Warli Adivasi Vidroh – Archana Prasad (Hindi)

Description

The book provides a detailed account of the historic Warli revolt that began in 1945, which was a significant part of the post-WWII and pre-Independence peasant movements in India led by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS).

• Core Conflict: The struggle was a rebellion against the rampant feudalism, bonded labor (vethi begar), marriage slavery, and exploitation by landlords and moneylenders that had oppressed the Warli community for a century.
• Methodology: Prasad’s research, conducted over four years, is primarily based on extensive oral history interviews with veteran and contemporary AIKS activists, including those who participated in the initial 1945 uprising. This approach aims to preserve the authentic voices and histories of the Adivasis, which have often been ignored by mainstream academia.
• Key Themes:
  • The fight for survival and dignity of the Warli people.
  • The crucial role of class-based leadership and the influence of the Left and the Communist Party (specifically leaders like Shamrao and Godavari Parulekar) in organizing the movement.
  • The significant participation and empowerment of women in the struggle, who actively fought against atrocities and supported the movement.
  • The book highlights how the initial resistance vastly strengthened the organizational base of the AIKS and how the Warlis have sustained their fight against oppressive systems right up to the present day.