Answer: 

Introduction:

According to Census 2011, the tribal population constitutes around 8.6% of the total population. Though numerically small, they represent the enormous diversity of India. They are an example of the ethnographic wealth and culture of Indian heritage.

Tribal communities in India are a diverse group, with significant differences in terms of language, culture, and traditions. They range from patriarchal to matriarchal, monogamous to polygamous, nature worshippers to polytheists, etc.

Examples: Todas are polyandrous, Khasis are matriarchal tribes, Santhals have mixed with mainstream society while Jarawas are completely isolated.

Body:

But they can be considered to be a single entity on some counts:

• Social Aspects:
  • Endogamy: Tribal people do not marry outside their group. This maintains their distinct identity.
  • Distinct identity: Most of them have a common language, community name, territory, etc., which marks them off from the others.
  • Spatial Isolation: They live happily away from the mainstream population.
• Economic Aspects:
  • Self-sufficient: The tribes are mostly self-reliant and have a system for ensuring the satisfaction of their needs outside the impact of the market forces.
  • Dependent on Forests: The tribal way of life is aligned with the forests. The tribes are dependent on forests for their life and livelihood.
  • Deprivation: Tribal communities in India are generally disadvantaged compared to the non-tribal population in terms of access to education, healthcare, and other basic services.
• Political Aspects:
  • Distinct political organization: Tribes have a distinct organized political authority, rather than the mainstream laws and executive authorities, that looks for their interests and welfare.
  • Egalitarian values: There is no caste or class distinction among most tribals. The stratification in society is mostly based on age or gender.
• Culture:
  • Worship of a Common Ancestor: The members of a tribe usually worship a common ancestor and also “Nature” worship is common in them.
  • Distinct rituals, festivals, cuisine,
• Legal:
  • Constitutional and legal provisions categorize tribes into a single category of ‘Scheduled Tribes’ (ST) notwithstanding the diversity among them.

Conclusion:

Each tribe has its own distinctive characteristics that sets it apart from the other tribes. While it is important to recognize the diversity among tribal communities in India, for addressing issues related to their overall socio-economic and political status and their relationship with the state and other non-tribal groups, they may need to be seen as a single entity with some common features.

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