The paper examines the nature of tribal deprivation, with specific focus on the issue of education. The research delves into the supply– and the demand–side factors, which determined the state of education within a region. Reaffirming the deprivation faced by the tribal communities, the study identifies specific factors that cause marginalisation. It points to the failure of the uniform tribal development programme to deal with the context–specific problems and thereby achieving the targeted results. The paper suggests the importance of not assuming the homogeneity of tribal societies, and need for public policies that are sensitive to this fact, in order to translate the goal of empowerment into a reality.
Tribe and State in Asia through Twenty-Five Centuries by Sumit Guha, Ann Arbor: Association for Asian Studies (Asia Shorts Series), 2021; pp 124, price not mentioned.
In the absence of state support and social security, the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns created short- and long-term hardships for already marginalised tribal communities in India.
The imposition of lockdown and COVID-19 has disturbed the life of tribals and forest dwellers by destroying their livelihood and health. The article argues that there is an urgent need to focus on food security and strong social protection mechanisms to help tribal communities to minimise the impact of the pandemic on their social and economic life.
The paper is based on field surveys of two locations of rural West Bengal during the1990s. It presents contrasting scenarios of fertility behaviour and its transition for a tribe, namely Santals, between two locations as well as between Santals and lower caste people in the same village. The Santals of Chitrihutu, who migrate seasonally, evince not only low fertility, but they indeed appear far ahead of non-migrating Santals of Thupsara in terms of contraceptive practices and fertility control. The positive role of seasonal migration in hastening fertility transition has been the central message of the present study.
Of Myths and Movements: Rewriting Chipko in the Himalayan Historyby Haripriya Rangan; OUP, 2001, (first published by Verso, 2000); pp 272 + xvi, Rs 595
This paper describes the process of relocation and rehabilitation of villages populated primarily by sahariya tribals in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. It examines the rehabilitation package offered, the process followed for relocation and resettlement and the impact that this shift has had on the livelihood of the affected people. While the rehabilitation package and the general attitude of the agency that carried out the relocation has been a significant improvement over previous such experiences, the shift has nevertheless had a negative impact on the livelihood of the people, at least in the short run.
With the retreat of the interventionist state, development is often perceived as a product of partnership between the state and civil society with increasing emphasis on people's participation at the grass roots. Using a framework of collective action based upon social capital, this paper examines whether social capital is important for successful development outcomes at the grass roots in forest protection and watershed development. Three villages of Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh are the focus of the study.
