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Adivasis and Caste Dynamics in India: Origin, Struggles & Empowerment

December 11, 2023 511 0

Adivasi Rights: Origins and Struggles in India

The term “Adivasi,” meaning “original inhabitants“, emerged in the 1930s and signifies political consciousness and the demand for rights. Like the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes are social groups recognised by the Indian Constitution as specially marked by poverty, powerlessness, and social stigma. 

Adivasi

The Socio-Political Identity of Jana or Tribe: Shaping Socio-Political Identity

The jana or tribes, were believed to be ‘people of the forest’ whose distinctive habitat in the hills and forest areas shaped their economic, social and political attributes. 

Transformation from Tribe to Caste: Blurring Lines Between Tribe and Caste

  • Despite their close ties with nature, their interactions with Hindu society have blurred the lines between ‘tribe’ and ‘caste’. 
  • Migration patterns have further muddled the distinction between caste and tribe.
  • Colonial Policies and Adivasis: A significant challenge for Adivasis arose in the late nineteenth century when the colonial British government reserved vast forest areas for their use. 
    • This action deprived Adivasis of their traditional rights to the forest, leading to an impoverished existence where they were either forced to exploit the forests illegally or migrate for work. 
  • Post-Independence Struggles: Post-1947 independence didn’t alleviate their plight; in fact, the Indian government’s focus on industrialization and resource extraction further marginalised them. 
    • Displacement and Discontent: Projects, such as the Sardar Sarovar and Polavaram dams, displaced countless Adivasis without adequate compensation or rehabilitation. 
    • Land Acquisition Challenges: Policies from the 1990s onward have amplified this issue, making land acquisition by corporations even easier.
    • Sacrificing Heritage: The shared Adivasi experience encompasses loss of forests, land alienation, and displacements in the name of ‘development’. 
  • Resilience and Triumph: Despite these adversities, Adivasis have consistently resisted external intrusions and state policies. 
    • Their movements have achieved significant milestones, including the creation of separate states like Jharkhand and Chattisgarh. 
    • Unlike the Dalits, the contiguous settlement of Adivasis allowed them to demand their own distinct states.

Efforts to Combat Caste and Tribal Discrimination: Empowering Marginalized Voices in India

  • Empowering Marginalized Communities: The Indian government has been implementing special programmes for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes since pre-independence. 
    • The Genesis of Schedules in 1935: The British Indian government formulated the original ‘Schedules’ in 1935, listing the tribes and castes needing special attention due to historical discrimination. 
  • Post-Independence Evolution: Post-Independence, these policies were expanded upon, notably extending special programmes to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the early 1990s.
  • Affirmative Action in India: A significant state initiative against caste discrimination is ‘reservations’. 
    • This policy reserves specific seats in public spheres like state assemblies, government jobs, and educational institutions for the Scheduled Castes, Tribes, and OBCs. 
    • The reservation proportion aligns with their population percentage, though the calculation differs for OBCs. 
  • Legal Safeguards: Additionally, various laws have been enacted to prohibit and punish caste discrimination. 
    • These laws range from the Caste Disabilities Removal Act of 1850 to the Constitution Amendment (Ninety-Third Amendment) Act of 2005. 
    • The Constitution of India abolished untouchability and introduced reservation provisions. 
  • The Persistence of Caste-Based Discrimination: Despite these legal measures, caste-based discrimination and atrocities persist, indicating that laws alone cannot eradicate deep-rooted societal prejudices.
  • Empowerment through Activism: However, Dalits have not remained passive victims. Historically and currently, they have actively participated in political, cultural, and agitation movements. 
    • Leaders like Jyotiba Phule, Iyotheedas, Periyar, and Ambedkar paved the way for modern political entities like the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti. 
    • Furthermore, Dalits have significantly contributed to Indian literature, reflecting their experiences and aspirations.

Conclusion

  • Societal structures inherently interlink with stratification, influencing the social dynamics of cooperation, competition, and conflict. 
  • Despite their distinct natures, these processes often intertwine, sometimes subtly. 
  • The concept of forced cooperation exemplifies these concealed intersections, underscoring the need to delve deeper into understanding these intricate relationships for holistic societal change.
Glossary

  • Altruism: The principle of acting to benefit others without any selfishness or self-interest.
  • Alienation: Marx used the term to refer to the loss of control on the part of workers over the nature of the labour task and over the products of their labour.
  • Anomie: For Durkheim, a social condition where the norms guiding conduct break down, leaving individuals without social restraint or guidance, a situation of normlessness.
  • Capitalism: An economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and organised to accumulate profits within a market framework, in which labour is provided by waged workers.
  • Division of Labour: The specialisation of work tasks, by means of which different occupations are combined within a production system. 
  • Dominant ideology: Shared ideas or beliefs which serve to justify the interests of dominant groups. Such ideologies are found in all societies in which there are systematic and engrained inequalities between groups. The concept of ideology connects closely with that of power since ideological systems serve to legitimise the differential power which groups hold.
  • Individualism: Doctrines or ways of thinking that focus on the autonomous individual, rather than on the group. 
  • Laissez-faire Liberalism: A political and economic approach based on the general principle of non-interference in the economy by government and freedom for markets and property owners.
  • Modernity: A term designed to encapsulate the distinctiveness, complexity and dynamism of social processes unleashed during the 18th and 19th centuries which mark a distinct break from traditional ways of living.

 

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 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

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 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

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AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD SOON
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

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