Tribal communities – I am infinitely indebted to, for nurturing and making me a better human being during the course of my 1,000 development practice days/nights with them, immediately after Dairy Board’s Kurien school and IRMA. India is home to 20% indigenous peoples in the world. Indigenous constitute 6% of the world. They are a large part of the poorest, most disadvantaged, and vulnerable. Indigenous speak 7,000+ languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.
India considers most of the Indians indigenous to the land. However, certain ethnic groups are considered more indigenous and they are referred to as Indigenous people, Tribal communities. Adivasis, original inhabitants, or early settlers. Forest dwellers, vanavasis and mountain people, girijans. ~8.6% of the population in India, more than 100 million people, 700+ tribes, with their own distinct languages, religions, customs, and artistic traditions, including traditional music, dance, art, and crafts. 645 of them are scheduled tribes, anusuchit janajati. Predominant livelihoods rely on natural resources. Key tribes include: Bhil, Gond, Santhal, Munda, Oraon, Koya, Chenchu, Yanadi, Lambada/Banjara, Naga, Irula, Toda, Jarawa, and Sentinilese.
Their distribution across the country is not uniform – near zero in Punjab and Haryana; 95%+ in Mizoram and Lakshadweep. Tribal concentration is in northwest Himalayas; north-eastern states; three regions – western, central, eastern – of tribal belt from Gujarat to West Bengal; and pockets in further south. These groups are mostly outside the Caste system. They follow their own distinct religious practices. Largely based on nature worship, animism. Yet, the majority of them identify themselves as Hindu. Some others are Christians, Muslims, etc. A few, 5%+, continue to identify themselves following their distinct religion.
Literacy is ~50% in tribal communities. The schools in tribal areas, being widespread with small population habitations, are mostly single-teacher schools in the villages, and residential ashram schools and gurukulams. Mother tongue instruction is still an issue. There are reservations in education and employment. Even then, the number of graduates, post-graduates has not yet reached their population proportion. On the jobs front, the situation is worse. Their economy is around subsistence agriculture predominantly. When areas opened up, outsiders migrated in and the tribal communities were pushed deep inside. Slowly, the areas become tribe, no-tribe mixed areas. Cash crops came in. Indebtedness increased. Some non-tribal groups could get tribal status. Used to treating jal, jameen, and jungle as common resources, the tribal communities took time to adapt to private ownership, losing ‘a lot’ in the process. Mixed forests, in many areas, gave way to mono-plantations and tribal usufruct rights remained on paper in many an area, as a result. Tribal communities are patrilineal, and some are matrilineal. Gender status is better than non-tribal India. Yet, gender remains an issue. Some of the tribal communities are categorised as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, PVTGs as they are more isolated; maintaining distinct cultural identity; reducing population size; with lower literacy.
Can we give the original inhabitants their due? Fully, with interest.
It appears world is pressing for reduced civil society work. We are heading towards state, business, and community organizations taking over. Can we be sure that tribal communities have their agency in these? Can we see and value the eco-services of the tribal communities? Can we see and value the contribution, effort, and performance, rather than the showcasing? Can we value the most grounded, and reward them? If we are not careful, we may miss them, lose them. And we may lose ourselves. Can we learn from them and be in harmony with nature – life-living-food-farming?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, flowing. Maximizing time with the first settlers. In N? janajatiyoga for 7L.