THE SITUATION OF TRIBALSTHE SITUATION OF TRIBALS

THE SITUATION OF THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WITHTHE SITUATION OF THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SOUTH INDIASPECIAL REFERENCE TO SOUTH INDIA

-Prof. Jaya Prakash Rao

Friends from dalit world to tribal world, tribals are the community or communities,

whom the historians have ignored. If we take of the history of mankind about 5000

yrs ago, all where tribals, in the course of some people adapting to agriculture an

activity, they got excluded from the larger process taking place all over the world.

The history of tribals has been totally ignored.

One cannot understand the problem of south Indian tribes, without understanding

-----------. Dalits are found in every village of the country. Unlike dalits tribals are

confined to certain pockets of India. If we look at the spatial distribution of tribals

they are confined to 5 pockets of India. NE state seven sisters are purely tribal states.

Manipur, arunachal, mizoram, meganlaya, nagaland. Assam, tripura and manipur also

has large tribal population. NE tribal part is not in consistent with rest of India.

Mongoloid features and language is also Tibetan related. The tribals are distributed

within the countries, they are spilt between on either borders. Tribals unrest is also

there. Peace negotiations were also

Ongoing. In NE khasis speak the language of the

The second major tribal belt is Present Jarkandh, part of Orissa, Bihar and WB. North

central India tribal belt. Santahals, Mundas, etc. Austrict languages. Realted to the

Australian aborginals. Next major tribal belt is south central tribal belt.

When we come to south central tribal belt. Eastern Maha, Nother Andhra, Sourther

Orissa and Chattisgarh. Gonds – sub groups are also there.

Wester India Tribal belt – North Maha, south and North eastern Gujarat, Southeaster

Rajastahn and western part of MP.

Coming to south – AP, Karnataka and Kerala

Minor concentration of tribals in Uttaranchal and HP. They practice polygamy.

All the people of lakshadweep and primitieve group of tribals in Andaman and

Nicobar.

Tribes of AP culturally and geographically forms part of south central tribal belt. They

constitute 7% of the total population. That is 7 crores population is in India of the

total 30 crores tribal population in the world.

If we look historically the tribals, they were pushed to the – hilly and forested areas,

what they though are the useless lands. Fertile river plains were occupied for

agriculture.

Whoever were the rulers, could not extract any taxes from the tribals. Tribals were

totally an independent entity. Whenever the kings went for hunting, they cooperated

with them and also used to gave them the gifts found in the forests.

1757 battle of Plassy takes place. Siraj-Ud-doulah, the company wants to have a

piece of land. East India company gets control over Bengal. The British don’t want to

spend money of their own, to increase their revenue for all their administrative

needs, they have forced people from plains to go to the forest areas and cultivate,

they are currently the places in parts of Bihar and Bengal area. Which is also called

Rajmahal Hills – it was also called pahadi. When a large no. of pahadis started raiding

on the people arrived from plains into their area, this went on for 10 years. The

british tried to suppress the fight of pahadis. It was the first peoples resistance. Any

british were also thinking of imposing laws.

By the end of 1780s one british officer posted started to think. The british were

forcing lots of money and manpower. The laws which the companies made for the

civilisans, the tribals have not liked it. Therefore the east India company laws were

not applied to the tribal areas. So they made agreement with the chiefs of the

villages. The rajmahal Hilly areas have become the excluded area.

British began to expand into the present Jharkahan area. It has witnessed a massive

tribal uprising from 1803 to 1880 AD. British were not applied a north central tribal

India, whole lot of tribals were excluded.

Similarly the Southern Central Tribal belt had rebellions, so they were also declared

as non regulation areas. So British agreed their laws will not apply in tribal areas, so

they remained independent till independence. There were thirty rebels between 1830

and 1924.

In the north east the British rule ended at the collectorate of the Kohima and they

could not enter beyond that. In the present Arunachal Pradesh also they could not do

much.

There fore tribals have been independently de-linked and they had been living

independently, with mythical sovereignty over those areas.

These rebellions were suppressed by using excessive force. The tribals who were

gregarious in their own village have become not so communicating with outside.

They grew suspicious of the outside people. For example, Koons in Orissa used to

sacrifice humans, to suppress them the British have killed several hundreds of them,

which is far more than the total no of people sacrificed by them historically.

Coorg – when the British have discovered the advantage of coffee plantation, they

were converted into slaves. One of the tribes have decided to not to have children at

all, so that they children would not suffer similarly.

In NE there are many areas s

The NE areas are declared Scheduled district act was enacted in the year 1874 AD

earlier they were calling them non regulated areas.

Because of these struggles and resistance to the British to Tanabanis, Bihar. The god

has given this land to us, the British said that the land is called chanda. The tribals

retain independence and British created certain legislative processes. Initially they

were called backward areas and agencies. In 1935 govt. of India act they have

classified the tribals areas into two categories – excluded areas and partially

excluded areas. In excluded areas not administration and in partially excluded areas

light administration.

In Nilagiris and Western ghats there was sudden influx of population, so it gets

excluded from both the above categories discussed above.

In 1947 AD we got independence and the government has made marginal

modifications to what the British have charted and few more additions. Unless the

constitutional protection, the government has made special guarantees, like SCs and

STs. Which gets reflected in the constitution, reservation in the education institutions

and employment. If we remove reservations neither a single SC or ST would get into

the parliament. Similarly if they would be deprived of their employment.

For tribals they have special provision and into two categories. The areas which have

no administration are included into 6th schedule and other tribal areas are included

into 5th schedule.

These concessions given to tribals are not gift of the constitution or anything. The

tribals got it through great sacrifices.

Provisions to declare certain areas as schedule areas and Schedule tribes. The legal

terminology is SC and ST. Which are in the schedule tribe.

In Indian terminology there is not term for tribe in their language also. Adivasi, girijan

etc.

Every tribe considers itself as the center of the universe and we are on the periphery.

5th Schedule: Governor has been given powers – notification and regulation powers.

Governor can issue a law applicable to schedule areas. A Tribal advisory council is

constituted for any regulation which has to be okayed by it. Governor can issue laws

for peace and good governance. Under the notification powers the governor is more

powerful than state and the parliament. If the laws in tribal areas are detrimental to

them, he can take off those laws with retrospect.

6th schedule areas: 10 autonomous subjects are given, upon which the autonomous

dristrict council makes laws. In other areas only state or parliament can make.

Besides constitutional provisions, there were several laws to protect from non-tribals.

Inspite of the great deal of importance was given to them, they have forgotten them.

Most of the money is spent in accessible areas, they are unable to reach the

inaccessible areas.

In 1960’s there was a uprising in parts of Srikakulam, unless we do something it will

speard like wild fire in all the tribal areas. They prepared a plan called Modified area

development Project (MADA), they also used police force. Unless we take the

development in a modified way there is no way. Most of the funds come from central

government and from state govt. it is nominal.

Integrated tribal development has taken plance in 1970s, Dr. Bhama dev. The tribal

areas developed but the tribals did not develop. Contractors, burocrats, arrack

contractors, teachers, traders etc went into such areas, but still the tribals remained

backward.

Once the development process started, all those plans which were marginal. 80% of

Inidan forests remained in the tribal areas. Only 20% of the forests are in the non-

tribal areas. 60-65% of water resources are in tribal areas. Similarly the minerals are

also located in the tribal areas. 90% of the persons displaced because of projects are

tribals now. For ex. Nilagiris. Inspite of the development, there is no tribal area in the

country without unrest in the country. The wealth as been taken away by both state

and individuals. The conflict between tribals and the dalits is because the dalits were

historically were never given land. The dalits were part of the larger society. The

entire forest belonged to the tribals, therefore there is conflict between them. The

tribal is also not able to maintain his reasource base if at all given to him. A good

adivasi is one who doesn’t resist displacement is the definition of the developed

community.

Siluru river in Andhra Pradesh, most of the villages around that place live in darkness.

In nilagiris area also, a particular river is there at 14 places power is generated but no

power is given to them.

When the government wanted to give constitutional provisions of panchayat raj. The

73 and 74 amendments were not extended to schedule areas. The parliament would

make a special provision for those areas. Except few states all other states have

extended to schedule areas also this PR act. A case was filed in this reagerd. Buria

committee was constituted, which gave radical recommendations. Once we won the

case it was felt to make all India movement. In 1996 after two years of all India

struggle, and for the first time all over the India began to demand the Buria

committee recommendations.

Under 73rd amendment the constitutions has given / recognized the community to

use its natural resources. The communities capacities to settle disputes. In schedule

areas all positions of chairpersons would be resereved to tribals. In case wherever

there are villages others the reservation of tribals should not be less than 50%. It has

given powers to GP and gram sabhas – prevention of intoxicants producation, minor

water bodies, prospect and extract minor minerals, gram sabha is the owner of the

minor forest produce. Gram sabha can regulate money lending in schedule areas.

Restore the land to the original owners from non-tribals. Unfortunately neither the

provisions of 5th nor 6th schedule or panchayat raj protections are not applicable to

the tribals of TN, Kerala, and Karnataka. We have to bring in a movement to declare

these tribals and areas into the above.

As in tripura, they have created a notional district although not contagious, should be

extended to these tribal areas. Similarly we should do for non-tribal parts of chenchu

areas. In western part they are made into bioreserves.

5 enemies of tribals

Elephants – Displacement – displacement of people

Tiger - Industrialisation - Mining projects, factories

Bear – Forest department

Fox – Revenue department

Tortoise – Tribal development department

Recommendations

Special to the southern tribal areas

Special facilitation for childerns education

prepare the communities to face globalisation / market economy.

Set up processing the minor forest produce / Set up marketing facilities

Question & Answer

Q: Alienation of tribals started in 1864 after first forest act?

Before the British came the entire land was owned by the community. When the East

India company started, looking the property tax. The british made tribes thieves in

the forests, byladullah mines example where officially only 8 families were displaced.

Q: Land alleniation

During tribal uprising the

The powers given to the gram sabha, is important.

Q: Total Indian population 7% are represented by tribals, any provision to withdrawn

by governor?

7% of population have been enrolled.

Regulation 1 of 17 in AP, the a non-tribal cannot sell it to only tribal / to govt. and not

to any non tribals.

Q: Committee from tribal people, GCC not allowing others to get the goods

The Prakasham area is not schedule area, GCC can fix floor price. GCC cannot have

monopoly on this.

Q: why more and more naxalites are seen in tribal areas

Forest places are suitable for hiding so they are found. In tribal areas there are no

feudalism. They can extract money from tribals.

To prevent the local tribals joining the naxalite movement has amended 16 aspects.

Transcript of lecture by: Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy