harmony with nature.

The Adivasi communities of Gudalur are among the first peoples of a small valley in the Nilgiris Biosphere Region of South India. They live along the forest fringes of the Nilgiris, in a region where Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka meet.

Over 20,000 Adivasi people belonging to the Paniya, Bettakurumba, Kattunayakan, and Mullukurumba communities live across more than 320 villages and hamlets in the Gudalur region.

These four communities are recognised by the Government of India as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), and together form four of the seven PVTG communities in Tamil Nadu.

For generations, Adivasi life in Gudalur was rooted in a natural, empathetic way of life, lived in deep harmony with the forests. The forests were sacred and provided everything that was needed for life and livelihood.

Life was shaped by values of empathy, equality, and sharing, and by a deep understanding of the natural world.

“From what nature gives us, one part we leave for the forest, one we share among ourselves, and one we give to others.”

What changed

In the 1980s, forest policy changes in Gudalur disrupted Adivasi life and had direct impacts on children.

Large parts of the forests around Gudalur were declared national parks, and Adivasi communities who had lived in these forests for generations suddenly became encroachers in their own homes. Livelihoods were disrupted, access to forests was restricted, and many families lost land, homes, and the cultural practices that had shaped their lives.

These changes were felt strongly by children in schools. As first-generation learners, Adivasi children struggled to enter and stay in schools that had little space for their language, culture, and ways of learning. Schooling remained disconnected from children’s lived realities.

A collective voice

In response, Adivasi communities in Gudalur came together to form the Adivasi Munnetra Sangam, a federation created to reclaim rights and take control of their future.

The Sangam became a collective platform for shared decision-making, grounded in dignity and self-representation. Over time, it helped build community-led institutions addressing livelihoods, health, and education, reaching thousands of Adivasi families across the region.

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