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Paper 2 – Section B – Social Structure
(iii) Tribal communities in India:
(a) Definitional problems.
(b) Geographical spread.
(c) Colonial policies and tribes.
(d) Issues of integration and autonomy.
INTRODUCTION
The concept of tribal studies emerged in the colonial period in India; but the practice of tribal studies was continuing as a part of anthropology since its inception.The ‘other culture’ is a core area of tribal studies. It can be broadly understood by the concept of rationality of western ideology that broadened the scope through the study of tribal community. According to Andre Beteille, people having their own dialects that separates them from non-tribes, practice and follow their own religion and beliefs which are not common in Hinduism. Language is a criterion of difference as tribes speak their local dialect.
WHO ARE TRIBALS ?
The term tribe, derived from the ‘Latin word tribus (from tri and bru), denotes an inhabited place. The word tribus was first used to imply three divisions amongst the early Romans. It was rendered into Greeks who used the word with reference to the tribes of Israel. In English language, the word was used in the 16th century implying the original Roman meaning as used in the Bible and it denotes a group of persons forming a community and claiming descent from a common ancestor.
The term “tribes” is used as synonymous of Indigenous peoples. It includes the people, communities, and nations who claim a historical continuity and cultural affinity with societies predating contact with Western culture. They are also known as adivasis; a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups claimed to be the aboriginal population of India. They are also known as indigenous population
in India. Scheduled Tribe is the most backward classes in India in many aspects e.g. social, economic, etc, and they constitute nearly eight percent (8%) of India’s total population.
RELEVANCE OF TRIBAL STUDIES
The tribal studies undertake extensive studies on tribals and their problems with the sole object of supplementing the efforts of Government of India and the state Governments in the sphere of socio-economic development of tribals in this area of their predominance which is an embodiment of tribal problems. The main objectives of tribal studies are to formulate and undertake projects and programmes on tribal studies and research for promotion of tribal art, culture, tradition and heritage and their preservation and promotion; to undertake projects for improving agricultural and horticultural productivity of tribal people; to organize training programmes for economic empowerment of the tribal people, particularly tribal women and organize seminars/workshops/conferences on the problems and issues of the tribal people and disseminate the same.
VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES ON TRIBAL STUDIES
Historical perspective means understanding the social, cultural, intellectual and emotional settings that shaped people’s lives and actions in the past. Historical perspective generally deals with the colonial perspective of tribal society. It deals with various aspects of tribal society, culture, economy, tribe-caste interaction, land rights, historical forces, changing social institutions etc. This approach examines the socio-economic and political conditions during the British period.
Institutional perspective aims to study the different dynamics of tribal society within the broader framework of the established institutions. Supporters of the institutional perspective believe that government social policies should cover everybody and provide universal benefits and social services for all including the tribal people. They favor extensive government intervention in both the economy and social affairs, and they believe in universal coverage and the long term provision of benefits.
Integration perspective is an important perspective in tribal studies. It focuses on the ful integration of tribal society to the mainstream society within the broader framework of the cultural pluralism of the tribal society. The integration perspective also includes cultural integration. Understanding of Indian culture demands inclusion of tribal heritage which has been so wide and rich in terms of diverse parameters.
Integration perspective explores the internal differentiation of tribal society as well as their relation with the caste and mainstream society. Certain ethics of caste ideology are basically missing in case of tribes. But the growing situation of cultural contact has made the members of many tribes aware of the new rules and ways of social stratification. Making castes as their ‘reference groups’, these people have imbibed certain additional norms determining social distance, interaction and relationship. Such a trend has given rise to new social formations and socio-economic arrangements of the people.
Gender perspective examines the position, involvement, participation and role of tribal women in various dynamics of tribal life. Studies on tribal women have been few, and these lack depth and comprehensiveness. In 1987, the Indian Anthropological Society published a region- wise survey of tribal women. Except in some of the works of Elwin, Furer-Haimendorf and some others, there has been no explicit discussion of the status of women in tribal society.
Demographic perspective of tribal studies is largely based on the demographic characteristics of the tribal society. Tribal demography is the science of tribal population which is mainly concerned with the size, distribution, structure and change of tribal population.
CONCLUSION
The tribal study is a new discipline in the realm of social sciences. It has its origin in social anthropology and association with it since its inception. It clarifies various concepts about the schedule tribe, tribe(s) and indigenous peoples. The study of their culture, social structure, polity, economic system, education etc. has been addressed through the research from the field. The salient features of
tribal studies are objectivity, precision, design and verifiability. The study also enriches the field of social and cultural anthropology but over a period time it has established its independent field of study.