SOCIOLOGY

SUGGESTIONS FOR TRIBAL REFORMS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

S. No. CONTENTS Page No.

1. INTRODUCTION 4

2. WHO ARE TRIBAL PEOPLE? 5

3. PROBLEMS FACED BY TRIBAL PEOPLE 6

4. REFORMS OR WELFARE FOR TRIBALS 9

5. REFRENCES 13

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 INTRODUCTION

A tribe is a human social group which mainly live in a forested region and survive by hunting
animals and by carrying out shifting cultivation. As they live in very isolated or remote areas
without any social contact with people and without any kind of knowledge and because of their
innocence, illiteracy and helplessness the tribals are exploited by the outsiders. Therefore, to
level up them with the current society our government has introduced many social welfare
schemes and programmes for the tribal people.

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WHO ARE TRIBAL PEOPLE?

In general terms a tribe is a human social group which mainly live in a forested region and
survive by hunting animals and by carrying out shifting cultivation. They have their own culture,
religious beliefs and traditions which are completely different from mainstream practices. Tribal
people were found in almost every region of the subcontinent. The area and influence of a tribe
varied at different points of time.
There is no exact definition or the criteria for considering a tribe as a human group. However,
researchers defined it in various forms at different times. Sometimes they called “Tribe” as
“aboriginal” or “depressed classes” or “Adivasees”.
Normally, ‘tribe’ may be a group of individuals during a primitive or barbarous stage of
development acknowledging the authority of a chief and typically regarding them as having a
same ancestor.
According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, a tribe is a collection of families bearing a
common name, speaking a common dialect, occupying or professing to occupy a common
territory and is not usually endogamous, though originally it might have been so.
As per the definition of Oxford Dictionary "A tribe is a group of people in a primitive or
barbarous stage of development acknowledging the authority of a chief and usually regarding
themselves as having a common ancestor”.
Lucy Mair defines Tribe as “an independent political division of a population with a common
culture”. While D.N. Majumdar defines tribe as “a social group with territorial affiliation,
endogamous with no specialization of functions ruled by tribal officers hereditary or otherwise,
united in language or dialect recognizing social distance with other tribes or castes”.
Gillin and Gillin considers Tribe as any collection of pre-literate local group that occupies a
common general territory speaks a common language and practices a common culture as a tribe.
As per Ralph Linton Tribe may be a group of bands occupying a contiguous territory or
territories and having a feeling or sense of unity deriving from numerous similarities in a culture,
frequent contacts and a certain community of interests.
L.M Lewis believes that tribal societies are small in scale are restricted within the spatial and
temporal range of their social, political and legal relations and possess a morality, a religion and
broader view of corresponding dimensions. Tribal languages are unwritten and hence the extent

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of communication both in time and space is integrally narrow. On the other hand, tribal societies
exhibit a remarkable economy of design and have a compactness and self-sufficiency lacking in
modern society.

In Indian Context, T.B Naik has given the following features of tribes:
• A tribe should have least functional interdependence within the community.
• Economically backward (i.e., primitive and traditional means of exploiting natural resources,
tribal economy should be at an underdeveloped stage and have multifarious economic pursuits).
• A comparative geographical isolation of its people.
• Having a common dialect.
• Politically unorganized and community panchayat should be influential.
• Have their own customary laws.

The Tribal Community in India is Known as Scheduled Tribes or ST Under Article 366 of the
Indian. In India there are 212 tribes of 14 States. The Notification and specification of any tribe
or tribal community of any area as a “Scheduled Tribe” has been made by President of India
under Article 342(i).
Following are the characteristics of Indian tribes: -
• They have a definite geographical and social area.
• Lives on Hilly or Forest area.
• An integrated social organization on the basis of primarily on blood relationships.
• Cultural homogeneity is the main characteristic of tribal community.
• They have a common Dialect with a shared folk-lore.
• Hierarchy among men and groups is absent.
• Instrument of social bonds among tribes is Kinship.
• Absence or Lack of strong, complex, formal organization.
• Communitarian basis of land holding.
• Segmentary character.
• Little value on additional accumulation on the use of capital and on market trading
• Lack of distinction between forms as well as substance of religion
• A distinct psychological view towards enjoying life

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PROBLEMS FACED BY TRIBAL PEOPLE
The tribals of India are faced with a number of problems:
1. The problem of Geographic Separation
The tribals of India are in a way geographically separated from the rest of the population
and are living in the remote physical areas such as valleys, dense forests, hills, mountains,
etc. It is difficult for them to establish relations with others, and hence, socially they are
far away from civilized world. This kind of physical and social isolation or seclusion has
contributed to various other problems.

2. Cultural Problems
The culture of tribal people is entirely different from the way of life of the civilized
people. The tribals fail to understand the civilized people, their customs and practices,
beliefs and attitudes and so on. They are suspicious towards the civilized people. They
are clinging tenaciously to their customs and traditions. The cultural gap between the
civilized and the tribal people is coming in the way of the assimilation and integration of
the tribal people into the mainstream of the national life of India.

3. Social Problems
The tribals have their own social problems also. They are traditional and custom-bound.
They have the victims of superstitious beliefs, outmoded and meaningless practices and
harmful habits. Child marriage, infanticide, homicide, animal sacrifice, exchange of
wives, black magic and other harmful practices are still found among them. They believe
in ghosts and sprits. They have a keen desire to maintain all these practices in general,
and their individual tribal character. Hence it is said that “the tribals are the tribesmen
first, the tribesmen last and the tribesmen all the time”.

4. Economic Problem
The tribal people are economically the poorest people of India. Majority of them live
below the poverty line. The main economic problems of the tribal people are:
i) Exploitation- the innocence, illiteracy and helplessness of the tribals are exploited by
the outsiders. The British policy, in particular, had led to ruthless exploitation of the
tribals in various ways as it favored the zamindars, landlords, money-lenders, forest
contractors and excise, revenue and police officials.
ii) Problems of Land Ownership- A good portion of the land in the tribal areas has been
legally transferred to non-tribals. Tribals demand that this land should be returned to

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 them. In fact, the tribals had earlier enjoyed much freedom to use the forest and hunt
their animals. They are emotionally attached to the forests for they believe that their
god, spirits live in forests. The tribals who are deprived of their rights to the land and
forests have reacted sharply to the restrictions imposed by the governments on their
traditional rights.
iii) Unprofitable Agriculture- About 90% of the tribals are engaged in cultivation and
most of them are landless and practice shifting cultivation. They need to be helped in
adopting new methods of cultivation. The tribals possess uneconomic holding
because of which their crop yield is very less. A very small percentage of the
population participates in occupational activities in the secondary and tertiary sectors.
iv) Unemployment and Underemployment- A large number of tribal young men and
women are either unemployed or underemployed. They are unhappy for they are not
able to get jobs that can keep them occupied throughout the year. They need to be
helped in finding secondary source of income by developing animal husbandry,
poultry farming, handicrafts, handloom weaving, etc.
v) Non-Availability of banking Facilities- Banking facilities in the tribal areas are so
inadequate that the tribals have mainly to depend on the money-lenders. The tribals,
therefore, demand that “Agricultural Indebtedness Relief Act” should be enacted so
that they may get back their mortgaged land.

5. Educational Problems- Illiteracy is a major problem of the tribals. More than 80% of
them are illiterate. Literacy among them has increased from 0.7% in 1931 to 11.30% and
to 16.35% in 1981. This shows more than ¾ of the tribals are illiterate. They have no
faith in formal educational organization. Many of them do not know any thing about
education, schools, colleges, universities, degrees, etc. They feel no urge to educate their
children. Since most of the tribals are poor, education appears to be a luxury for them. In
the case of those people who are engaged in agriculture, their minor children are also
engaged in it. The illiterate parents do not consider it as their primary responsibility to
give education to their children.
6. The problem of language- The medium of instructions is another hindrance to the
promotion of education among the tribes. Most of the tribal languages do not have a
script of their own. Hence the children are obliged to learn things in a language which is
foreign to them. Even in tribal areas the number of tribal teachers is very less and hence
communication problem always arises between the students and the teachers.

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7. The curriculum of education is the another main problem- the existing curriculum,
as experts rightly have pointed out, is not suited and has little relevance to the tribal
people.

8. Problem of health and sanitation- Due to illiteracy and ignorance the tribal are not able
to appreciate modern concept of health and sanitation. They do not take much care
pertaining to their own health. They believe that diseases are caused by hostile spirit and
ghosts and have their own traditional means of diagnosis and cure. Many of them fall a
prey to the diseases such as skin disease, forest fever, typhoid, T.B., leprosy, malaria ,
veneral diseases , smallpox, etc. Contact with the outsiders for the added to a few more
diseases in the tribal areas. These diseases take a heavy toll of tribal life. Their suspicion
and lack of faith in modern doctors have made them not to avail themselves of the
modern medical facilities.
9. Problem of separation- The ‘divide and rule’ policy adopted by British did a lot of
damage to the tribal community of India. The British had superimposed their own
administrative patterns and their ideas of living in tribal areas and deprived the tribals of
their traditional methods of interacting with people. The “Criminal Tribes Act” which
the British had introduced to give an impression that tribal will either criminals or anti-
social beings. The tribal group such as Kolis, Mundas, Khasis, Santals, Naga, etc.,
against the British were branded as the “dacoits” and “robbers”. The British government
which wanted to humble these tribals and correct them gave direct encouragement to the
foreign Christian missionary activities especially in the Central and the North-eastern
zone. These activities which went on for more than 200 years, alienated many of the
tribals and developed them separatist tendencies.
10. Tribal revolt and uprisings- Numerous revolts and uprisings of the tribal have taken
place beginning with the one in Bihar in 1772, followed by many other revolts in Andhra
Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram and Nagaland.
11. Smuggling, Infiltration and Drug Addiction- The foreign infiltrators especially from
the neighboring countries of India are entering the borders of India through what are
known as “Tribal Belts” Some of them take undue advantage of tribals innocence and
ignorance for their illegal activities. Prohibited drugs and unlicensed weapons are
smuggled inside the land and beyond the borders of India through the tribal areas. Some

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 of the tribal have been made the victims of drug addiction. Hence, the tribal areas in the
borders have become extremely sensitive areas.

REFORMS OR WELFARE FOR TRIBALS

The tribals constitute a sizeable proportion (8.8%) of the total population of India. The tribals
are also the citizens of India and hence promotion of their welfare is of equal importance. Not
only the Central and the State Governments have undertaken various steps in this regard, but
also various voluntary organizations have evinced interest in this task. Organizations such as
Bharatiya Adim Jati Sevak Sangh, the Bhil Sewa Mandal, The Kasturba Gandhi National
Memorial Trust, the Indian Red Cross Society, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, The Ramakrishnan
Mission, The Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh, etc., carry on welfare activities among the tribals.
The government through its Department of Tribal Welfare and through its 5-year plans has been
trying to elevate the tribals from the state of ignorance, illiteracy and poverty. Some of the tribal
welfare measures of the Government may be examined here:
1. Constitutional Safeguards
The Constitution of India has made various provisions to safeguard the interests of the
tribals.
 Article 15 of the Constitution provides equal right and opportunities to all the
citizens of India (including the tribals) without any discrimination.
 Reservation in employment is made for the tribals under article 16 (4) and 320
(4) and 335.
 Seats have been reserved for them in the legislatures (in Lok Sabha and State
Vidhana Sabha) under Article 330, 332 and 334.
 Under Article 19(5) the tribals can own property and enjoy it in any part of the
country.
 According to the Article 275 a large amount of money can be taken from the
Consolidated Fund of India to be spent on the tribal welfare activities.
 Article 338 empowers the President of India to appoint a commissioner to look
after the tribal welfare activities.
 Under Article 339(2) the Central Government can give directions to the States in
the formulation and execution of tribal welfare plans, projects and programmes.
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  Under Article 275(i) the Centre is required to give grants-in-aid to the States for
approved schemes of tribal welfare.
 Article 164 empowers the State Governments to appoint a separate minister to
look into the welfare of the tribals.
 Article 46 consists of provisions that protect the economic and educational
interests of the tribals.
 Article 224 gives instructions to the administration to take special care to protect
tribal interests in scheduled tracts or areas.
 Article 342 gives power to the President of India to declare the recommendation
of the Governor some groups or communities as “scheduled tribes”. It also gives
details on the basis of which new groups can be recommended as “scheduled
tribes” entitling them for all the constitutional benefits.
In addition to the constitutional provisions the government appoints the committees,
commissions and study teams from time to time to look into the way in which the target
groups are making use of constitutional provisions, the problems faced by them and to
suggest measures for further improvement.
2. Protection under Constitution
Sixth Schedule of The Constitution of India has made special provisions for safeguarding
the interest of the tribes and the Government of each taste is to take care of the tribes.
3. Social Justice
As a first step in the process of instituting Social Justice, major structural changes were
brought into the erstwhile Ministry of Welfare by setting up of two exclusive national
machineries viz., the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for SCs, OBCs and
Minorities in 1998 and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for STs in 1999. This was done not
only to extend a focused attention to these groups but also to re-affirm the governmental
commitment of ensuring social justice to the socially deprived.
4. Resource Allocation & Utilization
To meet the ever-increasing needs of the Scheduled Tribes, there has been a progressive
increase in the Central Plan allocations from Rs.1591.00 crore in the Eighth Plan to Rs.
3174.13 crore in the Ninth Plan. Over and above this, the Centre extends a Special
Central Assistance (SCA) of Rs.2010.00 crores as an additive to State TSP and

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 Rs.750.00 crore as the Grant-in-aid under the Article 275(1) of the Constitution for
betterment of the administration of Scheduled Areas and the Tribal living.
5. Educational Facilities–
measures to provide educational facilities to the STs have been taken by the Government.
Schools are established in some tribal areas. In the First 5-year Plan itself about 4000
schools were opened in the tribal areas. The students belonging to STs are getting
various concessions such as free tuition fee, stipends, scholarships, free supply of text
books, stationery and other equipment. In some places mid-day meal is also supplied. For
STs and SCs 20% of the seats are reserved in technical education and relaxation is made
in respect of age limit and qualifying marks.
6. Political
Affirmative discrimination through reservation for STs in the Lok Sabha, State
Legislative Assemblies and in the PRSs has established the growing strength of STs not
only in terms of their participation in the democratic processes of the country since
independence, but also increased their representation in the political decision-making
institutions i.e., Parliament, Legislative Assemblies and in the grass-root democratic
institutions viz., Panchayats and local bodies.
7. Medical Facility
The National Health Policy (1993) while recognizing the heterogeneous tribal population
and their varied health problems, accorded a high priority for extending the health
services to those residing in the backward rural areas, with a concentration of STs. It laid
28 special attentions on the endemic diseases like Malaria, Tuberculosis, and Yaws etc.
The strategy adopted for meeting the health care needs including provision of preventive,
as well as curative services through the primary health care institutions and at the
villages level through Health Guides and Trained Dais.
8. The New Economic Policy and the Scheduled Areas
The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution was based on the very philosophy of socialistic
pattern of society. The last decade has witnessed a reversal of this philosophy and the
economic policies and reforms being taken up are leading towards a negative approach to
the disadvantaged classes, especially the tribal communities. There has been a clear shift
from the strong protection role of the State towards these communities to one of

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 justification for their exploitation in the name of economic development. The laws and
protective 36 safeguards as laid down in the Constitution for the tribal people are facing
severe changes and amendments.

REFRENCES
 https://www.sociologyguide.com/tribal-society/characteristics.php
 https://www.sociologyguide.com/tribal-society/index.php
 http://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/17180/1/Unit-5.pdf
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
313297803_Tribal_Development_Journey_So_Far_and_the_Way_A head
 https://www.manifestias.com/2018/12/04/tribals-and-tribal-policy/
 https://www.sociologyguide.com/tribal-society/tribal-development-strategy.php
 https://www.cmi.no/projects/1702-land-rights-environmental-protection-and
 https://niti.gov.in/planningcommission.gov.in/docs/aboutus/committee/strgrp/stg_sts.pdf
 https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/import/downloads/24_khare_conf_inter_mai09.pdf

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