The tribals are a special
concern of the nation in view of their low technological development, general
economic backwardness, and complex problems of socio-cultural adjustment to
distinctive cultural identity. Development of tribals and tribal areas is a
challenging task for the government, as they are spread over a wide spectrum of
diversities of geographical location, socio-economic and politico-cultural
conditions.
Despite its popular as well
as academic usage, tribe is a contentious concept. In popular imagination,
tribe is associated with “primitivism” and “backwardness,” clearly referring to
non-Western or indigenous groups inhabiting the countries of Asia, Africa, and
Latin America or to American Indian reservations.
Approximately 8.2 percent of the total Indian population has been
designated as “Scheduled Tribes” (STs), according to the Indian census of 2001. The official Web site of the Ministry of Tribal
Affairs, Government of India, states that “the Scheduled Tribes are the tribes
or tribal communities or part of or groups within these tribes and tribal
communities which have been declared as such by the President through a public
notification.” The Indian government regards retention of “primitive” traits,
geographical isolation, possessing distinct culture, shyness of contact with
the community at large, and economic backwardness as the essential
characteristics of Scheduled Tribes.
Many tribes have come to
symbolize the most victimized segments of societies. It is a strange paradox
that although they inhabit the most resource-rich regions of the world, many of
them are in a state of impoverishment. They are the most severely affected
victims of induced development, such as the establishment of mega-hydroelectric
projects, conservation through parks, sanctuaries and bioreserves, mining and
allied activities, urbanization and industrialization, ecotourism projects, and
so on.
The tribal people are
concentrated in four regions. They form a majority in the north-eastern states
such as Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Meghalaya. However,
the majority of the tribals live in the belt of middle India from Gujarat to
Bengal. In states like Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Odisha the tribals
account for more than 20
per cent of the population. In Jhakhand, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat
and Rajasthan, the percentage of tribals ranges between 4 to 15 per cent of the total population. However, in the
entire middle Indian zone, the tribals are in a majority only in 13 districts. The third zone of tribal concentration is
the ‘Himalayan region’ extending from Kashmir to Sikkim. In the far South, we
have the fourth area of concentration, but the population is rather small.
There are nearly 450
distinctive tribal groups in the country varying in size from around four
millions to a bare two dozen. Their styles of living are largely determined by
their means of subsistence which includes a wide spectrum of activities such as
hunting and food gathering. Artisan groups are engaged in different types of
arts and crafts and some are employed as industrial labour. Although the bulk
of the tribals are reported to be Hindu in the census, substantial numbers have
been converted to Christianity and some to Islam and Buddhism. Some others
still follow their traditional faiths.
The history of the tribes
has been a history of becoming peasants. It is the policy of the government to
minimise the extent of shifting cultivation, promote terrace cultivation and
apply the new agricultural strategy to the tribal region and to accelerate the
flow of capital for agriculture there in. There has been a diffusion of
improved agricultural technology by governmental agencies. Efforts are being
made to develop innovative technologies which would yield results in
drought-prone areas and highlands. At present much of the settled cultivation
is at subsistence level and the majority of the tribal produce is not marketed.
They sometimes make distress sales in order to buy some necessities.
In the central zone of
tribal concentration agrarian issue stand at the centre of development. In the
western zone we find land scarcity and land hunger. This is due to the
expulsion of the tribes in those regions by the more vigorous Rajput, Maratha,
and other Hindu peasantry. Other contributory factors to land hunger are low
productivity of land, the primitive mode
of agriculture and the continued exploitation of tribals by others against whom
protective legislation do not afford sufficient safeguards and the
non-diversification for tribal economy.
Integration in which
attempts will be made to bring the tribals in the mainstream of national life
without destroying their distinctive identity. Indian culture is like a mosaic
in which its separate elements add to its beauty. Anthropologists regard the integration
of the tribes into the mainstream of Indian life as a natural and desirable
goal. They only insist on care and caution on planning for the tribes and
emphasize restraints in certain areas against innovations of doubtful value.
The essential elements of anthropological thinking on the problem have been
largely incorporated in national policies. They have emphasised the importance
of understanding tribal culture, identifying not only their different problems
but the integrative forces in their life bringing out the vital linkages in
their cultural fabric. They have pleaded for cautious formulation of
development plans with a view to harmonise tribal needs with regional and
national interests. They recommend a careful watch on the trends set in motion
by these measures with a view to eliminating elements that destroy their social
solidarity and kill their zest for living.
The Constitution of India
provides specific measures for the protection and promotion of the social and
economic interests of the Scheduled Tribes (STs). These include: reservation of
seats in the legislature, educational institutions, services and posts, a
tribal development program and provisions for autonomy.
The Constitution of India
ensures the political representation of Scheduled Tribes in the Lower House
(Lok Sabha) of the Parliament and in the State Legislative Assemblies through
reserved seats.
Reservation in Educational
Institutions and Services: Article 15(4) of the Indian Constitution provides for the
reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes in educational institutions. In order
to improve the social situation of the tribal people, the government has, in
addition to quotas in education, also designed a reservation policy for
employment in government services. Depending on the respective positions, posts
reserved for members of "Scheduled Tribes" are either in proportion
to the tribal population of the state in question, or – in most cases –
comprise 7.5% of the total number of
government jobs.
Geographical areas
designated as Fifth and Sixth Scheduled areas by independent India are
identical to those already delineated by the British as Scheduled Areas.
Provisions of the Panchayats
(Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996: This act is aimed primarily at promoting village-level
democracy through the Panchayat Raj institutions. It includes changes aimed at
adapting the generally established system for use in the Scheduled Areas, which
have a different socio-economic and politico-administrative setting.
The National Commission for
Scheduled Castes and Tribes: Article 338 of the Constitution provides for the appointment of a
Special Officer for Scheduled Tribes and Castes by the President, who is
commissioned to investigate and report to the President on all matters relating
to the constitutional safeguards on Scheduled Tribes and Castes. A National
Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was subsequently created
to take over these responsibilities.
Promotion of the economic
and educational interests of the Scheduled Tribes and their protection from
social injustice and exploitation are enshrined as a national goal in article 46 of the Constitution. Realizing that earlier programs
under the central government's Five-Year Plans had failed to address the
development needs, marginalization and exploitation of tribal communities, the
Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) was devised as a new strategy in the Fifth Five-Year Plan
in 1973.
It is still the
approach that guides development programs in tribal areas. Its main objectives
are to eliminate exploitation, to speed up social and economic development, and
to promote and improve the organisational capacity of tribal people.
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