“We, tribals, we have no history or historian to chronicle the wars we fought, number of people we killed. We have no King, no President and no prince or princess to nurture. We have no God or goddess to worship. It is air, water, fire, trees, rivers and land; our benefactors, we nurtured and take succour from.”: Amar Mudi, author.
The diverse native tribal communities of the Indian sub-continent, known as the ‘Adivasis’, rightfully constitute a significant section of our Indian society; living as the original inhabitants our origin, the Indus Valley Civilization. They are the indigenous people today recognized as minorities or ethnic groups, the bearers of ancient practices closely concentrated in the glory of worshipping fierce ancient deities and the Supreme as embodiment of nature itself. To understand the core of these communities, understanding the etymology of the term ‘adivasi’ is necessary, as it exists as a modern Sanskrit word specifically coined in the 1930s by tribal political activists to give a differentiated indigenous identity to tribals which was recognised by Markandey Katju, the judge of the Supreme Court of India in 2011.
Adivasis are dispersed prominently in the Indian states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Northeast India, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, and Feni, Khagrachari, Bandarban, Rangamati, and Cox’s Bazar. A substantial list of Scheduled Tribes in India is recognized as tribal under the Constitution of India as tribal people constitute 8.6% of India’s population. The living standards and national participation of the concerned communities have noted to achieve a steady rise, but the hopes of these people to see the prime of their honor and development has increased multifold with the nation having it’s first Adivasi President, in the long seventy-five years of independence.
Droupadi Murmu, the rising symbol of humble beginnings with feminine strength, has emerged as the representative of tribals’ potency in national administration and leadership. Having her roots from Santal tribe, the now sixty-four years old was born in Uparbeda village in Mayurbhaj district, Odisha. She has been setting the inspirational story of many firsts as she was the first girl in her village to receive college education. She started her career as Junior assistant in State and Irrigation Power Department but then set off to teach at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre till 1997. She also served as Governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021, proving herself as a figure paving the way.
The above is a pivotal example of education changing lives, leading to inclusion in the mainstream feasible employment and providing opportunity to serve the greater good. Thus, I expect education being prioritized as a channel by the Government being guided now by a tribal leader, to avail potential students and visionaries of the Adivasi origin with necessary facilities, infrastructure, financial aids with social acceptance. If compared with the literacy rates of 29.34% for the general population, literacy among tribal peoples in India is at most 6% currently. The Union and the state governments have spent considerable sums of money for tribal youths’ education, but the results are meager. The Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes asserts that unless exploitation among the tribals is combatted and eliminated through education, no improvement in tribal welfare will occur. Within tribal areas, education can be the basis for integrated development.
Proper implementation of tribal education schemes is required, equipped with scheme of ‘traditional values integrated with modern framework’ to prosper this stream of students with rich ancestry. Such students have different backgrounds from their non-tribal schoolmates and even the teachers, who find it difficult to understand and accept their ways, unfortunately reinforcing their biases and discriminations onto the young minds. Thus, increase in opportunities for native Tribal teachers in various educational institutions (private and public) to create a coercive environment and stringent measures and laws to avoid humiliation of native culture, are also expected from the new President.
Adivasi studies has emerged as a new scholarly field, drawing upon archaeology, anthropology, agrarian history, environmental history, subaltern studies, indigenous studies, aboriginal studies, and developmental economics. It adds debates that are specific to the Indian context, contributing to understanding our cultural heritage. The related courses need to be expanded and extended to larger number of institutions for the promotion of this field of study.
Home is where we celebrate and enrich our roots, and the tribes of India take great pride in being connected to their own lands, community and the nature they grow up with. Unfortunately, thousands of Adivasi youth have migrated to the cities in search of a livelihood and many are becoming disconnected from their tradition. Thus, better framework of policies, schemes and actions are required on the system’s part to prevent the major migration to these people to urban areas in search of employment, higher standard of living, fulfillment of basic amenities like education, healthcare and housing. The MSME industry (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) has worked on special credit scheme for small businesses and jobs focused on Scheduled Tribes, but the outreach of the scheme needs to be worked upon. Availability of jobs in native places will encourage financial security of a tribe’s people with emphasis on indulging in the traditional practices and artistry.
The growth in economic development of India has occurred at the cost of gradual lose of ownership of lands and resources by the native people. For centuries, the tribes have protected and rightfully have had the ownership to vast lands full of vegetation, which have been snatched due to ambitious projects at the cost of forests. The news of rights of Adivasis being violated and their homes destroyed to leave them stray have been regular for projects like road construction, dam construction, infrastructural establishments, etc. The laws against the violation and protection to these people are dispersed in nature, full of loopholes. Therefore, Governmental supervision and regulations regarding the mentioned need to be strict need to be prioritized by our legislature led by a native leader.
The celebration of art streaming through various people, regions and cultures creates the sense of unity and collaboration amongst the diversities of our nation. Tribal art generally reflects the creative energy found in rural areas that acts as an undercurrent to the craftsmanship of the tribal people. Tribal art ranges through a wide range of art forms, such as wall paintings, tribal dances, tribal music, and so on; having a ceremonial characteristic to them. Warli Folk Paintings, Tanjore Paintings or Thanjavur Paintings, Madhubani Art, Saura Paintings, Pattachitra Paintings and Kalamazethu Art are a few to mention as they are valued by artisans across India and also internationally, but are not promoted efficiently. The tribal artists, dancers, singers and creative anomalies suffer the lack of exposure to earn recognition for their ancestry. Greater focus on dedicated creative Platforms, foundations and efforts are expected out of all the aspirations for the Adivasis of India.
The present scenario of our country sheds light on the biases, oppression and concerns over the valued minority, especially the condition of Tribal women and their rights to equality, education and right to bright futures. Although amidst these grey areas, our new President has lightened a flame of hope for the establishment of a nation with rightful honor to it’s tribal culture and indigenous heritage.